Men in blue brighten days of young patients at Johns Hopkins Childrens Center

Men in blue brighten days of young patients at Johns Hopkins Childrens Center
Before calling balls and strikes at tonight's game between the Angels and Orioles at Camden Yards, home plate umpire Fieldin "Cubby" Culbreth made sure a baseball season tradition wouldn't be swept away because of COVID-19 precautions at the Johns Hopkins Childrens Center in Baltimore. Culbreth and Ryan Blakney, another of the men in blue assigned to tonight's game, participated in a special question-and-answer session over Zoom with young patients undergoing treatment at the hospital....
    

Men in blue brighten days of young patients at Johns Hopkins Childrens Center

Men in blue brighten days of young patients at Johns Hopkins Childrens Center
Before calling balls and strikes at tonight's game between the Angels and Orioles at Camden Yards, home plate umpire Fielden "Cubby" Culbreth made sure a baseball season tradition wouldn't be swept away because of COVID-19 precautions at the Johns Hopkins Childrens Center in Baltimore. Culbreth and Ryan Blakney, another of the men in blue assigned to tonight's game, participated in a special question-and-answer session over Zoom with young patients undergoing treatment at the hospital....
    

Umpires brighten season for patients at Children's National Hospital

Umpires brighten season for patients at Children's National Hospital
The coronavirus pandemic interrupted spring training, shortened the Major League Baseball season, and added COVID-19 testing to the daily routine for players and staff. No way around it, the virus has been felt in every corner of the baseball universe. Even umpires were not immune. The annual visit by the men in blue to Children's National Hospital, where members of UMPS CARE Charities, took on a different look Tuesday when umpires Nic Lentz and Chris Segal conducted a virtual visit to let...
    

Children's National Medical Center visit by umpires was a good call

Children's National Medical Center visit by umpires was a good call
The men in blue made a few new friends on Tuesday, before donning their usual garb and taking the field at Nationals Park for a game between the Rockies and Nationals. The four-man crew assigned to the four-game series - Jerry Meals, Ron Kulpa, Gabe Morales and John Libka - took time out of their schedules to visit patients at Children's Nationals Medical Center and their families as part of the UMPS CARE Charities BLUE for Kids program. Instead of balls and strikes, safe or out, fair or foul,...
    

Umpires' call brightens day for patients at Johns Hopkins Children's Center

Umpires' call brightens day for patients at Johns Hopkins Children's Center
Before they handled balls and strikes, fair or foul, and safe and out calls for the conclusion of a two-game interleague series between the Nationals and Orioles on Wednesday, baseball's men in blue brought some happiness to youth patients at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Umpires Alfonzo Marquez, Mike Estabrook and Ryan Blakeney - part of the umpiring crew for the Nats-O's series this week at Camden Yards - visited patients at Johns Hopkins, offering words of encouragement and...
    

Visit from men in blue brightens day for young Hopkins cancer patients

Visit from men in blue brightens day for young Hopkins cancer patients
Young cancer patients at Baltimore's John's Hopkins Childrens Center got some special visitors earlier this week when a quartet of major league umpires stopped by to brighten the kids' days. Umpires Jim Reynolds, Chris Guccione, John Tumpane and Shane Livensparger ditched their ball-and-strike counters and masks to spend time with the children as part of Umps Care Charities BLUE for Kids program. Umps Care Charities is the nonprofit founded by MLB Umpires to enrich the lives of at-risk youth...