JAMESTOWN – Larry Rodgers of Jamestown has been given the outstanding honor of being selected among the five umpires to work the 16-18 Babe Ruth World Series scheduled for Aug. 18-25 in an announcement from Babe Ruth Vice-President Commissioner Bill Rick of Trenton, N. J.

“I feel very lucky and fortunate to be named to this umpiring staff,” stated Rodgers. “There were several other umpires in the Chautauqua County Umpires Association just as qualified, so, this is indeed quite an honor.”

Rodgers has been involved in both the Chautauqua County Baseball and Softball Associations for 19 years. He has held the offices of president, vice-president, and secretary for baseball as well as being rules interpreter for both boards the last 10 years.

The 1957 graduate of Youngsville (Pa.) High School, who was born in nearby Blue Eye, Pa., has been the only member of the Chautauqua County board to work the New York State High School Baseball Tournament in Little Falls. He worked there in 1981 and was behind the plate for the Class A championship in 1983 when Sweet Home defeated Poughkeepsie to give Section 6 a sweep of state titles that season.

Rodgers has been involved in numerous tournaments during the years with a couple that stick out being the umpire-in-chief for the Mid-Atlantic 14-15 Babe Ruth Tournament at College Stadium and a Region 3 Junior College championship between Broome Community College and Niagara Country Community College also at College Stadium.

Youngsville didn’t have a high school baseball team, so, Rodgers played American Legion and Babe Ruth followed by performing for the Warren Elks in the County Grape Belt League.

When autumn comes around one can find Rodgers on the football field as an official, a job he has done very well for the last 19 years. He has been president and vice-president of the Southwestern Chapter of the Football Officials Association as well as being on its executive board.

For the past 24 years, Rodgers has been employed as a technician at Jamestown Carborundum Company. He resides at 4 Berkley Ave., West Ellicott, with his wife Janet, and children Kristal, 15, and Mark,11.

The other umpires chosen were veteran crew chief Joe Courtney of Morrisville, Pa., Bill O’Brien of Pearl River, N. Y., Jim Appleby of Sarasota, Fla., and John Whitson of Newark, Ohio. All World Series umpires are selected from the 800 plus membership of the Babe Ruth Baseball National Umpires Association, starting in 1982.

Lyle Parkhurst of Jamestown represented Chautauqua County an an umpire in the 1980 and 1981 first-ever 13-year-old World Series at College Stadium.

Chautauqua County makes its first appearance in the event at 8 p. m., Aug. 18 against the New England representative and there is a good chance that Rodgers will be working the game.