Western Australian Jon Byrne created baseball history in May of last year by becoming the first Australian-born person to umpire at Major League Baseball level.

 

The journey to The Show has required years of dedication and application for 41 year-old Byrne, who umpired in the Minor League system for over ten years after graduating from Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring in 2004.

 

While he still has some way to go to gain lucrative job security at MLB level, his is a real success story and an inspiration to others contemplating umpiring as a career opportunity.

 

Home over the summer, Australian Baseball Alumni member Jon Byrne spoke to Perth Heat about a remarkable baseball career upon which he initially embarked as a twelve year old making pocket money as a part-time official at junior club games.