Fletcher completes umpire school training

VERO BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 19, 2016) - The Myrtle Beach Pelicans helped Justin Fletcher achieve a lifelong dream by sending him to the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy in Vero Beach last week as a VIP Guest. Fletcher, a part-time club employee with a cognitive disability, spent two days training with fellow umpire hopefuls at the Historic Dodgertown complex.

"I just got to listen to him and hear his passion and his energy and his enthusiasm for umpiring," said Minor League Baseball Director of Umpire Development Dusty Dellinger. "It was just a real thrill and inspiration for me just to see someone so excited about umpiring."

When asked how the other attendees and staff interacted with Fletcher, Dellinger replied, "...they love it. They really embraced him, and it goes back to his excitement, and we feed off of that."

Fletcher, who is intellectually challenged with autism, received a mask, shin guards and a chest protector to complete drills throughout his two-day training. He worked in the classroom to work towards his umpire education and the academy was even able to connect Justin with his favorite MLB umpire, Al Porter, via web cam.

"It's everything I dreamed about doing, being a Minor League Baseball umpire," Fletcher said.

Fletcher's dream of being an umpire dates back to his time at Socastee High School in Myrtle Beach, where he helped keep stats and set up practices for the baseball team. Even though he was working with the squad's players, Fletcher always dreamed about being a man in blue.

"It's been baseball day and night and in his sleep. So now, I don't know if he can really top that," said his father Allan Eoff. "It just reaffirms to Justin that he has the ability to do whatever he wants to do, and if he puts his mind to it, he can do it."

The 2015 season was the 17th season for the Pelicans franchise and first as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the Pelicans in 2016, please call (843) 918-6000, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.

ABOUT THE PELICANS: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and play their home games at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The park has ranked in the top eight in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in each of the last five seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last five years and the best in the Carolina League for five straight seasons as well. In May 2015, TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark won the 2015 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. The Pelicans are the defending Mills Cup Champions, winning the title in 2015 as well as 2000 and co-Mills Cup championship honors in the inaugural 1999 season. The Pelicans have made nine postseason appearances behind 11 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season, as well as five Southern Division titles, most recently in 2015. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or emailing [email protected].