Calling 'Em Like He Sees 'Em

For Menomonee Falls resident Jeffrey Paige, football season is simply something to kill time between the last pitch in the World Series in October and Opening Day in April.

His dedication to the sport runs deep — real deep. That passion has carried over locally and in a big way. He’s been the man behind the plate with the Menomonee Falls Little League for nearly 20 years. His time of service with the MFLL is second to none.

“I think baseball is the only sport that God truly loves,” Paige said when asked about his dedication to the sport.

On Saturday, the MFLL will celebrate its Opening Day festivities at 8:30 a.m. and the teams will line up and fill the diamond during the parade ceremony. Once again, the summer days near the baseball complex on Mill Road will be filled with the clink of metal bats and the cheers of proud parents.

For over two decades, the MFLL has been providing an outlet for children to enjoy America’s pastime. It’s also grown to the largest league of its kind in the state of Wisconsin with more than 1,000 players joining every season.

Paige will be back behind the plate again this year calling balls and strikes for the MFLL Big Leagues Division. He joins a long list of paid umpires and volunteers who make the league a success every single year.

“The league is fantastic. It’s an excellent league,” Paige said. “It’s very well structured and well run. There’s a lot of goodwill coming in and out, and they are never short of sponsors. It means a lot for Menomonee Falls.”

To see just how much this league means to the community, one needs to look no further than the after a group of vandals rampaged through the complex last year. Once word spread throughout the community, funds were donated to for tips leading to the arrest of the vandals.

In his nearly 20 years as an umpire and his stint as chief of umpires, Paige has also had the privilege of watching young men and women grow into adults with each passing summer. His nephew played through the senior ranks nearly a decade ago.

“When I see the kids, players, or umpires I’ve worked with grow into adults, it’s really kind of neat. For me, that’s the most rewarding aspect of being involved with the league,” Paige said.

As an umpire with the majors, Paige’s notoriety has grown as well. Often, savvy batters will attempt to butter up Paige in the hopes of shrinking the strike zone a little bit.

“It’s pretty funny, sometimes you’ll have a player come to bat whose played through the ranks in the league and they’ll say something like, ‘Mr. Paige, you lose a little weight?’ while they dig into the batter's box,” Paige chuckled.

Paige himself, at the age of 55, still plays the game he loves – with a twist, however. Jeff “The Gent” Paige has a place on the roster of the Milwaukee Cream Citys Base Ball Club, which is touring team that plays 19th century rules base ball. In case you’re wondering, base ball is the correct spelling when referring to the sport as it was played in the 1800s.

The team plays throughout the Midwest and is also a nonprofit organization. Paige serves as president of the organization.

“I’m a baseball guy,” Paige said. “I was never very good. I’ve always been long on spirit and short on talent. However, I plan to take Cream City nationwide as I approach my retirement years.”

As the MFLL season progresses, check back at Patch periodically for standings and scores. Also, coaches and parents, nominate your MFLL athlete for Patch’s “Little League Player of the Week” honor.

Simply send an email with their photo and a brief description of their accomplishment on or off the field, and we’ll feature them on Patch.com.