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Dr. Kenyon Makes Calls, On and Off the Field

Four umpires, including Dr. Kenyon at the far right, stand with hand on heart for the national anthem. They stare down the middle of the field, flanked by two teams of players in front.
Dr. Kenyon, far right, and three other umpires listen to the national anthem before the start of a baseball game.
Credit: West Springfield Little League
 

As the director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Dr. Jimmy Kenyon is used to making important decisions at work. He also likes to call the shots on the baseball field as a volunteer umpire. 

In July, Kenyon packed up his gear and traveled to Ankeny, Iowa, as part of a four-man umpire crew for the Little League Intermediate 50/70 Baseball Central Region Tournament. He was selected for this crew assignment in May, as the Little League season was getting underway.  

In front of a fence, Dr. Kenyon is dressed in an umpire uniform with a mask and stands behind a catcher. People sit in stands on the other side of the fence.
Dr. Jimmy Kenyon in action as a volunteer umpire during a Little League baseball game.
Credit: West Springfield Little League

“Making the call is part of the job at NASA Glenn, but it’s also something I enjoy as a volunteer umpire for Little League Baseball and softball,” Kenyon said. “It allows me to share the excitement of baseball and NASA with young players, who may very well be part of our future workforce someday.”