SigMT

Weeks before the 119th World Series was set to begin, Brian Knight experienced a victory that, for him, surpassed the anticipation of the Major League Baseball (MLB) championship. Aer spending three decades on the diamond, including 14 full- time seasons in the Majors, the Helena native and his six fellow umpires were selected to officiate the 2023 showdown between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers. He was heading to the World Series. "It is one of those moments you think may never happen, and you don't realistically expect to happen. So, when it actually does, it puts you into a bit of a state of shock and takes a while to really set in," he says. For Brian, the mere selection was a victory in itself, encapsulating the culmination of his life's work in baseball umpiring. "Geing the call was the championship," he reminisces. "I had just won. ey trusted my ability. I was geing a World Series ring. But now, I needed to go work the games and prove I belonged there and deserved the honor." Brian's road to the pinnacle of baseball's grandest stage was paved with the dust of the diamond long before the thoughts of career paths or life directions ever clouded his horizon. Nestled in the Queen City of the Rockies, he was just a regular kid with an extraordinary passion for baseball. is wasn't merely a hobby for Brian; it was a fundamental part of his upbringing, deeply woven into the fabric of his early life. "For as long as I can remember, baseball has been a part of my surroundings," Brian shares. e seeds of this passion were sown early, with his father, Jim, an umpire aficionado, introducing him to the intricacies of the sport. "I loved just tagging along with Dad," Brian reminisces. ese moments weren't simply about watching the game; they were about living it, breathing it, alongside a father who saw umpiring as "a hobby that paid." Jim's journey into the world of sports officiating provided the backdrop for Brian's own path into baseball. While his father navigated the game from behind the plate, Brian took to the field in Lile League, laying the groundwork for his future. In these formative years, Brian wasn't just a spectator to his father's hobby, he was an active participant, refining his skills and understanding the nuances of the game. SIGNATURE MONTANA | 27 In the climactic 9th inning of Game 5, Crew Chief Bill Miller and Brian engage in a pivotal discussion, a testament to the teamwork and critical decision- making that underpins World Series umpiring. Photo credit Kelly Galvin, Texas Rangers e Making of an MLB Umpire

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