Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1521025
28 | SIGNATURE MONTANA By 1987, at the age of 12, Brian's prowess on the field had earned him a spot on the Helena All-Star Team, propelling him onto a stage as grand as the World Series for his age group. "Our team wound up making it to the World Series for that level of baseball that year, and we got to travel to play in Oakland, California," Brian notes, his voice tinged with the pride of a milestone that would mark the beginning of a profound journey. rough high school and beyond, Brian's immersion in the world of baseball was all-encompassing. "Helena had a Minor League team for basically the whole time I was a child and a teenager, and I was at Kindrick Legion Field in the summer about four nights a week. I'd go with Dad, and he got to know the umpires coming through town. ese were the guys who were just beginning their professional careers. So here I was in junior high and high school, hanging out with these professional umpires my Dad would invite over for dinner," Brian shares, offering a glimpse into a youth spent in the shadow of the sport's towering figures and aspiring talents. However, it was aer his first year of college, amidst a sea of uncertainty regarding his future, that Brian encountered a crossroads. His father's advice to pursue umpire school emerged as a beacon of clarity. "I was 19 and in that phase of not knowing what path to take," he recounts. "I didn't know how to umpire, and my only experience was a bit of officiating Lile League and a few women's high school fast-pitch games," he says. Despite the daunting prospect of venturing into unfamiliar territory, Brian saw wisdom in his father's suggestion. "It was a tough decision, but it also made a lot of sense." In January 1995, Brian embarked on a pivotal journey to Cocoa, Florida, to enroll in the renowned Brinkman/ Froemming Umpire School, a six-week program his father had navigated 15 years before. Roughly 90 percent of the 120 aspirants were there to refine their officiating skills for high school or college-level engagements. Brian, however, was part of the ambitious minority aiming for a spot in the professional echelons. Learning the Ropes Brian (right) and his brother, Kevin Knight, after Game 5. Photo credit Brian Knight Brian wore his Montana prospector belt buckle with his suit during Game 1. Photo credit Brian Knight