Bill Finley’s dream is coming true.

The 61-year-old Portland resident will be one of the 16 umpires working the Little League Baseball World Series that begins Thursday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Bill Finley of Portland will become just the fourth Mainer to umpire at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. Submitted photo

“You only get to go once,” said Finley, who is the umpire-in-chief for Maine’s District 6, which covers Cumberland and Oxford counties. “I’m humbled and very honored to be there.”

Finley – who can tell you precisely when he received the news of his selection: “Feb. 5, 12:45, as I was driving down the highway” – is just the fourth umpire from Maine selected to make the calls at the World Series, now in its 69th year. The games are televised on ESPN.

“It’s a big deal,” said Stephen Schwartz, a Portland lawyer who also volunteers as a District 6 umpire. “And there’s no question he deserves it. He’s put his heart and soul into umpiring for a long, long time.”

Finley has been umpiring for 26 years, following in the footsteps of his father. He applied to umpire at the Little League East Regionals after about five years, and finally got a chance to call those games in 2003. “They evaluate you and you have to score well, which evidently I did,” he said.

But it took until this year for him to get the call for the World Series. And that’s all right with Finley, who left Monday night to drive to Pennsylvania.

“I am very anxious, I guess, a little nervous and very excited,” said Finley, who is also an umpire for high school softball.

“When ESPN asked me what it meant to me, I said it was probably one of the top five accomplishments in my life.”

“It has taken a while but it’s worth it,” said Steve Cole, the District 6 administrator. “He’s earned this. It’s well deserved.”

Chris Parker of Bangor was the last Mainer to umpire at the World Series, in 2009. The others were Dave Adams in 1998 and Harry Dalton in 1964.

Finley won’t get paid for his time; all Little League umpires are volunteers. For the first time, however, Little League International will supply a $400 stipend to help offset travel expenses.

“We all do it for the kids so that they have quality baseball and softball games to play,” said Finley.

“The best feeling for me after the game’s over is to have a player come to the parking lot to say, ‘Thank you.’ ”

Cole said Finley sets a great example for the younger umpires, two of whom are Finley’s nephews, John and Peter Sullivan.

“I would say he always tries to do the best he can for the kids on the field,” said Cole. “That’s what it’s all about for him. He knows the rules inside and out, and knows when they’re being stretched or when they’re not being adhered to. And he’s a great defuser. He knows how to stop a problem from happening.”

As the District 6 umpire-in-chief, Finley also trains the other umpires. Five other District 6 umpires were selected to participate in Little League Regionals for either baseball or softball this year.

“That is a direct reflection of Bill’s teaching and, I think, the high level of performance that he demands of his umpires,” said Schwartz, who worked the Little League Softball Regional this summer.

“He is a great teacher. In many ways he is flawless both in terms of his knowledge of the rules and his knowledge of the mechanics.

“I like to say he demands perfection and he frequently gets it. It makes us better umpires.”

Finley said he actually has had to tweak his mechanics this year. In May, he and the other 15 umpires who will work the World Series gathered in Williamsport for two days of training and orientation.

When he was behind the plate, he was told to change his mechanics for calling a strike. Finley would turn his head and point to the right to call a strike. Little League officials told him to look forward toward the pitcher and “call the strike with the hammer,” meaning raising his right hand.

They also worked on his stance. He used to stand behind the catcher with his hands behind his back. Now he squats a little more with his hands on his legs.

“That actually worked out better,” he said.

“It made my back feel better, more relaxed, after a whole game.”

The Little League World Series also will be the first time Finley works with instant replay. “That will be new to me,” he said. “The way I look at it is I have a split-second to make a decision and they get to stop it every tenth of a second to see if I’m right. We just want to get it right for the kids; that’s what it’s about.”

Finley works as a sales engineer for Tri-State Packing Supply in Scarborough. He didn’t have any problem getting time off to attend the Little League World Series. The company is owned and run by his brother, Jim. “Yeah, he’s OK with it,” said Bill Finley.

Finley’s wife Claire will join him Friday. His children – Monica, 31, and William, 28 – also will be there.

“I’ve got family coming, friends coming,” he said. “My college roommate is even coming. It’s pretty exciting.”

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