Bringing CJ to Shelby

For more than 50 years, CJ Mitchell was involved in the Southeastern Washington state area, playing, coaching and officiating baseball. As the latter, Mitchell was a standout, officiating high school and college games – including four NCAA Division I College World Series.

Mitchell also was a longtime American Legion Baseball umpire, working six American Legion World Series. And though he passed away last January, Mitchell will have a presence in Shelby, N.C., for this year’s Series.

An assistant coach for Kennewick, Wash., Post 34, which won the Northwest Region, is Brandon Mitchell, CJ’s grandson. And the coaches and teams are wearing a sticker on their batting helmets to honor Mitchell. “Big Time,” as Mitchell was known, will be front and center when Kennewick heads to the plate.

“I knew this summer that we had a fairly competitive team,” said Post 34 Manager Nate Holdren. “I’m not going to say I knew we were going to make the World Series because no one can say that without a smirk on their face. But I thought of being kind of creative, and I created a sticker. His nickname was ‘Big Time,’ and his license plate said ‘Big Time.’

“I just thought about putting it on all of our helmets. When I told the kids the story – first, with me having Brandon on the staff, that kind of hit a nerve and I definitely had their ear. And I told them that one of our goals was to see if we could let CJ have one more World Series.”

Mitchell is a member of at least six sports halls of fame, including the Amateur Baseball Association Hall of Fame, Amateur Baseball Umpires Association Hall of Fame and the Washington State American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame.

But Holdren said Mitchell wasn’t an umpire for the accolades. “I’m 44, and he did high school games when I was 15,” he said. “He loved kids. One of his sons does Legion Baseball games in our league, and his grandson (Brandon) is my assistant coach. The family loves baseball and has been involved with baseball for 50 years.”

Brandon said his grandfather officiated football and basketball games, but that his true love was baseball. “He was a Pac-10 (Conference) umpire for a long time, but he would still do high school and junior high games, all of that stuff. He didn’t care what level it was. He enjoyed doing it.”

Holdren said he’s glad the team was able to come through on bringing CJ to Shelby. “He’s here on the back of all our heads,” he said. “Every time we step up to the plate he’s with us.”

Brandon said the team wearing the stickers during the World Series still hasn’t totally sunk in. “I can’t really even tell you what it means, because it’s still kind of really a surreal thing,” he said. “I know that (CJ) would be thrilled at the fact of us just making it. It means a lot to my whole family.”