International League umpire Jon Byrne, 27, is officiating his first season in triple-A baseball.
With a highlight on Australia's own Jon Bryne
This article was sourced from Ashley Stickland for CNN and was sourced through the following LINK
(CNN) -- Minor league coaches and players spit in their faces, red dirt embeds itself in their skin, and until they make a newsworthy call, probably not a single baseball fan knows their names.
Don't ask these umpires if they've been hit by baseballs. The question is how many.
"You don't get to triple-A without bruises," said Art Thigpen, 43, a ninth-season umpire. "You've probably been hit so many times in the same place, you don't even feel it."
They're officiating minor league games in the hope they will move up to umpire on Major League Baseball fields, with a comfortable salary and high-stakes games. There are 70 possible spots in MLB, but they come available one at a time as umpires retire.
