Garth Sanders calls the shots at his Woodland Hills print shop and on the softball diamond. The Minuteman Press International Inc. franchisee was recently chosen to officiate at the 2017 Little League Softball World Series, taking place August 9-16 in Portland, Ore. Only 13 volunteer umpires from around the world were selected for the series. “If you think about the numbers, it’s mind blowing,” Sanders said. “I’ll be umpiring with guys from places like Norway, Puerto Rico and Canada.” Sanders started playing Little League baseball when he was a boy, then moved into coaching and eventually umpiring. His parents were also volunteers for the sports organization and even have a field named after them in Mission Hills as a tribute to their work. When Sanders’ own children began playing baseball and softball, he decided to put back on the blue shirt and start calling games again. As he became more involved with the Little League organization, he started moving up the ranks and soon became chief umpire of his league in Canyon Country. After becoming part of his district’s umpire staff and working district-level tournaments, his fellow umpires recommended him for the World Series position, which was granted this year. “The selection process to become a World Series umpire is lengthy and rigorous,” Kevin Fountain, director of media relations for Little League International, wrote in an email to the Business Journal. “An individual can be selected for a World Series assignment once every four years.” Sanders said umpiring has helped his print shop at 20648 Ventura Blvd. as Little League is a great networking opportunity to develop business relationships. He and his brother Craig purchased their Minuteman franchise location, which was originally in Tarzana. Prior to that, they were working in the family business of coin-operated amusement machines. “At the suggestion of our area representative at the time, he thought a move to Woodland Hills would be beneficial,” Sanders said. “There are a lot of businesses here, and the location is a much better place to attract the type of clientele that need our services.” Minuteman is primarily a business-to-business service, providing marketing materials to companies. Little League Softball serves girls ages 4 to 16. The World Series involves teams from 10 geographical districts around the world competing in a playoff format tournament of 31 games. Last year a team from Helotes, Texas took home the trophy, with the championship game broadcasted live on ESPN2. – Stephanie Henkel
