Max McLeary is an umpire with one eye. That's a distinction, but he takes it in stride. "Everything Happens in Chillicothe" is his biography.
Who/what contributed to your inner strength?
First of all, a strong belief in the good Lord. Then being raised in a western Pennsylvania steel town, by a mother and father who led by example, teaching me how to treat people and having work ethics.
When in your life was your inner strength particularly tested and how did you deal with the incident?
In the blizzard of 1977, my soon-to-be wife, Patty, accidentally, while wrestling around in the snow, kicked my right eye with pointy boots. After seven hours of surgery, I lost use of that eye. It was replaced by a plastic prosthesis. After seven years of being blind in one eye, the smell of the grass, and the ambiance that goes along with going to the ballpark, I made the decision to start working at getting back into the game of baseball. Relying on the "who contributed to my inner strength," I decided to get into batting cages and field houses to call pitches knowing full well that I would have to out-work everyone to give myself a chance to get back into the game.
What suggestions do you have to help people realize their capabilities?
Believe in the Lord, believe in yourself and above all have a love and passion for what you are trying to accomplish.
Why is it important to focus on inner strength?
It doesn't matter where you were yesterday or what you have accomplished. It doesn't matter where you are going tomorrow. It is today that we have to live for and we must rely on our inner strength to make the right decisions to achieve our goals.
What are your next goals and what positive thoughts or activities keep you striving toward your goals?
My next goal is to get the next nine innings right, because whatever level I may be working, the kids that day deserve the best of my abilities.
