Massena's Draper works hard to make the calls

If you think being a baseball umpire does not require much physical work, you are mistaken.

Massena native Andy Draper, who is about to start his professional career as a Class A umpire this summer, mentioned how he keeps himself in shape for his profession.

“What I do is I take multivitamins and things in the morning every day,” he said. “I usually run about three miles a day to keep up my cardio. I’m not a bigger guy, physically. I try to use my speed to my advantage.

“I’m going to work out every day. We run and have to stay as physically fit as you can. Think about trying to do squats 300 to 350 times every game and the next day you are out in the bases. It does take a lot of strain on the knees, back, legs and your mind. You have to stay focused on every play for three or four hours.”