An early Christmas gift was presented to Jaxon Rupramka by Major League Baseball umpire Malachi Moore at this past weekend’s MLB Youth Academy in Compton, California.
Rupramka, an 11-year-old aspiring umpire from Chattanooga, received a No. 44 MLB umpire jacket of Moore’s at the same camp that had previously helped the 34-year-old achieve his dream of making the big leagues.
“Growing up, I wanted to make it to the big stage and be on the Major League Baseball field,” Moore said in an interview with FOX Sports. “Being an MLB umpire is everything I could have ever asked for and more. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the Compton Youth Academy and the leadership of Darrell Miller (Vice President of Compton Youth Academy) and the guidance of Kerwin Danley (first African American umpire crew chief in Major League Baseball).”
This past summer, Rupramka, despite his youth, umpired close to 40 baseball/softball games as he worked in tournaments for Grand Slam and Training Legends. His drive, energy and enthusiasm on the diamond have made Rupramka a celebrity with more than 1,500 followers on his TikTok page (UmpJumpJax).