Dick Adams

Dick Adams graduated from Taylorville High School in 1970. He was a member of the varsity Tornado Basketball team and in the spring, was a pitcher on the baseball team. But it was after he graduated from high school that he made his mark in the athletic arena.     At 18 years old Adams was the youngest person to be admitted to the All Somers School for Umpires. He graduated #1 in his class in 1971 and was immediately signed as a professional umpire in the Gulf Coast Rookie League. During the spring, Adams got the opportunity to improve his skills by calling major league spring training games.     By 1976, he had umpired in the Class A Florida League, the Double A Eastern League and the AAA Pacific Coast League. Throughout those years he continued to gained major league experience each spring, umpiring Spring Training Games. Umpiring 30 game a season he called balls and strike for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Philadephia Phillies.     He also spent his winters in Florida and Arizona umpiring winter league baseball. In 1976 hs also umpired major league players in the Puerto Rico Winter league. At 23 years old, Adams had become the youngest professional umpire to reach that level of umpiring in major league baseball. Looking forward to his first assignment in the American League, Adams developed a serious illness and had to put his umpiring profession aside.

Dick Adams returned to Taylorville, where he was elected to the Park Board and then was twice elected Mayor of the City. He and his wife Cindy, along with college age sons and Jordan and Clark live in Taylorville, where Dick is still active in community activities and events.