Rob Ruth 
2013 
Boy's Basketball 
Rob Ruth’s umpiring career began at the age of 16 and has continued for more than 35 years. A job that began at Jason Lee Junior High, where he worked baseball, football and wrestling contests, has turned into a lifelong passion.

Rob Ruth has packed his chest protector, facemask and shin guards around most of Western Washington and all the way across the Pacific Ocean. Following in his father Chuck’s footsteps, Rob has been an umpire since 1982.

The 1980 Stadium High grad has worked 10 WIAA regionals, two WIAA state championship baseball games and hundreds of other no-less-important games. He was chosen in 1992 to participate in Tacoma’s Sister City baseball exchange with Kitakyushu, Japan. Rob made five trips to Kitakyushu as the series alternated each year between Tacoma and Japan. He made countless friends and will forever be known in Kitakyushu as the Bear!

Rob was a member of the Western Washington Umpires Association from 1982 to 1995 and has been an umpire and board member with the Western Washington Baseball Umpires Association since 1996.

A lifelong Tacoma native, Rob works for Metro Parks Tacoma as a maintenance technician.