My name is Robert Rivera and I’m a USPS customer service support supervisor in Ocala, FL.
When I’m off duty you might find me umpiring for the Savannah Bananas, a barnstorming exhibition baseball team whose games are fast and full of fun.
My dad, who was a mail handler at Grand Central Station in New York City for 30 years, got me into umpiring at 14. He was a coach for my Little League team and asked me to take over as umpire for him one day.
I’ve been with USPS since 1998, but there was a time when I had to decide between my love of umpiring and the Postal Service.
In 2003, I graduated from the Wendelstedt Umpire School and knew I had to choose: Would it be baseball, with no promise of security, or USPS?
The Postal Service won, but I told my mom that one day she would see me on a major league field.
Twenty-one years later, that big break came when I was interviewed and chosen to umpire for the Bananas. My first game was last October, and it was a mind-blowing experience.
I’ve umpired five games for them — two at their home stadium and three at LoanDepot Park in Miami.
I love baseball and even have a YouTube channel called “Who’s on First: The Show.”
The game offers so many life lessons — how to win, how to lose, and how to deal with both.
There’s a lot in common with my job.
Sometimes you’re the guy in charge, sometimes not. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow.
It’s also about people and personalities, rules and regulations. I love rules! That’s what makes me a good supervisor.
I have two kids, Mitchell and Angela, with my wife, Molli, my biggest fan besides my mom.
I’ve coached my kids’ teams, and I love showing them that if you strive, good things will happen, but you have to put in the work.
“Off the Clock,” a column on Postal Service employees and their after-hours pursuits, appears regularly in Link.
