Bob Paskal has spent a lifetime dedicated to America's favorite pastime.

The Boothbay Harbor man has spent more than 50 years calling games behind home plate and more time sitting in bleachers at ballparks from Portland, Maine to a cornfield in Iowa.

He has been to Cooperstown, N.Y., more than 40 times, and when he isn't listening to, watching or calling a game, he is deep into a weighty tome dedicated to baseball.

This June, Paskal will give something back when he reads a paper he and colleague Paul Staudohar wrote entitled “Blue Ruin and Rebirth – Umpires Unions.”

Paskal will present his work during an annual symposium at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown during the first week of June in what has become a tradition for the long-time umpire. This will be the first year he has presented his research.

“There are two reasons I'm presenting; one is I've been taking without giving my share,” he said. “The second is that I was encouraged by a lot of the guys to get up and speak.”

Paskal said the topics at the symposium typically revolve around the legal aspects of the game or religion in baseball.

Sometimes, the subjects are as quirky as the game itself, like when someone gave a presentation on the economic impact of the infield fly rule, Paskal said.

Paskal, who calls games along the Midcoast, said he has a special appreciation for umpires and the art of calling a game.

“I'm crazy enough that if I see two or three games on, I'll wait to see who's behind the plate; see who the umpires are,” he said. “That's how I pick which games to watch.”

Paskal's paper is concerned with the governing bodies of umpires unions, and how strikes and changes in leadership have shaped the current status of Major League umpires for better or worse.

But, for Paskal, the real treat comes from being around other baseball fanatics, discussing everything from umpire unions to whether or not Rube Waddell's injury before the 1905 World Series was a sham.

“Just to be among some of these heavy hitters makes it for me,” he said. “There are law school professors … last year there was a supreme court justice from Rhode Island. It will be exciting this year to present to them.”

Ben Bulkeley can be reached at 207-633-4620 or bbulkeley@boothbayregister.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BBRegisterBen.