Loved by his peers and respected by teams, William “Wild Bill” Silves was a highly respected USA Softball umpire for over 45 years. At the age of 18, he attended his first umpire school, which began a life-long passion for the sport of softball. After putting in the work on the field, Bill’s skills earned him the opportunity to umpire at his first USA Softball National Championship at the 1979 Women’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship, where he would be assigned to the Championship Game. His accolades continued as he got the call at three more USA Softball National Championships and several WBSC-sanctioned events in Canada. While his on-field achievements show the amount of work he put into his craft, Bill is also well respected for his efforts to grow the umpire program off the field. Having served as an Umpire-in-Chief locally, regionally and nationally, his commitment to the growth and development of umpires is second-to-none. Having served as an instructor at 27 USA Softball National Umpire Schools, Bill’s infectious enthusiasm sets the gold standard for the USA Softball Umpire program.
