NATCHEZ — Becoming an umpire offers more jeers than cheers, but that never discouraged Danny Brown from becoming one.

Brown accepted the challenge of umpiring youth league baseball for Natchez Dixie Youth with a “how hard can this really be?” mindset. Brown, who spent the last 10 years umpiring, quickly found out it’s a lot tougher than he’d imagine, signaling a runner safe as he yelled out on his first ever call.

Like most umpires, Brown has found himself under siege with controversial calls, but Brown, a man who loves the game of baseball, has found a way to keep smiles on kids’ faces. Whenever kids have slouched at the ballpark, Brown has given them the ultimate incentive.

“I’ll look them in the eye and say, ‘I’ll give you a dollar if you can hit a true home run,’” Brown said. “I’m talking over the fence or inside the park home run, no errors. And if they hit a grand slam, I’ll give out $5. There have been a many times that I’ve worked out here for free with giving so much money away.”

Pulling a dollar out of his pocket and giving it to a kid has become somewhat of a calling card for Brown. Young players identify that with him, and Brown said they would even seek a dollar despite not hitting a home run.

“You have those little ones that will run and get to first base and three or four batters later, they’ll reach home and they’ll want a dollar,” Brown said. “I have to say, ‘No, no, it has to be a true home run.’”

For Brown, nothing beats seeing the kids’ faces light up. However, sometimes he’ll question whether he’s doing the right thing, watching kids swing for the fences rather than just trying to make contact.

“I’ve seen them strike out before, and I’ve said to myself, ‘Well Danny, maybe you shouldn’t have offered,’” Brown said.

Dixie Youth President Jeff Webb said Brown has been responsible for getting the umpires together for the last few years, and has done a great job in doing so.

“Even when you lack certain personnel, he’s gotten everything lined up and in order,” Webb said.

Brown became an umpire 10 years ago after long-time friend Bryant Adams invited him to. The invitation came after Brown’s frustrations boiled over with a coach in the league, thinking the coach was being too hard on a young group of kids.

“I was done coaching, and I thought I was done with little league after that, but (Adams) offered me this job,” Brown said. “I didn’t come looking for the job, it found me.”

A decade of umpiring has given Brown many perks, but perhaps is favorite is seeing previous players recognize him and say hello.

“That’s the part that really makes you feel good,” Brown said.