When Rene Arsenault began his career behind the dish as an umpire, things certainly looked different across the landscape in the country.

It was 1974 in Fitchburg. He was a plucky high school graduate. The average home cost about $21,000. Gas prices hovered around 30 cents a gallon and a loaf of bread listed for an outrageous 10 cents. Arsenault began working at a paper mill. He also played some men’s league softball in his spare time.

Frank Zingarello was the umpire in charge at the Umpire’s Association in Fitchburg at the time and mentioned to Arsenault that maybe he could be an umpire. He accepted the offer to start his career. On average, the current New Salem resident made about $10 per game at the beginning. Today, umpires make about $100 a game.

“It was new,” Arsenault said. “Obviously you try your best. I knew when I missed a call. That’s how you learn… I was only doing one or two games a week.”

It wasn’t just a brief phase in Arsenault’s life, as he took it to the absolute extreme and continued to umpire and officiate multiple sports over a half century. Throughout his career, Arsenault made calls in baseball, basketball and volleyball. Softball was always a constant. He did both college and high school sports. Volleyball presented the biggest challenge.

“It’s a good sport to do,” Arsenault said of volleyball. “It’s not physical but there’s a lot of rules. It’s very confusing. There’s more rules in volleyball than the other three sports that I did.”

Fifty-two years later, Arsenault umpired his final game in western Massachusetts at Westfield State University on May 23, when Hampshire Regional played Frontier Regional in the Class B softball championship game. Before the game, public address announcer Sherry Webb acknowledged Arsenault’s final appearance to the crowd. He’s umpired in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region for about 25 years. Franklin Tech softball coach Joe Gamache shared a field with Arsenault plenty of times over the years.

“Rene has been dedicated to the game of softball for many years. He has always arrived prepared to put in a professional effort and gives his all to ensure that he is in proper position to make the correct call,” Gamache said. “He has put a tremendous amount of time and effort into staying current on rules and always is willing to give coaches the professional courtesy to explain situations to coaches who ask appropriately.”

Arsenault naturally spent a lot of time at Gary Mullins Field at Turners Falls High School.

“We certainly had a few confrontations early on in our relationship,” Turners Falls coach Gary Mullins said. “The last few years we have gotten along really well. He does a good job. I consider him a friend. When he comes to do a game you are going to get a good job.”

Early on in an attempt to hone his craft, he went to a national umpiring clinic. This was just the beginning, as he made many efforts over the years to continue to improve and learn.

“That’s where I learned where to be,” Arsenault said. “Positioning, the way you are supposed to umpire.”

A problem in today’s sports is the know-it-all parents and fans. People who chirp umpires and officials regularly, disagreeing with virtually every call if it goes against the team they are rooting for at the game. Arsenault dealt with these types of fans over the years and has a direct comeback.

“Once in a while you get someone who is going to say something,” Arsenault said. “My theory is not to turn and tell them to be quiet. I politely turn around and say ‘I have an extra clicker and we are looking for good umpires’. That usually quiets them down. You didn’t embarrass them, but they mostly get the hint and are quiet the rest of the game.”

The method didn’t always work. Some unruly players, coaches and fans had to get the boot from time-to-time. Arsenault has about five ejections over the course of his career. During a men’s league softball game, Arsenault tossed a player for throwing a baseball bat over the backstop after getting fanned. Another time, incessant complaining about balls and strikes from a parent led to an ejection. Arsenault recalled an incident when Kevin Kane of the Quabbin Regional softball team placated a feisty group of parents.

“I made a call at second base,” Arsenault said. “The coach (Kane) came running and said I got the call right… but he said ‘all my fans think you missed the call so I am out here, so they shut up’.”

At one point during his career, Arsenault had some new umpiring pants fresh off the rack at one his daughters’ scrimmages. He had volunteered to call the game. Not only did he have new pressed pants, but his shoes had a fresh polish as usual for his games.

“The coach knew that I had just bought brand new pants,” Arsenault said. “In the third our fourth inning she came out to argue a call. She was trying to be funny. She kicked dirt all over my new pants.”

The coach was Lisa McGloin of the Concord Raiders. While she maintained a serious demeanor throughout the exchange, the laughter leaked out toward the end once the pristine pants made the unpleasant acquaintance of the dirt on the field. McGloin presented Arsenault with a check after the game to pay for a trip to the cleaners.

“That was funny,” Arsenault said. “When she gave me the check it was even funnier.”

Working in the profession for 52 years, Arsenault has had hundreds of colleagues across the four different sports. Over the years, he’s also worked with officials who did not share the same passion.

“Sometimes you work with umpires that are only there for the money,” Arsenault said. “They don’t care about the game. They could care less about anything. I am the kind of umpire where if I made a bad call I will look at the coach and say ‘I missed it’. Just to let them know that we are not perfect.”

In the twilight of his career, Arsenault began working on the same fields with his son, Connor Arsenault. The father-son duo began sharing the field in the last 10 years.

“I am behind the plate trying to protect him,” Arsenault said of his son. “I found out quickly that he doesn’t need protection. He’s a good umpire… he handles everything himself but you always worry about your son.”

Getting a warm greeting from players and coaches he has met always felt gratifying for Arsenault. Even a tenured and seasoned umpire has a sense of humility after all these years.

“I know that I am not the best,” Arsenault said. “But I know there is a lot worse than me.”