Rocklin Little League board member, Placer grad Joey Zorio dies at 42

Rocklin Little League President Chris May met Joey Zorio when he was 14 years old while playing in a game Zorio was umpiring. One of their first interactions was not a pleasant one, but it would be the foundation for a friendship that would last a lifetime. "My first time ever getting kicked out as a player was by Joey," May said. "I said some smart-aleck comment about how I was going to LensCrafters to get him glasses. Him and I have always laughed and bonded over it because it was just kind of one of those funny stories." Zorio, a Placer High School graduate in 1999, was the longest-serving board member in Rocklin Little League history at 21 years. Zorio passed away unexpectedly Feb. 22 at the age of 42. "He loved baseball, but what kept him coming back was that he loved interacting and being able to interact with the kids learning to love the game of baseball," May said. "He would let these kids pick up trash around the snack bar and then he would give them snack bar tickets or just anything to keep them engaged." Zorio held many titles with Rocklin Little League: umpire, board member, snack bar coordinator, but most importantly, friend. Anyone who grew up around Twin Oaks Park knows his iconic face, and anyone who stepped foot on those fields could expect him behind home plate. For thousands of kids that grew up around Rocklin Little League, Zorio was a part of some of their favorite childhood memories, myself included. "I don't think he would have grasped the impact he had on so many kids because it's nothing he would have patted himself on the back about," May said. "He would never say, 'Look at all this good I've done.' I think he understood the fact that obviously, his countless hours are a positive influence on these kids. But I don't think he ever would have been self-absorbed enough to really even think about it like that." In a world where official shortages impact youth sports, Zorio was a constant. Parents behaving poorly and heckling officials never kept him away, as he devoted his time to umpiring little league and officiating high school sports. "Parents didn't bother him. It's something he would always kind of talk about it to where he knows it's trivial and he knows the game, even at that age, is emotional," May said. "He got the fact that they weren't attacking Joe Zorio, they were attacking an umpire." May went on to say, "He didn't let that bother him because that was nowhere near as important as the bigger picture and the joy he was getting from helping these kids learn to love baseball." Zorio's outreach went far beyond the players on the ballfield and extended beyond their playing days. One example was years ago when a Rocklin Little League player was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and could no longer play. "He was super depressed and then Joey saw him at the ballpark and came over and gave him like a half-hour long pep talk and told him that even though he couldn't play, that didn't mean he couldn't be involved in the game," May said. "It was just stuff like that. He thought about the kid. He thought about everyone else before himself." As Rocklin Little League is set to begin the season, it will honor Zorio with a new batter's eye containing his umpire number and silhouette. Zorio's silhouette will also be on the right sleeve of each player' jersey. Zorio's celebration of life will take place Friday, March 3, at 3500 Sunset Boulevard in Rocklin. The family asks that attendees come in their favorite baseball or Disney gear to honor Zorio. Asked if there was one specific memory he would remember about his friend, May said, "I think what will live on with me forever, just in general, is his interaction with the kids. There isn't just one specific one. It's his overall interaction with all the players like whose lives he touched."