Umpire Marty Springstead Dead at 74

Longtime American League umpire Marty Springstead has passed away. He was 74. Bruce Webber, author of As They See 'Em, wrote an obituary in the New York Times.

During his umpiring career in the American League, Springstead officiated three All Star Games, in 1969, 1975, and 1982; four American League Championship Series, in 1970, 1974, 1977, and 1981; and three World Series, 1973, 1978, and 1983. He was on the plate for five no hitters during his tenure. Springstead remains the youngest crew chief in World Series history for his work during the 1973 World Series. He was 36. After retiring from the field, Springstead continued to serve Major League baseball as an umpire executive.

MLB Umpires Who Served in the Military During Wartime

Much has been written about Major League baseball players who have served during wartime. Today’s article recognizes MLB umpires who served. Some of the links below are to Gary Bedingfield’s terrific site, Baseball in Wartime, others are to Wikipedia:

William J "Bill" Andress

Military Unit: US Navy

MLB Service: 1979

Emmett Ashford
Military Unit: US Navy
MLB Service: 1966-1970

Augie Donatelli

Rank: Staff Sergeant

Military Unit: 379th Bomb Group USAAF

Area Served: European Theater of Operations

MLB Service: 1950-1973

Donatelli was a POW during WWII

Bill Baker
Military Unit: USNavy
MLB Service: 1957

E. Lee Ballanfant
Military Unit: US Army
MLB Service: 1936-1957

Al Barlick

Rank: Unknown

Military Unit: US Coast Guard

Area Served: United States

MLB Service: 1940–1943, 1946–1955, 1958–1971

Barlick is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame

Joe Brinkman
Military Unit: US Army
MLB Service: 1973-1999

H Sam Carrigan

Military Unit: US Navy

MLB Service: 1961–1964

Nestor Chylak

Rank: Technical Sergeant

Military Unit: US Army

Area Served: European Theater of Operations

MLB Service: 1954–1978

Chylak is a recipient of a Purple Heart and Silver Star, and is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Shag Crawford

Rank: Electrician Third Class

Military Unit: US Navy

Area Served: Pacific Theater of Operations

MLB Service: 1956-1975

Frank Dezelan
Military Unit: US Navy
MLB Service: 1966-1971

Laz Diaz
Military Unit: US Marines Reserves
MLB Service: 1999-Present

John F "Red" Flaherty

Military Unit: US Marine Corps

MLB Service: 1953–1973

Arthur F "Bud" Frantz

Military Unit: USAAF

MLB Service: 1969–1977

Tom Gorman
Military Unit: US Army
MLB Service: 1951-1976

Jim Honochick

Rank: Lieutenant

Military Unit: US Navy

Area Served: Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific Theaters of Operations

MLB Service: 1949-1971

John Kibler
Military Unit: US Navy
MLB Service: 1965-1989

Stanley A "Stan" Landes

Military Unit: US Marine Corps

MLB Service: 1955–1972

Ed Montague
Military Unit: US Navy
MLB Service: 1974-2009

Randy Marsh
Military Unit: US Army Reserves
MLB Service: 1981-2009

George Pipgras
Military Unit: US Army
MLB Service: 1939-1946

Scotty Robb

Rank: Printer Second Class

Military Unit: US Navy

Area Served: European Theater of Operations

MLB Service: 1948-1953

John L Rice

Military Unit: US Marine Corps

MLB Service: 1955–1973

Alex Salerno

Military Unit: US Army
MLB Service: 1961-1968

Vinnie Smith

Rank: Chief Petty Officer

Military Unit: US Navy

Area Served: Pacific Theater of Operations

MLB Service: 1957–1965

Albert Henry "Hank" Soar

Military Unit: US Army

MLB Service: 1950–1972

Lon Warneke
Military Unit: US Navy
MLB Service: 1949-1955

Anthony "Tony" Venzon

Military Unit: US Army

MLB Service: 1957–1971

Harold "Hal" Weafer

Military Unit: US Navy

MLB Service: 1943–1947

Vic Voltaggio
Military Service: US Marine Corps
MLB Service: 1978-1996

Happy Veteran's Day!!!

GAME 4 NLCS

My season is finally over, so I have been able to watch some MLB umpires on television. I just finished watching Game 4 of the NLCS. Who won? Who cares! The officiating in this game was outstanding!

Here is the crew: HP: Mike Everitt. 1B: Bill Miller. 2B: Mike Winters. 3B: Gary Darling. LF: Tim Timmons. RF: Sam Holbrook.
 

Everitt struggled with a few pitches, and the jabberheads on Fox had a few words, but over-all Everitt had a solid game. He also had an outstanding call at the plate! Everitt took a foul ball to the bicep in the 5th, but soldiered on. 

Timmons made a tough fair call on a double down the LF line.

Miller made a great step adjustment on a off-line tag play at 1B.

But Gary Darling stole the show in the 7th when F1 tried to circumvent the rules by staying in a set position during a time out. Darling killed the play before the pitch. What OUTSTANDING game management to prevent a CF. IMO the umpire crew owes Darling a steak dinner.

Great job and a pleasure to watch.

It happens to us all. . .

To the casual fan, keeping track of balls and strikes should be easy for an umpire, right? From the fan's perspective, the umpire gets to use a "clicker" and the scoreboard is always correct with the count. Right. . .

Unfortunately, the plate umpire has a lot to watch, and sometimes will lose track of balls and strikes during the course of a long season. Sometimes the umpire will even glance at the scoreboard before ringing up a third strike, just to confirm that its actually strike three [guilty as charged]. Of course, sometimes the scoreboard is wrong. And sometimes things just go screwy.

Since this is August, and it has been a long season for amateur and professional umpires alike, today's post takes a lighthearted look at a few times that our major league brothers have lost track of the count. It happens to amateurs and professionals alike, no matter how hard you work, or prepare, or concentrate. Click on the links below and feel better about enjoying working the plate and doing the best job you can.

Three ball walks:
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

Two strike strikeouts:
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Link 4

MLB Umpire Ed Hickox Wins Product Liability Lawsuit

In 2005 umpire Ed Hickox was working home plate and wearing a mask given to him by a Wilson Sporting Goods representative. According to a complaint filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, during the game at RFK Stadium "a foul ball struck the throat guard of Plaintiff's mask. The impact dislodged the mask's metal frame from the rest of the mask. The ball's force pushed the frame into Plaintiff's ear canal, then pushed the entire mask completely off of Plaintiff's head and onto the ground. The Plaintiff suffered numerous injuries, including but not excluding, a concussion, broken bones in his left ear, and an inner-ear fluid leak from his right ear."  Hickox had surgery to remove the broken ear bone and have it replaced with a titanium prosthesis.

Nasty business.

Hickox sued Wilson Sporting Goods claiming the company was responsible for failing to adequately test the mask before issuing it to him, and because the mask failed to adequately protect his face. Hickox wrote in his complaint “An ordinary customer would expect the umpire’s mask, built to protect the umpire’s face from stray baseballs, not to harm Plaintiff when a baseball strikes the mask.”

Last Friday a D.C. jury awarded Hickox and his wife Lisa $775,000.

Patrick Regan, attorney for Hickox and his wife, told The Blog of Legal Times that Wilson performed more tests on the mask after the injury to Hickox, but did not say what, if any, changes were made to the mask’s design. Attorneys for Wilson say an appeal of the jury verdict is likely.

Former MLB Umpire Frank Dezelan Passes

The World Umpires Association remembers MLB Umpire Frank Dezelan, who recently passed away at age 81.

Dezelan worked the senior circuit from 1966-1971. He was working the plate when Willie Mays hit his 600th career home run, and was on the umpire crew for the 1971 All-Star Game. Dezelan also was the plate umpire for the first game at Three Rivers Stadium.

His career was cut short by a brain tumor, but he retained his love of the game throughout his life. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published his obituary, which includes an observation from his wife of 52 years, Irene Dezelan, who "noted that her husband made it to the big leagues when there were more U.S. senators than major league umpires."

Umps Care Charities On-Line Auction

The 3rd Annual UMPS CARE Charities Online Auction is now underway through March 20. Items for bid include umpire equipment, experiences, tickets, MLB merchandise and much more!

The MLB UMPS CARE Charities is a wonderful charity that provides "financial, in-kind and emotional support for America’s youth and families in need." UMPS CARE sponsors youth-based programs in which professional baseball umpires enrich the lives of at-risk youth and children coping with serious illness by providing memorable baseball experiences, supporting pediatric medical care, and raising awareness for foster care children waiting to be adopted. As they say, “Helping People is an Easy Call”.

UMPS CARE raises money through an annual on-line auction, corporate sponsorship, golf tournaments, and various other events. These funds are used for several specific programs:

MLB umpires visit ill children in hospitals through the Blue for Kids program. The umpires bring a Build-A-Bear Workshop for the children and often a local team mascot tags along! This year Blue for Kids plans to visit 12 children hospitals across the country.

The Blue Crew Tickets program gives  children awaiting adoption and kids in youth mentoring programs the opportunity to attend a Major League baseball game, meet an MLB umpire, walk out onto the field, and receive a photo and souvenirs.

UMPS CARE Charities and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption have partnered to offer and administer All-Star Scholarship opportunities for children adopted from foster care. This year the All Star Scholarship totals $10,000.  

The Big League Umpiring Experience (BLUE) are small groups of kids hosted by MLB umpires at Big League ballparks. Tour activities vary based on the stadium, events going on that day, and preferences of the host umpires. In general, kids have supervised access to the umpire's locker room, a team dugout, and an area of the baseball field.  One past activity was the "BEST BALL" CONTEST: kids apply mud to baseballs to remove the slippery gloss. The winning ball is used for the first pitch of the baseball game! How cool is that?

Have a heart! Visit the UMPS CARE Charities and donate today!

New Professional Umpire School at Vero Beach Sports Village

Amateur umpires aspiring to a job in professional baseball now have a third option for formal training. Minor League Baseball recently announced the formation of The Umpire School, a four week all-inclusive professional baseball umpire school at the Vero Beach Sports Village (VBSV) facility in Vero Beach, Florida. The Umpire School will conduct its inaugural class in January 2012.

According to Justin Klemm, Executive Director of the Professional Baseball Umpire Corp. (PBUC), "Creating this school is a natural extension of Minor League Baseball’s ongoing efforts to enhance umpire training and development." Klemm added, "PBUC Staff will be tabbed by VBSV to drive the curriculum, instruction, training and development portions of the school." MiLB Vero Beach, LLC owns and operates The Umpire School, and PBUC oversees the training and employment of umpires in the Minor League Baseball system throughout the United States and Canada. Both MiLB Vero Beach, LLC and PBUC are subsidiaries of Minor League Baseball.

The Umpire School is the only all-inclusive professional baseball umpire school and is state licensed by the Commission for Independent Education, Florida Department of Education. Students at The Umpire School pay one price for housing, dining (3 meals a day, seven days a week), and instruction, all at one location with no hidden costs. The VBSV is a 67-acre complex previously used as the spring training venue for the Brooklyn and then Los Angeles Dodgers, and famously known as "Dodgertown." Minor League Baseball took over day-to-day operations in 2009 after the Dodgers relocated their spring training operations to Arizona.

While the focus of the school is to recruit, evaluate, and train umpires for the minor league system, The Umpire School is open to any umpire regardless of skill level or experience. Klemm says that students will be instructed "directly out of the PBUC Red Book, The Virtual Umpire Camp and the Official Baseball Rules. The PBUC Umpire Manual will be used to supplement our lesson plans. Our goal is to provide a professional umpire training program that optimizes the potential of each student and prepares them to meet the challenges of an umpiring profession regardless of their skill level or aspirations. We will continuously seek and implement new and improved training methods through the professional and amateur umpire community in order to maximize The Umpire School’s effectiveness."

Klemm advises professional umpire prospects "to be fully committed to the process and methods we employ to prepare our students to succeed." He says The Umpire School intends to use "situational training with the potential to implement live game experience into the curriculum."

Honor graduates from The Umpire School are sent on to the PBUC evaluation course, also held at the VBSV. There top students will compete against honor graduates from the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring and the Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School for umpire jobs in minor league baseball. Klemm says there are no plans to increase the numbers of total students invited to the evaluation course. The evaluators at the PBUC evaluation course are the same instructors at The Umpire School.

Anyone interested in attending The Umpire School, a State of Florida licensed school, should log onto TheRightCall.net. The Umpire School can also be reached at 877-799-UMPS (8677), or by email at info@TheRightCall.net.

What the MLB Umpires Wear

The Battle Royale: Helment vs. Mask

I recently did an unofficial count of what the Major League umpires are wearing as head protection on the field. I used the MLB Umpire Roster, which includes 88 names of umpires with Major League contracts and AAA call-up umpires, and searched Google for photographs of these umpires working the plate during 2010. For some umpires, determining whether they use a mask or helmet was easy. For instance Gary Cederstrom and CB Bucknor (pictured, left) are two umpires that are well known to prefer the helmet. For others, it was more difficult to determine their protection preference and I make no claims about the accuracy of this count.

The results are:
MLB Umpires wearing hockey style helmets: 11

MLB Umpires wearing traditional masks: 77

Great Umpire Calls during the Post-Season

Now that baseball's post-season is over, it is time to look back on the outstanding calls made by some of the best umpires in the major leagues in the world. Every post-season has its controversial calls and this year was no different. However, while there were close plays that, after viewing slow-motion video replay, were determined right, wrong, and inconclusive, there were also many calls in which these all-star umpires shined. While many blogs and reporters continue to hammer at the mistakes of MLB umpires, in many cases bemoaning impossibly close calls, Midwest Ump would like to highlight a few of the best umpire calls made this fall.

Game 1, ALCS
Umpire Gerry Davis Makes A Great Call at the Plate

In game one of the ALCS, the New York Yankee's C.C. Sabathia throws a wild pitch and labors to cover home as Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers attempts to score. As the ball, Cruz, and Sabathia all reach the plate at the same time, veteran umpire Gerry Davis takes an angle at first base extended and locks in to make the call. As you can see by the video replay, Sabathia's pitch was high and Davis was forced to clear left to avoid the catcher. The play was impossibly close, but Davis had the right call - "out!"



Game 2, World Series
Umpire Bill Miller Makes a Tough Call. . . the Right Call

During the first inning of game 2 of the World Series, the Rangers' second baseman Ian Kinsler makes a stop to his left of a Freddy Sanchez grounder. Kinsler throw to Mitch Moreland who is pulled towards right field to make the catch. First base umpire Bill Miller must decide whether Moreland gloves the ball before Sanchez reaches first, and whether Moreland is on the bag with the ball. The video replay shows that Bill Miller made the right call. . . "out!"


Game 4, NLDS
Umpire Ed Hickox Correctly Decides A Close Play

In the second inning of game four of the NLDS played by the Giants and Braves, the Giants attempt a double steal and Andres Torres is cut down at third base by Brian McCann . The video replay shows that the play is very close and umpire Ed Hickox makes an excellent call. . . "out!" You can see Hickox busting to get into position for the play, and his angle is terrific.

Equipment Worn By Some MLB Umpires

Today I'm going to try my hand at identifying a few masks and helmets used by Major League umpires.

That's Ed Hickox sporting the stylish new All-Star MVP4000UMPTI with titanium cage All-Star MVP4000 helmet with a MVP2500 steel cage during a Yankees / Blue Jays game on 9/24/10. I understand that Hickox has reinforced this helmet with additional padding. Brad Jurga from All-Star tells me that Hickox likes the idea that the steel cage bends to absorb energy rather than a less flexible titanium which must transfer energy from a ball impact.


Hickox wears a hat under his helmet as seen in this photo:

Gotta look good when you're gonna be on SportsCenter.



Here's Jim Joyce mugging for the camera during a 2010 game. Joyce is wearing a Wilson WTA3007T titanium mask. This mask is a standard view, not low-profile design. Notice Joyce is calling without a throat guard.





Laz Diaz helps the Cubs' Alphonso Soriano find his way on April 26, 2009. Diaz looks like an "Angel of Mercy" in his All-Star FM25TI titanium mask. Again, no throat guard. (Diaz and Joyce should read this article. In the 1970's a Peurto Rican catcher was struck in the throat by a foul ball and died).



Gary Cederstrom is profiling a Wilson WTA5590 Shock FX 2.0 umpire helmet with a titanium cage.

Cederstrom is demonstrating that once you have a MLB contract, you can wear your helmet on your head in a colorful manner. He is obviously applying the wisdom given to us by Crash Davis:

Joe West owns several umpire equipment patents. West is actively involved with research and development of umpire gear. So what does Mr. West trust to protect his West Vest gray matter? Surprise, that's not a titanium! Its a Wilson West Vest A3009 hollow core steel mask with soft amara suede pads.


Kinda makes you stop and think for a minute, huh?