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Latest News.....
Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Current and retired
umpires (L to R) Randy Marsh, Joe West, Bruce
Froemming, Ed Montague and Jerry Crawford gather for
a group picture before induction ceremonies at the
National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New
York on July 25, 2010. The umps came to see former
umpire Doug Harvey enshrined into the Hall of Fame.
Four senior Major League Umpires retired, all
were Crew Chiefs
Charlie Reliford moved into a position with
the Office of the Commissioner after 20 years as a
Major League Umpire. His career included 2 All Star
Games (1996, 2007), 4 Divisional Playoff Series
(1995, 1997, 2000, 2004), 3 League Championship
Series (1999, 2001, 2002), and 2 World Series(2000,
2004). A long time instructor at Harry Wendelstedt's
School for umpires, Charlie served as the only
committee member allowed by the Commissioner's
Office to be on the Rules Committee. He was a
tremendous asset to the Joint Committee on Training.
Rick Reed has left the field to be an
Observer for the Office of the Commissioner after 28
years as a Major League Umpire. He was the Chief of
the crew that worked the first Major League games
ever played in China and his crew opened the season
in 2008 in the "Japan Opening Series." He worked
Dave Righetti's and Joe Crowley's No-Hitters and was
one of the umpires for George Brett's 3,000th hit.
He worked 2 All Star Games (1986,1998), 3 Divisional
Series (1997, 2000, 2001), 3 League Championship
Series (1989, 1995, 1999) and the World Series in
1991. He made his acting debut as the home plate
umpire in the Kevin Costner film "For The Love Of
the Game" in 1999.
Randy Marsh has left the field and taken a
supervisory position with the Office of the
Commissioner after 28 years as a Major League
Umpire. He has worked 4 All Star Games (1985, 1988,
1996, 2006), 5 Divisional Series (1998, 1999, 2001,
2003, 2006), 9 League Championship Series (1989,
1992, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009) and
5 World Series (1990,1997,1999, 2003, 2006). Also, a
long time instructor for Harry Wendelstedt, Randy
was also one of the original instructors at Major
League Baseball's Urban Youth Academy at Compton,
California in November of 2006. Randy was part of
the first Joint Committee on Training and
collaborated on the first Major League Umpire
Manuel.
Ed Montague, the Dean of Major League Umpires
for the last two years has retired after 35 years as
a Major League Umpire (tied for 3rd all time). He
worked 4 All Star Games (1982,1990,1998, 2004), 7
Divisional Series (1981, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2004,
2005, 2007), 8 League Championship Series (1979,
1984, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002), and 6
World Series (1986, 1991, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2007).
Ed was the Crew Chief of the last four World Series
he worked. The only other umpires in history to
achieve that were Al Barlick, Bill Klem, and Tom
Connelly (all Hall of Famers). Ed had worked the
most World Series games of any active umpire at the
time of his retirement. He was 12th on the all time
list for Most World Series Games Umpired. His 65
other post season games make him 4th all time for
Most Post Season Games Umpired with 99. His 4,369
games ranks him 8th all time. Four of the eight are
in the Hall of Fame (Klem, Connelly, McGowan, and
new this year Doug Harvey).
new Crew Chiefs selected
New Crew Chiefs were selected by the Office of the
Commissioner of Baseball to replace Reliford, Reed,
Marsh, and Montague. These umpires include Tom
Hallion, who first joined the National League
Staff in 1986, Jerry Layne, a 21 year
veteran, Brian Gorman, an 18 year veteran,
and Jeff Kellogg, a 17 and a half year
veteran.
Saugerties native Hallion named MLB crew chief
As a major league umpire, Tom Hallion has been able
to achieve many career milestones, including working
All-Star games, League Championship Series and World
Series.
Now he’s reached the highest position an umpire can
aspire to — crew chief.
The Saugerties native earned the promotion at the
beginning of spring training and is looking forward
to having his own crew when the regular season
begins next week.
“It’s very rewarding. It’s almost feels like I’ve
come full circle,” said Hallion, who talked by phone
Monday after working the Astros-Pirates exhibition
in Bradentown, Fla. Ironically, he was on his way to
St. Petersburg to watch Saugerties High’s baseball
team play a preseason game.
“I’m very thrilled,” he said.
With the retirements of Charlie Reliford, Randy
Marsh, Ed Montague and Rick Reed, Hallion was
promoted by the Commissioner’s office along with
Brian Gorman, Jeff Kellogg and Jerry Layne.
A 17-year veteran, Hallion has umpired two All-Star
games, three divisional series, two LCS and the 2008
World Series.
John Kibler, Umpire for Bill Buckner’s Error,
Dies at 81
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) — John Kibler, a longtime
National League umpire, died here Thursday. He was
81.
Kibler died of a heart attack, his family said.
Kibler worked his first major league game in 1963
and was a full-time National League umpire from 1965
through 1989. He worked the World Series four times,
and was at first base for Game 6 of the 1986 Series
between the Mets and the Boston Red Sox, which the
Mets famously won when Mookie Wilson’s ground ball
rolled between first baseman Bill Buckner’s legs.
Kibler was the plate umpire for Game 7, when the
Mets beat the Red Sox for the championship.
Kibler served in the Navy during the Korean War and
left the New York state police to go to umpiring
school. He started out as a minor league umpire in
the late 1950s and became a major league crew chief
in 1977.
He was married for 51 years. Kibler and his wife,
Dorothy, had two sons.
Harvey Elected to Hall
Long time National
League umpire Doug Harvey has been elected to the
Hall of Fame. Harvey umpired in five
World Series (1968,
1974,
1981,
1984 and
1988), serving as crew chief in 1984 and
1988, and in six
All-Star Games (1963, 1964,
1971,
1977,
1982 and
1992). He umpired in the
National League Championship Series nine
times –
1970 (Games 2-3),
1972,
1976,
1980,
1983,
1984 (Game 5),
1986,
1989 and
1991. Veteran umpire Joe West said “it is a long time coming and we are very proud
of him.”
Long time umpire
Mike Reilly said this of Harvey, "Doug Harvey was
someone I always respected coming up in the minor
leagues. I remember my first World Series
assignment was in 1984 and I was honored to be
chosen to umpire a World Series. Then I found out
that I would be umpiring with Doug, it was really
special and an honor. It is one of my best umpiring
memories."
Senior umpire Ed
Montague said of Harvey’s selection, "I am glad the
hall recognized Doug, I am real proud of him. Doug
set the bar high along with umpires like Shag
Crawford and Paul Runge. When I look at Doug I
think Hall of Fame."
The WUA and its
members salute Doug on this most prestigious
lifetime achievement award.
Behind the Mask - Drew Coble Elon College 1975
Though he retired from umpiring
in Major League Baseball more
than a decade ago, Drew Coble
has vivid memories of his days
working in the big leagues and
the minors. Read on for Coble’s
insights into the world of
umpiring, as well as his
favorite moments of his baseball
career.
After earning one of
the two minor-league positions
offered at the conclusion of his
umpire training course in 1975,
Coble started work in the
long-season Class A Western
Carolina League. Over the next
couple of years, he moved up to
the higher-level Class-A
Carolina League and, in 1977,
the Class AA Southern League.
“In the minors, the pay was
really low,” Coble recalls. “You
had to drive everywhere. You’d
drive through the night, and
you’d just hope you could get
some sleep before you had to
work the next night. That’s what
the minor leagues were like.”
Coble spent 10 days working
in the Southern League before he
caught the eye of Barney Deary,
the head of minor-league umpires
at the time. Deary liked what he
saw and promoted Coble to Class
AAA, the last stop in
minor-league play before the
majors. Class AAA was an
improvement in lifestyle, but
still posed challenges for Coble
and his family.
“In triple-A, you fly
everywhere, and the money is a
little bit better, but it’s not
great,” he says. “I had a second
job in the wintertime to get
enough money for my family to
get by.”
One phone call in April 1981
changed all that.
“It was opening day (of the
MLB season), and I was sitting
at home, watching the Cincinnati
Reds on TV,” Coble recalls. “The
phone rang, I picked it up, and
the person said ‘Drew, this is
Dick Butler (head of umpires) of
the American League. I want to
welcome you to the American
League.’”
Though his time in the majors
directly following Butler’s call
lasted only a few games, Coble
returned to the majors for good
in June of that year.
“Once you get to
the big leagues,
you fly
everywhere, you
stay in
first-class
hotels, you
travel first
class,” he says.
“It’s just a
big, big
difference (from
the minors).”
Favorite
memories in
baseball
Over his
nearly 20-year
career as a
major-league
umpire, Coble
witnessed some
amazing moments
in baseball. For
example, in
1990, he became
only the fifth
umpire since
1901 to work two
no-hitters in a
single season;
he was on hand
for A’s pitcher
Dave Stewart’s
no-no against
the Blue Jays on
June 29, and
Blue Jays
pitcher Dave
Steib’s against
the Cleveland
Indians on Sept.
2.
“When you’re
working, you
kind of get
caught up in the
game. Then you
realize, ‘Hey,
this guy is
throwing a
no-hitter, and
he’s depending
on me to make
the calls,’”
Coble says.
“It’s a little
bit of
pressure.”
As an AL
umpire, Coble
worked alongside
stars and
hall-of-famers,
including the
New York
Yankees’ Reggie
Jackson, the
Kansas City
Royals’ George
Brett and the
Milwaukee
Brewers’ Robin
Yount. In his
first game after
being recalled
to the major
leagues in June
1981, Coble
remembers
getting to work
with A’s manager
Billy Martin, a
man famously
fired and
re-hired
multiple times
by George
Steinbrenner
when Martin
worked for the
Yankees.
Former Elon baseball
coach Jerry Drake
(left) introduced
Coble for his 2007
induction to the
Elon Sports Hall of
Fame.
But perhaps his
favorite memory
of his career
was working the
classic 1991
World Series
between the
Minnesota Twins
and Atlanta
Braves. The
series lasted
the maximum
seven games,
three of which
went to extra
innings. Coble
worked the plate
for one of those
extra-inning
affairs, Game 3
in Atlanta, when
Mark Lemke’s
single to left
scored David
Justice from
second for the
game-winning run
in the bottom of
the 12th, giving
the Braves a 2-1
victory. The
Twins, however,
prevailed in the
series.
“I had more
fun in that
World Series
than God knows
what,” Coble
recalls. “(The
umpires) had our
families with
us, and it was
like a 10-day
vacation. All I
had to do was
work a couple of
hours each
night.”
by Kristin
Simonetti
Celebrity Tour Players at Camp LeJuene...
Hall of Famer
Johnny Bench and Major League Umpire Joe
West meet
at Camp LeJuene for the Marine Corps
Wounded Warriors Golf Tournament.
WWW
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