I am a big believer, if you are going to do something, do it right!
So, now that I’m in my 4th year umpiring, I might as well be the best.
Having attended the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame during my debut umpire career June 2019, I learned that there were ONLY 10 umpires ever inducted.
Earl Weaver argues with Umpire Bill Haller 1980
Umpire 101: The Plate Meeting (NFHS Version)
Doug Harvey
Noted for his authoritative command of baseball rules, he earned the tongue-in-cheek nickname “God” from players, and was among the last major league umpires who never attended an umpiring school. Read more
Study Group
JOIN US!!!
Agenda: Discuss NFHS / MLB Rules
Purpose: 2022 Baseball Season Mental Preparation
Date: Wednesday, Feb 16
Time: 6:30-7:30 PM
Meeting ID: 922 4251 6254
Passcode: baseball
Here are your World Series Umpires
The men in blue. Although it often looks black, yes? They still wear blue sometimes though so it probably doesn’t matter. Let’s just call ’em the baseball cops and not worry too much about what they’re wearing. Here are the baseball cops for the 2019 World Series: Alan Porter, Doug Eddings, Gary Cederstrom, James Hoye, Lance Barksdale, Sam Holbrook, and Jim Wolf. Read more
The umpires will wear a uniform patch in memory of umpire Eric Cooper, who passed away over the weekend. The patch will say “Coop.” Read more
Eric Cooper Dies at 52 Following Blood Clot
Less than two weeks removed from his 2019 AL Division Series assignment, MLB umpire Eric Cooper has died after a post-surgery blood clot, six years after Wally Bell’s heart attack during the 2013 postseason. Coop, who officiated the 2019 Twins-Yankees ALDS, was 52 years old.
Born on December 18, 1966 in Des Moines, Iowa, Cooper began his journey in Minor League Baseball in 1990’s Appalachian League and officiated his first major league game in 1996, becoming a member of the big league staff on the American League side in 1999.
Cooper had the plate for three no-hitters during his MLB career, and officiated three Wild Card Games (2015-17) 10 Division Series (2003, 05-06, 08-09, 11-14, 2019), three League Championship Series (2004, 15-17), and the 2014 World Series.
He had 72 career MLB ejections over nearly 2,800 career regular season games. His last MLB game was in service as the second base umpire for New York’s series-clinching victory in Minnesota on October 7; his crew chief for that series, Gary Cederstrom, will also chief the 2019 World Series.
Since I have been playing baseball around the time I started walking, I have gained a GREAT deal of admiration for the officials! It is very easy to pick on them. It’s bad enough when the fans yell, “boo, bad call, you’re blind”. As an umpire, you MUST have thick skin, in addition to being cool, calm & collected. All umpires understand they have a target on their back.
A good umpire often will tell you, “I did my job successfully if both teams are not happy”. In other words, the MOST important role is to be FAIR and IMPARTIAL. More importantly, when the players and coaches have respect for you, that’s when you know you did your job well enforcing the rules and keeping the peace.
Over 10 years of experience calling balls & strikes. I have to admit, it can be safer and less painful officiating behind pitcher’s mound for 8U, 10U and 12U because often the catcher does not keep me from getting hurt (e.g. many balls off the feet, shin, shoulder and mask).
Timing is everything! Sometimes, waiting that at extra half second can make all the difference in the world because you see the ball better, play it back in your head and get the call RIGHT.
The following ten umpires have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame:
- Class of 1953 – Tommy Connolly(NL, 1898–1900; AL, 1901–1931)
- Class of 1953 – Bill Klem (NL 1905–1941)
- Class of 1973 – Billy Evans (AL, 1906–1927)
- Class of 1974 – Jocko Conlan (NL1941–1964)
- Class of 1976 – Cal Hubbard (AL, 1936–1951)
- Class of 1989 – Al Barlick (NL, 1940–1943, 1946–1955, 1958–1971)
- Class of 1992 – Bill McGowan (AL, 1925–1954)
- Class of 1999 – Nestor Chylak (AL, 1954–1978)
- Class of 2010 – Doug Harvey (NL1962–1992)
- Class of 2013 – Hank O’Day (NL, 1895, 1897–1911, 1913, 1915–1927)
Harold Douglas Harvey (March 13, 1930 – January 13, 2018) was an umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB), who worked in the National League (NL) from 1962 through 1992. Noted for his authoritative command of baseball rules, he earned the tongue-in-cheek nickname “God” from players, and was among the last major league umpires who never attended an umpiring school. Harvey umpired five World Series and seven All-Star Games. His career total of 4,673 games ranked third in major league history at the time of his retirement. In 2010, he became the ninth umpire to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1999, the Society for American Baseball Research ranked Harvey as the second-greatest umpire in history, behind only Bill Klem. In 2007, Referee magazine selected him as one of the 52 most influential figures in the history of sports officiating. Read more
Watch “The Baseball Hall of Fame Remembers Doug Harvey” on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/embed/nJqO1XF9UPY?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent
Here are all the MLB crews by year – Click here.
2019 had a very close call with a coach getting ejected. Read more
Major League Baseball today announced the umpires who have been assigned to the 2019 World Series, which is presented by YouTube TV. Gary Cederstrom, who is in his 26th season as a Major League Umpire, will work the Fall Classic for the fourth time, including his second assignment as its crew chief, as the American League Champion Houston Astros meet the National League Champion Washington Nationals.
Cederstrom, who was the crew chief for this Postseason’s American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins, previously worked the Fall Classic in 2005, 2011 and 2015. The North Dakota native was the home plate umpire for Johan Santana’s 2012 no-hitter, the first in the history of the New York Mets. He will lead a crew that includes regular season crew chief Sam Holbrook, Lance Barksdale, Doug Eddings, James Hoye, Alan Porter and Jim Wolf. Porter will call balls and strikes in Game One of the Fall Classic in Houston. This is the third career Fall Classic for Holbrook; the second for Wolf; and the first for Barksdale, Eddings, Hoye and Porter. All seven umpires who will be on the field throughout the World Series were assigned to this year’s Division Series.
Wolf will serve as the Replay Official for Games One and Two of the World Series, after which he will join the on-field crew as the left field umpire for Game Three. Porter, the home plate umpire for Game One, will shift to Replay Official duties from Game Three through the conclusion of the World Series. The Replay Assistant throughout the Fall Classic will be regular season crew chief Jerry Meals, who worked one of this Postseason’s ALDS (HOU-TB). A complete listing of the rotation assigned to the 2019 World Series accompanies this press release.
Throughout the 2019 World Series, the umpires will wear a uniform patch in memory of 21-year Major League Umpire Eric Cooper, who passed away in recent days at the age of 52. “Coop,” who worked the 2014 World Series among his many career Postseason assignments, was active in programs with UMPS CARE Charities, the official philanthropy of MLB Umpires, including visits to pediatric hospitals and bringing underserved youth for behind-the-scenes ballpark visits.
The 2019 Postseason schedule can be viewed at MLB.com/postseason. All games exclusively covered by FOX will be available to MLB.TV subscribers who are authenticated subscribers to the applicable network through a participating pay TV provider. ESPN Radio will provide live national coverage of all 2019 World Series games. Read more
NFHS Maryland 2020 Baseball Exam Results
Umpire Gear
Stripes & StrikesTD Sports – Umpire Price List
Friends I’ve met
Chris Opanel:
- Holds world record for Professional Umpire school Attendance (6× 5 week courses in Kissimmee, Daytona,and Coco Beach
- Spoke with 67 major league umpires-and boatload- of minor league umps
- N-CL in a bunch of Minnesota towns.
- Crew chief @ Cooperstown All-Star Village (July-August). Also, temporarily baseball director in 2021.
- Go to rules guy..championship games at different levels.
- NFHS rules & mechanics demos at PIAA MTGS.
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Human Vacuum Cleaner 