In baseball , the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump . They are also sometimes nicknamed blue due to the traditional color of the uniform worn by umpires. Although games were often officiated by a sole umpire in the formative years of the sport, since the turn of the 20th century, officiating has been commonly divided among several umpires, who form the umpiring crew . The position is analogous to that of a referee in many other sports.
117-586: Paul Warren Schrieber (June 30, 1966 – November 12, 2020) was an American professional baseball umpire , who worked in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2015. His first game was on June 6, 1997. He wore uniform number 43. He umpired the MLB All-Star Game in 2000 and 2015 and the Division Series in 1999 , 2000 , 2001 , and 2014 . Prior to his major league promotion, Schrieber umpired in
234-442: A Major League Baseball umpire requires rigorous training, and very few succeed. Provided the individual makes satisfactory progress throughout, it typically takes from 7–10 years to achieve MLB status. First, a person desiring to become a professional umpire must attend one of two umpiring schools authorized by Major League Baseball: Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy or The Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School . The former
351-666: A write-in candidate by fans, in 1974. He was later the Most Valuable Player of that game as well as the National League MVP for that year. From 2002 to 2018, the final roster selection has been made by the public via the All-Star Final Vote . Until 2003, reserves and pitchers were chosen by the manager. Player voting was re-introduced in 2003 after the managers were criticized for picking players from their own team over more deserving players from other teams. This
468-503: A designated hitter – while in National League ballparks, managers have scheduled the pitcher to hit, though pinch hitters have almost always been used in practice. This allows a deserving nonstarter to make a plate appearance. In 2010, Major League Baseball announced the designated hitter rule would apply for every All-Star Game; while the 2010 game was already to have the DH,
585-413: A few select position players and pitchers. This has resulted in some fan dissatisfaction and controversy when these players are never actually used in the game, such as Tim Wakefield in the 2009 All-Star Game. Such a move has resulted in calls to allow limited re-entry of players who have been replaced during the game (in addition to catchers, which is already allowed), thereby giving the freedom to use all
702-416: A game, although some states require the home school to pay the umpires' travel expenses if they show up to the game site and the game is called, regardless of whether or not it starts. The amount paid differs, often significantly, from state to state. Most high school games are officiated by a two-umpire crew. However, many states use three-umpire and four-umpire crews to officiate playoff games. Becoming
819-508: A high school rulebook, casebook, and umpires' manual. Second, most states require all umpires to attend clinics and meetings. These clinics may focus on rules, umpire mechanics, or a combination of both. Third, most states also require an umpire to pass a rules exam. Finally, most states also require umpires to work a certain number of pre-season scrimmages prior to working regular season games. As an example of these requirements, Georgia has an "officials accountability program" which sets forth
936-515: A large red "N" with the NL logo and "A" with the AL logo respectively. The AL also permitted an optional red polo shirt (an homage to the 1973-79 red blazers) that was not widely used; the notable exceptions were Derryl Cousins , Dale Scott and Durwood Merrill , who frequently wore the red shirts while working home plate, even as their colleagues on the bases wore the navy blue shirts (Scott wore his red shirt behind
1053-477: A new five-year labor agreement running through 2024. Umpires are often referred as "Blue" because of the traditional color of their uniforms. Standardized navy blue suits worn with white shirts and navy ties were adopted as umpire uniforms by the American Association . This semi-formal and business-like attire elevated the appearance of umpires above the clothing worn by players. The National League adopted
1170-537: A per-game basis) and thus might be considered professionals , while some amateur umpires are unpaid. According to the Little League Baseball official website, umpires should be volunteers. There are numerous organizations that test or train anyone interested in umpiring for local leagues, and can help make connections to the leagues in the area. Little League Baseball and the Babe Ruth League are two of
1287-593: A promotion to a Rookie professional league as a result of injuries or resignations by umpires at higher levels. Throughout the season, all minor league umpires in Rookie leagues, Class-A, and Class-AA are evaluated by members of the MiLBUD staff. All umpires receive a detailed written evaluation of their performance after every season. In addition, all umpires (except those in the rookie or Short Season Class-A leagues) receive written mid-season evaluations. Generally, an umpire
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#17328771287561404-525: A record for the most players from one team starting in the All-Star game. However, after MLB cancelled 65 million votes deemed to be fraudulent, the final starting roster included only Salvador Pérez , Lorenzo Cain , Alcides Escobar , and Alex Gordon (Gordon would be replaced due to injury ). The only other Royals to make the final lineup were Mike Moustakas , Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis ; Moustakas as
1521-703: A short-season "A" league (for example, the New York–Penn League ), but most will begin in a rookie league (for example, the Gulf Coast League ). Since 2008, some umpires who attend the evaluation course, but are not offered jobs in professional baseball may be offered jobs in the Coastal Plain League (a summer wood bat league for collegiate players). During the season, umpires in the Coastal Plain League are evaluated by MiLBUD and they may earn
1638-425: A starter were questioned by some sportswriters. Steinbach wound up being named the game's Most Valuable Player, hitting a home run and a sacrifice fly to get both RBIs in a 2–1 win. Since the dawn of the internet age, online voting has again led to ballot stuffing. In 1999, Chris Nandor, a Red Sox fan, utilized a simple computer program to vote for Nomar Garciaparra over 39,000 times. Upon discovery, MLB rejected
1755-559: A supervisory role over other members of the crew. For example, on the Major League level, "The Crew Chief shall coordinate and direct his crew's compliance with the Office of the Commissioner's rules and policies. Other Crew Chief responsibilities include: leading periodic discussions and reviews of situations, plays and rules with his crew; generally directing the work of the other umpires on
1872-419: A uniform of a blue blazer, grey trousers, and short sleeved light blue shirt, with only the logo patch on the shirt and coat and the either "AL" or "NL" monogrammed caps differentiating them; the AL also added numbers to their umpire uniforms like the NL. Both leagues introduced V-neck sweaters for wear on the bases, with those AL umpires still using the outside chest protector also wearing them occasionally behind
1989-483: Is a short-sleeved turtleneck for use as an undershirt. Outerwear options consist of a black pullover windbreaker with removable lower sleeves and a heavier black dugout coat. Still available, though less commonly seen, is the plate coat , a modern version of the traditional blazer, also in black, which is typically only worn when serving as home plate umpire, where the large lower pockets are used for storing extra baseballs. The following ten umpires have been inducted into
2106-434: Is administered on a state level, almost all state associations use the same unique baseball rulebook (and the associated casebook and umpire manual) written specifically for the high school level. As a result, if an individual umpire moves from one state to another state (s)he would likely be using the same rule set in his/her new state as was used in his/her former state. However, there are significant rule differences between
2223-524: Is evaluated as no longer being a major-league prospect, he will be released, ending his professional career. In all, MiLBUD estimates that it will take an umpire seven to eight years of professional umpiring before he will be considered for a major league position. As of 2018 , major league umpires earn $ 150,000 to $ 450,000 per year depending on their experience, with a $ 340 per diem for hotel and meals, plus first-class commercial airline tickets. Minor league umpires earn from $ 2,000 to $ 3,900 per month during
2340-433: Is on vacation) were assigned triple-digit numbers (100+). From time to time, Major League Baseball retires those numbers for umpires who have given outstanding service to the game, or in honor of umpires who have died. Since unified umpiring crews were established in 2000, all numbers are available to Major League Baseball umpires, as each retired number was reserved per league. Only one umpire number has been retired since
2457-530: Is one of the most popular levels of baseball in the United States. Unlike college athletics, there is no competitive national championship on the high school level. And, unlike college athletics, umpires on the high school level are not administered by a national organization (such as the NCAA ). Rather, high school baseball is administered at the state level (usually by a statewide high school athletic association) and
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#17328771287562574-703: Is owned and operated by Minor League Baseball while the latter is run by former and current Major League and Minor League umpires. Both are located in Florida . There are no prerequisites for attending these schools; however, there is an Umpire Camp , run by Major League Baseball, that is generally considered a "tool for success" at either of these schools. These camps, offered as two separate one-week sessions, are held in November in Southern California. Top students at these camps are eligible to earn scholarships to either of
2691-527: Is regarded as making adequate progress "up the ranks" if he advances up one level of Class "A" ball each year (thus earning promotion to Class AA after three to four years) and promotion to Class AAA after two to three years on the Class AA level. However, this is a very rough estimate and other factors not discussed (such as the number of retirements at higher levels) may dramatically affect these estimates. For example, many umpires saw rapid advancement in 1999 due to
2808-405: Is the umpire who is in charge of the entire game. This umpire calls balls and strikes , calls fair balls , foul balls short of first/third base, and makes most calls concerning the batter or concerning baserunners near home plate. To avoid injury, the home plate umpire wears similar equipment to the catcher, including mask, chest protector, leg guards and shoes with extra protection added over
2925-588: Is usually played on the second or third Tuesday in July, and is meant to mark the symbolic halfway point of the MLB season (though not the mathematical halfway point, which, for most seasons, falls within the previous calendar week). Both leagues share an All-Star break , with no regular-season games scheduled from the day before through two days after the All-Star Game, with the exception of a single Thursday night game starting in
3042-467: The 1933 World's Fair , and was initiated by Arch Ward , then sports editor for the Chicago Tribune , and supported by American League president Will Harridge , who lobbied baseball executives to create the event. Initially intended to be a one-time event, its success resulted in making the contest an annual one. From 1959 to 1962 , two All-Star Games were held each season, in order to increase
3159-463: The 1982 World Series , but the number was never reassigned. In 2000, the American League and National League umpiring staffs were merged into a unified staff under the auspices of Major League Baseball, and all numbers were made available, including the numbers that had been retired by one of the leagues. (For example, the American League had retired Lou DiMuro 's number 16 after his death, but it
3276-707: The 1999 labor dispute that led to the decertification of the Major League Umpires Association , there were separate National and American League umpires. As a result of the 2000 collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the newly formed World Umpires Association (now known as the Major League Baseball Umpires Association) all umpires were placed on one roster and work in games in both leagues. An amateur umpire officiates non-professional or semi-professional baseball. Many amateur umpires are paid (typically on
3393-512: The 2010 edition . The AL and NL All-Stars are selected through the following process: Since the first game, American League players have worn their respective team uniforms rather than wearing uniforms made specifically for the game, while National League players waited until the second game to do this. In the first game, the National League All-Star Team wore gray uniforms with navy blue letters spelling "NATIONAL LEAGUE" across
3510-528: The 2011 game was the first played in a National League park with a DH. The All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award is presented annually to the most outstanding player of each season's All-Star Game. Presented each year beginning in 1962 (two games were held in 1962 and an award was presented for each game), the MVP award was originally called the Arch Ward Memorial Award , after the man who came up with
3627-407: The 2025 game , however, MLB reverted to wearing team uniforms at the All-Star Game. Starting with the 2014 All-Star Game, players began to wear special All-Star Game caps. For the workout, batting practice and Home Run Derby contest, players started using one type of cap with colors corresponding the league. For the All-Star Game day, players started wearing a cap with the team's logo on front and
Paul Schrieber - Misplaced Pages Continue
3744-612: The Arizona Fall League where they receive extensive training and evaluation by Major League Baseball staff. Additionally, top minor league prospects will also be sent to umpire in winter leagues (during Major League and Minor League baseball's off-season) usually located in the Caribbean, Central America or South America. In addition, top AAA prospects may also be rewarded with umpiring only Major League preseason games during spring training (in lieu of Class AAA games). Additionally,
3861-487: The Cincinnati Reds stuffed the ballot box (see below), and elected a Red to every position except first base. Commissioner Ford Frick stepped in and removed two Reds from the lineup. As a response to this unfairness, fan voting was discontinued; players, coaches, and managers were given the sole authority to elect starting position players, for the next dozen years. Between the lack of fan input and over-exposure due to
3978-590: The National Baseball Hall of Fame : Conlan and O'Day played in 128 and 232 major league games, respectively, prior to becoming professional umpires. Several player inductees to the Hall of Fame served as substitute umpires for a small number of games during the early years of baseball; these include Hughie Jennings , Willie Keeler , King Kelly , and Chuck Klein . Additionally, Hall of Fame player inductees Tim Keefe and Ed Walsh umpired professionally in
4095-649: The New York Yankees , both left their teams and found new jobs in the other league : Keane was hired to manage the Yankees, and Berra became a player-coach with the New York Mets . The Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds had finished in a second-place tie in the NL; the Chicago White Sox had finished second in the AL. Cincinnati's manager, Fred Hutchinson , had died in the off-season, so Gene Mauch of
4212-663: The Northwest League (1990), California League (1991–92), Florida State League (1993), and the Southern League (1994–95). In his first major league game, he held an empty seat for his mother, who died from breast cancer . According to a report in The Hardball Times , Schrieber had one of the smallest strike zones during the 2011 season. He resided in Scottsdale, Arizona , and has two sons, Jack and Kevin. Schrieber
4329-621: The Oakland Athletics to the 1973 World Series. In 1974, he became manager of the California Angels , whose uniform he wore for the game. Tony La Russa , who managed the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals in 2011, and retired after the season, came back to manage the National League in 2012. In 1979, Bob Lemon managed the American League team after having been fired by New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner . Lemon led
4446-655: The Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park (but scheduled for 2026) and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park (scheduled in 2021 before the game was moved; now scheduled for 2025). Three teams have won the World Series in the same year their stadium hosted the All-Star Game: the 1939 New York Yankees , the 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers , and the 1977 New York Yankees . The venues traditionally alternated between
4563-412: The 2017 All-Star Game was awarded to Miami, marking a third straight game hosted at an NL venue. This was done because, from 2003 to 2016, the league who won the All-Star Game was given home field advantage in the World Series, and MLB did not want to allow the NL to have the last at-bat in an All-Star Game for three straight years. MLB ended this practice in 2017, and the All-Star Game reverted to having
4680-429: The 2018 season, home plate umpires made about 34,000 incorrect ball and strike calls, which is about 14 per game and 1.6 per inning. In the early years of professional baseball, umpires were not engaged by the league but rather by agreement between the team captains. However, by the start of the modern era in 1901, this had become a league responsibility. There is now a unitary major league umpiring roster, although until
4797-490: The 2018 season. Some additional events and festivities associated with the game take place each year close to and during this break in the regular season. No official MLB All-Star Games were held in 1945 and 2020, and no official selection of players took place, due to World War II travel restrictions and the COVID-19 pandemic , respectively. Two All-Star Games were held each season from 1959 to 1962. The most recent All-Star Game
Paul Schrieber - Misplaced Pages Continue
4914-666: The AL being one game ahead in turn. The NL hosted two consecutive games in 2006 and 2007 (Pittsburgh and San Francisco), and in 2021 and 2022 (in Denver and in Los Angeles). The NL also hosted four straight games from 2015 to 2018 (in Cincinnati, San Diego, Miami, and Washington). The AL hosted two consecutive games in 2023 and 2024 (in Seattle and in Arlington, Texas). During the first two decades of
5031-446: The All-Star Game logo on the right side. In 1933 and 1934, the fans selected the 18 starters for game and the managers chose the rest of the teams players. From 1935 through 1944 and in 1946, the manager of each All-Star squad selected the entire team; in 1945, no MLB All-Star Game was held and no All-Stars were officially named. In 1947, fans were given the opportunity to vote on the eight starting position players, but in 1957, fans of
5148-435: The All-Star Game, and if necessary, the game could have been finished in the morning or afternoon on Wednesday/Thursday if the situation warranted it. Furthermore, various writers have stated that home-field advantage in the World Series should be decided based on the regular season records of the participants, not on an exhibition game such as the All-Star Game played several months earlier. Some writers especially questioned
5265-416: The American League also adopted the short sleeve variant in 1971. The next season, the AL introduced its current logo and was worn on the pocket of the shirts and blazers. In 1973, the AL switched to a maroon blazer worn with blue pants, which was used until 1979. In 1975, the American League umpire hats added the abbreviation "AL". Beginning with the 1976 World Series , in cold weather umpires could replace
5382-473: The American and National Leagues every year, with an AL team hosting in an odd-numbered year and an NL club hosting in an even-numbered year. This tradition has been broken several times; the first time was in 1951, when the AL's Detroit Tigers hosted the game as part of the city's 250th birthday (corrected by the NL hosting the next two seasons). The second was when the two-game format from 1959 to 1962 resulted in
5499-454: The Brewers) declared that the game would end after 11 innings, and it ended in a 7–all tie. The crowd booed and threw beer bottles onto the field, and the media were highly critical of this unsatisfactory conclusion. To provide additional incentive for victory, Major League Baseball reached an agreement with the players union to award home-field advantage for the World Series to the champion of
5616-622: The Browns in 1948), while Shibe Park was the All-Star venue twice in nine years (the Athletics hosted in 1943 and the Phillies in 1952). The "home team" has traditionally been the league in which the host franchise plays its games. The lone exception has been the 2016 Game in which the AL was the "home" team, despite its being played in Petco Park , home of the NL's San Diego Padres . This was announced after
5733-447: The Game in many years – or ever – tend to get selected. Over time, this has resulted in certain cities being selected to host more often than others. Cleveland Stadium and the original Yankee Stadium have each hosted four All-Star Games, the most of any venue, and New York City has hosted more Games than any other city, having done so nine times in five different stadiums. At
5850-530: The Game's history, there were two pairs of teams that shared ballparks. In Philadelphia , the AL's Athletics and NL's Phillies both played at Shibe Park , and in St. Louis , the AL's Browns and NL's Cardinals shared Sportsman's Park . This led to some shorter-than-usual gaps between All-Star Games played at the same venue; Sportsman's Park hosted the All-Star Game twice in eight years (the Cardinals hosted in 1940 and
5967-619: The Jacksonville Umpires Association trains and provides umpires for high school games in the Jacksonville area. The specific requirements for becoming a high school umpire vary from state-to-state. However, generally all states share the same basic minimum requirements. First, a person trying to become an umpire must usually register with both the state high school athletic association and their local umpire association. Upon registering, most states provide their umpires with
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#17328771287566084-516: The NBA and FIBA rules) or the referee in American football. Starting with the 2022 season , umpire crew chiefs will be equipped with wireless microphones to be used when announcing replay challenges and the results of those challenges. An umpire's judgment call used to be final, unless the umpire making the call chose to ask his partner(s) for help and then decided to reverse it after the discussion. Since 2014, MLB allows managers to challenge plays during
6201-409: The National League changed the numbering system and thereafter an umpire's number did not change from year to year. At first, as new umpires, they would be assigned higher numbers (for example, in 1979, Dave Pallone , Steve Fields , Fred Brocklander , and Lanny Harris were assigned numbers 26 to 29 instead of available numbers between 1 and 25). The National League numbering practice changed again in
6318-573: The National League team despite having moved from the National League champion San Francisco Giants to the Chicago Cubs . This has also included situations where the person is no longer actively managing a team. For the first All-Star Game, intended as a one-time event, Connie Mack and John McGraw were regarded as baseball's venerable managers, and were asked to lead the American and National League teams, respectively. McGraw came out of retirement for that purpose. Dick Williams resigned after managing
6435-550: The Phillies and Al López of the White Sox were chosen to be the managers for the 1965 All-Star Game. The rule may have been abandoned again in 2020, as the manager of the 2019 American League champion Houston Astros , A. J. Hinch , was suspended for the 2020 season (and subsequently fired by the Astros) for his role in the Astros' scandal involving the usage of video to steal signs ; however
6552-619: The Sunday newspaper to make it easy for Reds fans to vote often for their favorite stars. Commissioner Ford Frick appointed Willie Mays of the New York Giants and Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves to substitute for Reds players Gus Bell and Wally Post , and took fan voting rights away in future games; Bell was kept as a reserve, while Post was injured and would have been unable to play in any event. Managers, players, and coaches picked
6669-562: The United States and Canada." The actual number of students sent on to the evaluation course is determined by MiLBUD using input from the umpire schools. Generally, the top 10 to 20 percent of each school's graduating class will advance to the evaluation course. The evaluation course is conducted by MiLBUD staff, some of whom are also instructors at the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy. The evaluation course generally lasts around 10 days. Depending on
6786-413: The World Series tournament. In the United States, many (if not most) high schools sponsor a baseball team. Many high schools sponsor multiple baseball teams; for instance, "varsity" and "junior varsity" teams. During the 2017–18 academic year there were 16,513 high schools sponsoring at least one baseball team, and 488,859 students participated on a high school baseball team. Thus, high school baseball
6903-432: The Yankees to the 1981 World Series but did not make it to the '82 All-Star Game as manager after again being fired by Steinbrenner, so Billy Martin , skipper of the 1981 AL runner-up Oakland Athletics , led the All-Star squad. There have been some exceptional cases where the usual rule was abandoned. After the 1964 season and the World Series , the managers, Johnny Keane of the St. Louis Cardinals and Yogi Berra of
7020-410: The caps instead of the league designations. Only navy blue shirts were worn that season. During the 2000 postseason , the uniforms switched to black polo shirts with grey slacks, with the hats and chest patches now bearing the MLB logo. The light blue shirt was replaced by a gray shirt, but the blue returned a year later. Long-sleeve versions of the polo shirts are also available for colder weather, as
7137-403: The championship games (such as NCAA). Rulings on catches of batted balls are usually made by the umpire closest to the play. The term umpire-in-chief is not to be confused with the crew chief , who is usually the most experienced umpire in a crew. At the major-league and high minor-league (Class AAA and AA) levels, the crew chief acts as a liaison between the league office and the crew and has
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#17328771287567254-789: The concept of the All-Star Game in 1933. In 1970, the name was changed to the Commissioner's Trophy (two NL players were presented the award in 1975); however, the name change was reversed in 1985, so that the World Series Trophy (first awarded in 1967) could be renamed the Commissioner's Trophy . In 2002, the trophy itself retained its eponym, while the award itself was dedicated as The Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award , in honor of former Boston Red Sox player Ted Williams , who had died earlier that year. The first tie in an All-Star Game occurred on July 31, 1961 at Fenway Park in Boston when
7371-413: The crew, with particular emphasis on uniformity in dealing with unique situations; assigning responsibilities for maintaining time limits during the game; ensuring the timely filing of all required crew reports for incidents such as ejections, brawls and protested games; and reporting to the Office of Commissioner any irregularity in field conditions at any ballpark." Thus, on the professional level, some of
7488-399: The current format was established, 42, because of the Major League Baseball policy instituted in 1997. Regular-season major league games umpired Careers beginning prior to 1920: Careers beginning from 1920 to 1960: Careers beginning since 1960: Other noteworthy umpires have included: Below are the umpire crews for the 2024 MLB season . Crews frequently change over the course of
7605-488: The double All-Star games in 1959–1962, interest in the game was thought to be waning. As part of the rise of the MLB Promotion Corporation's attempts to modernize marketing of baseball, fan balloting for the starting eight was restored for the 1970 game. Sometime in the 1960s, the distinction between left-fielder, center-fielder, and right-fielder was dropped, and it was provided that the top three vote-getters in
7722-494: The duties assigned to the umpire-in-chief (the plate umpire) in the Official Baseball Rules have been reassigned to the crew chief, regardless of the crew chief's umpiring position during a specific game. Instant replay reviews, for example, will be reviewed with the crew chief and one other umpire, with results announced by the crew chief. The crew chief acts analogous to the crew chief in basketball (as referenced in
7839-454: The entire team until 1969, when the vote for starters again returned to the fans. To prevent a repeat of this incident, from 1970 until the start of internet voting, each team has been given the same number of ballots to hand out. In 1998, that number was roughly 400,000 ballots. The 1988 Game was surrounded by tacit accusations against Oakland Athletics fans of stuffing the ballot box in favor of catcher Terry Steinbach , whose qualifications as
7956-537: The extra two are stationed along the outfield foul lines and are called the left-field and right-field umpires (or simply outfield umpires ). Outfield umpires are used in major events, such as the Major League Baseball All-Star Game , and depending on the level, at parts of post-season playoffs . For Major League Baseball, all playoff levels use six umpires adding a left-field and right-field umpire, while at lower levels, six umpires are used at
8073-455: The federation's rulebook compared to Major League Baseball (MLB) and NCAA rules. Thus, individuals wanting to umpire on the high school level will have to learn a different set of rules than those they may be familiar with had they previously umpired in a youth league using the MLB or NCAA rulebooks. Almost exclusively, high school umpires are paid on a per game basis. As they are not salaried, they are not paid if they do not actually umpire
8190-460: The front of the jersey with "NL" caps. Game-specific uniforms are made every year, but are not worn for the game itself. Instead these uniforms were worn during batting practice and the Home Run Derby . From the 2021 to the 2024 games , Major League Baseball and Nike released new All-Star Game uniforms annually, and these uniforms would be worn by the players during the game. Starting with
8307-478: The game was called at 1–1 after nine innings due to rain; the only other rain-shortened game was in 1952 , but the National League defeated the American League, 3–2 in five innings. The 2002 All-Star Game, held in Milwaukee, ended in controversy in the 11th inning when both teams ran out of substitute players available to pitch in relief . At that point, Commissioner Bud Selig (a Milwaukee native and former owner of
8424-571: The game was canceled due to the CoViD-19 pandemic. Because of the season-ending 1994–95 MLBPA strike where the season was abandoned without official league champions, the 1995 game featured the "unofficial" league champions, the managers of the clubs leading their respective leagues' won-loss records, Buck Showalter of the New York Yankees and Felipe Alou of the Montreal Expos for the All-Star Game. The All-Star Game roster size for each league
8541-585: The game. If the manager successfully has a call overturned, they are rewarded with another challenge. If an umpire seems to make an error in rule interpretation, his call, in some leagues, can be officially protested as is the case in MLB. If the umpire is persistent in his or her interpretation, the matter will be settled at a later time by a league official. An independent study of umpire pitch-call accuracy over 11 seasons (2008–2018) released on April 8, 2019, by Mark T. Williams of Boston University concluded that over 20% of certain pitches were called incorrectly. For
8658-421: The greater urgency of winning the game, due to the former rule that the winning league attains home field advantage in the World Series . A number of compromises were suggested in the sports/news media as measures to mitigate these selection issues, including limiting the number of representatives a particular team could have; or requiring only that a certain percentage of the 30 teams be represented; or expanding
8775-432: The host team's league serve as the home team. Since 1934, the managers of the game are the managers of the previous year's league pennant winners and World Series clubs. The coaching staff for each team is selected by its manager. This honor is given to the manager, not the team, so it is possible that the All-Star manager could no longer be with the team with which he won. This happened in 2003, when Dusty Baker managed
8892-418: The integrity of this rule after the 2014 All-Star Game , when St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright suggested that he intentionally gave Derek Jeter some easy pitches to hit in the New York Yankees ' shortstop's final All-Star appearance before he retired at the end of that season. In 2019 and 2021, any All-Star games that ended up tied after regulation would have had each extra inning start with
9009-477: The laces. If another umpire leaves the infield to cover a potential play in foul ground or in the outfield, then the plate umpire may move to cover a potential play near second or third base. (The umpire-in-chief should not be confused with the crew chief, who is often a different umpire; see below.) In the event that an umpire is injured and only three remain, the second base position will generally be left vacant. In nearly all levels of organized baseball, including
9126-483: The large-market teams from totally dominating the squad, and keeps fan and media interest in the game, as fans would not be interested in the game if their team did not have any players involved. Opponents of the rule contend that the purpose of the game is to spotlight Major League Baseball's best players, and that some players from stronger teams are left off the roster in favor of possibly less deserving players from weaker teams. Both these arguments were strengthened by
9243-403: The league that won the All-Star Game, for 2003 and 2004. The agreement was extended for both 2005 and 2006, and it remained in place until 2016. Since 2017, home-field advantage has been awarded to the World Series team having the better regular season record. Previously, home-field advantage in the World Series alternated between the two leagues each year. The American League took advantage of
9360-489: The local associations agree to train and provide umpires for high school games in each association's geographic area of the state in return for a "booking fee" being paid to the local associations by either the statewide high school association or by individual high schools. The local associations also promise to train their umpires to meet the state high school association's minimum requirements for umpires. For example, in Florida
9477-594: The major leagues after their playing careers ended. Like players, umpires are identified by numbers on their uniforms. National League umpires began wearing numbers in 1970 (though they were assigned numbers in the 1960s) and American League umpires were assigned and began wearing uniform numbers in 1980. The National League umpires' numbers were initially assigned in alphabetical order ( Al Barlick wearing number 1, Ken Burkhart number 2, etc.) from 1970 to 1978, which meant that an umpire's number could change each year depending on retirements and other staff changes. In 1979,
9594-453: The majors, an umpiring crew rotates so that each umpire in the crew works each position, including plate umpire, an equal number of games. In the earliest days of baseball, however, many senior umpires always worked the plate, with Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem being the last umpire to do so. Klem did so for the first 16 years of his career. On the Major League level, an umpiring crew generally rotates positions clockwise each game. For example,
9711-534: The mass resignation of many Major League umpires as a collective bargaining ploy. When promoted to the Class AAA level, an umpire's evaluation will also be conducted by the umpiring supervisory staff of Major League Baseball. In recent years, top AAA prospects, in addition to umpiring and being evaluated during the regular season (in either the International or Pacific Coast League ), have been required to umpire in
9828-411: The mid-1980s, when new umpires were assigned previously used numbers (for example, in 1982 Gerry Davis was assigned number 12, previously worn by Andy Olsen , and in 1985 Tom Hallion was assigned number 20, previously worn by Ed Vargo .) The American League's number assignments were largely random. Bill Haller , the senior American League umpire in 1980, wore number 1 until his retirement following
9945-545: The money going to the players' pension fund. This practice ended after the owners agreed to give the players a larger share of the income from a single game. According to the Baseball Database provided by Sean Lahman , a total of 2,010 individual players have been selected for an All-Star game between 1933 and 2024. MLB chooses the venue for the All-Star Game. The criteria for venue selection are subjective; generally, cities with new ballparks and those who have not hosted
10062-688: The most popular organizations when it comes to youth baseball, and each have their own application, test, and training process for becoming an umpire. In Canada, most umpires are certified through a provincial organization, and then hired by local municipal associations through an umpire in chief. For the Little League World Series , amateur umpires from around the world participate on a volunteer basis. Prospective Little League World Series umpires must participate at various levels of Little League All-Star tournaments, ranging from district to state to regional tournaments, prior to being accepted to work
10179-454: The new rule in each of its first seven years: between 2003 and 2009, the American League won four Series and the National League won three. The National League champion benefited from this rule for the first time in 2010 . Even with this rule in effect, there was no guarantee that a repeat of the 2002 situation would not occur; to avoid future ties due to lack of available players, managers have been instructed to (and have voluntarily) hold back
10296-636: The number of available positions in the various minor leagues, some (but not all) of the evaluation course attendees will be assigned to a low level minor league . Out of approximately 300 original umpire school students, about 30-35 will ultimately be offered jobs in Minor League Baseball after the evaluation course. Professional umpires begin their careers in one of the Rookie or Class "A" Short-Season leagues, with Class-A being divided into three levels (Short-Season, Long-Season and Advanced "A"). Top umpiring prospects will often begin their careers in
10413-563: The only non-Red elected to start for the National League was St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Stan Musial . While the Reds were a good offensive team, most baseball observers agreed that they did not deserve seven starters in the All-Star Game. An investigation ordered by Commissioner Ford Frick showed that over half of the ballots cast came from Cincinnati, as the Cincinnati Enquirer had printed up pre-marked ballots and distributed them with
10530-422: The outfield category would start regardless of position. Oft-heard remarks prior to this time included ones such as "If you had Clemente , you couldn't have Aaron ", and so on. Rico Carty was the first player ever selected to an All-Star team as a write-in candidate by fans, in 1970, the first year that voting was given back to the fans. Steve Garvey was the second player ever selected to an All-Star team as
10647-421: The plate in Game 3 of the 1998 World Series ; Cousins followed suit in the clinching Game 4 of the 1999 Series ). The NL added a light blue polo shirt for warm weather in 1997 and was very popular, especially in the humid climates of Atlanta, Miami and St. Louis. Beginning in 2000, after the individual leagues' umpires were consolidated into a single staff, the 1996-99 uniform styles were carried over with "MLB" on
10764-418: The plate umpire in one game would umpire third base in the next. Other umpires are called base umpires and are commonly stationed near the bases. ( Field umpire is a less-common term.) When two umpires are used, the second umpire is simply the base umpire . This umpire will make most calls concerning runners on the bases and nearby plays, as well as in the middle of the outfield. When three umpires are used,
10881-413: The plate. Late in the decade, windbreaker-style jackets and heavier coats similar to those worn by players in the dugouts were adopted as alternatives to the blazer when weather appropriate. In 1996, the button-down light blue shirt was replaced with a navy blue polo shirt with red and white trim on the collar and sleeve cuffs and red numbers on the sleeve. The simple monograms on the cap were replaced by
10998-457: The players on the roster without leaving teams with the situation where no players are available, as was the case in 2002. Since 2010, each league's manager is allowed to designate one position player who can re-enter the game to replace an injured or ejected player at any position, in addition to the existing rule covering catchers. A tie game could have also been deemed a "suspended game" in which case it would have ended tied if no make-up date
11115-518: The professional umpire schools in Florida. After five weeks of training, each school sends its top students to the Minor League Baseball Umpire Development (MiLBUD) evaluation course also held in Florida. Minor League Baseball Umpire Development, "is the entity which is responsible for the training, evaluation, and recommendation for promotion, retention, or release of all umpires in the Minor League Baseball system throughout
11232-504: The qualifications for becoming and remaining a high school umpire are usually set by the entity overseeing high school baseball in each individual state. For example, the Florida High School Athletic Association sets forth minimum requirements for being a high school umpire in Florida. Many statewide high school athletic associations contract with multiple local umpire associations throughout their state in which
11349-539: The same time, the New York Mets did not host for 48 seasons (1965–2012), while the Los Angeles Dodgers did not host for 42 years, (1980–2022). (They were scheduled to host the 2020 Major League Baseball All-Star Game before it was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic .) The Tampa Bay Rays are currently the only club yet to host an All-Star Game, and 3 other teams have never hosted the All-Star Game at their current stadium: The New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium ,
11466-587: The same uniform the following year, as did the American League when it became a major league in 1901. Minor leagues likewise followed suit. For many decades there were no difference between the umpire uniforms of the two major leagues except that National League umpires adopted an inside chest protector worn under their suits while American League umpires wore an outside (or "balloon") protector over their suits when calling balls and strikes at home plate. In 1968, American League umpires began to wear grey trousers with their blue coats, while National League umpires retained
11583-486: The season. Amounts vary based on the umpire's classification and experience. As of March 2018 , there are 19 four-man crews in MLB, for a total of 76 full-time umpires; they are augmented by 16 Class AAA umpires eligible to umpire regular season games, yielding a total roster of 92 MLB umpires. In December 2019, MLB and the Major League Baseball Umpires Association agreed in principle to
11700-445: The second umpire is called the first-base umpire and the third umpire is called the third-base umpire , even though they may move to different positions on the field as the play demands. These two umpires also call checked swings , if asked by the plate umpire (often requested by catcher or defensive manager; however, only the plate umpire can authorize an appeal to the base umpire): the first base umpire for right-handed batters, and
11817-525: The shirt and tie with a turtleneck sweater (originally light blue for the NL and beige for the AL). In 1977, the use of the outside (balloon) protector was outlawed for new umpires but grandfathered for existing umpires (the last umpire that used one, Jerry Neudecker , retired in 1985). The wearing of ties was phased out, with the 1979 All-Star Game being the last time they were worn. In 1980, Major League Baseball standardized umpire uniforms for both leagues, adopting
11934-553: The size of the All-Star rosters. The only exception is if a team trades its lone All-Star before the game; in this case, its league's All-Star Game manager is not required to include another player from that team. In 1957, Cincinnati Reds fans stuffed the ballot box and elected seven Reds players to start in the All-Star Game: Johnny Temple (2B), Roy McMillan (SS), Don Hoak (3B), Ed Bailey (C), Frank Robinson (LF), Gus Bell (CF), and Wally Post (RF), and
12051-438: The solid blue suits. That season, AL umpires were also allowed to work both behind the plate and on the bases wearing a long-sleeved light blue shirt with a tie but without the blazer. In 1970, the National League added a league logo patch to the chest pocket and the umpire's number on the right sleeve of the coat. That same year, the NL also introduced a short-sleeved light blue shirt worn without coat or tie for hot summer games;
12168-564: The specific requirements for its interscholastic officials (including the attendance at clinics and camps and the passing of an examination) which can be reviewed here . Although high school baseball is administered at the state level, the various state high school athletic associations have voluntarily formed the National Federation of State High School Associations . Through the federation, most state athletic associations have agreed to use its rulebook. Thus, while high school baseball
12285-402: The third base umpire for left-handed batters; to indicate a checked swing, the umpire will make a "safe" gesture with his arms. To indicate a full swing, he will clench his fist. When four umpires are used (as is the case for all regular season MLB games unless one has to leave due to injury), each umpire is named for the base at which he is stationed. Sometimes a league will provide six umpires;
12402-422: The total for each league to 33 players. The following year , MLB announced that an extra position player would be added to each roster for the 2010 game and beyond, bringing the total to 34 for each league. One continuing controversy of the player selection process is the rule that each team has to have at least one representative on its league's All-Star roster. Supporters of the rule point out that this prevents
12519-399: The very top prospects may umpire Major League regular season games on a limited basis as "fill-in" umpires (where the Class AAA umpire replaces a sick, injured or vacationing Major League umpire). Finally, upon the retirement (or firing) of a Major League umpire, a top Class AAA umpire will be promoted to Major League Baseball's permanent umpire staff. During this entire process, if an umpire
12636-525: The votes. In 2015, Kansas City Royals fans were accused of stuffing the ballot box when eight of their players ( Salvador Pérez , Lorenzo Cain , Mike Moustakas , Alcides Escobar , Eric Hosmer , Kendrys Morales , Alex Gordon , and Omar Infante ) were leading the ballots at their respective positions before the final tally was taken. Had this result stood, the only non-Royal in the American League's starting lineup would have been Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim player Mike Trout . This also would have been
12753-544: The winner of the AL All-Star Final Vote while Herrera and Davis, both pitchers, were chosen through either Player Ballots or by Royals and AL Manager, Ned Yost . In 1989, a designated hitter was allowed in the All-Star Game for the first time. Between 1989 and 2010, the designated hitter rule was applied based on the league in which the host team plays; it was used for games played in American League ballparks – in each such instance, both teams used
12870-564: The year as umpires are injured or on vacation. Major League Baseball All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game , also known as the " Midsummer Classic ", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National League (NL). Starting fielders are selected by fans , pitchers are selected by managers , and reserves are selected by players and managers. The game
12987-456: Was 18 in 1933, 20 from 1934 to 1938, 25 from 1939 to 1981, 30 from 1982 to 2002, 32 from 2003 to 2008, 33 in 2009, and beginning in 2010, there have been 34 players on each league's team roster. One continuing controversy of the player selection process is the rule that each team has to have at least one representative on its league's All-Star roster. On April 29, 2010, MLB announced several rules changes for future All-Star games, effective with
13104-405: Was a second-generation professional umpire; his father umpired as high as Class AAA. Schrieber graduated from Canada Junior College and attended Portland State University . Schrieber was a catcher on the baseball team at Portland State. Schrieber died in November 2020. Umpire (baseball) In a game officiated by two or more umpires, the umpire in chief (usually the home plate umpire )
13221-403: Was given #6 upon unification of the umpiring staffs since he had worn it longer in the NL than Jim Joyce had worn it in the AL; Joyce subsequently chose #66, unused by any previous umpire. When Froemming retired following the 2007 season, Joyce opted to keep #66, and #6 is now worn by Mark Carlson .) Starting in the 2020 season, umpires (mainly call-up/reserve umpires used when the regular staff
13338-621: Was held on July 16, 2024, at Globe Life Field in Arlington , home of the AL's Texas Rangers . Baseball teams put on benefit games for the families of players who died unexpectedly. For example, the Addie Joss Benefit Game in 1911 raised $ 12,914 for the Joss family ($ 422,288 in current dollar terms). The first All-Star Game was held on July 6, 1933 , at Comiskey Park in Chicago as part of
13455-429: Was made available to his son Mike after the staffs were unified.) In the event of duplications, the more senior umpire was given the first choice. (For example, Al Clark in the AL and Jerry Layne in the NL both wore the number 24, but because Clark had more seniority he was assigned 24 and Layne number 26. When Clark was relieved of his duties in 2001, Layne was able to obtain number 24. By comparison, Bruce Froemming
13572-524: Was particularly evident in 2002, when National League manager Bob Brenly selected his own catcher, Damian Miller , over the more deserving Paul Lo Duca ; while American League manager Joe Torre selected his own third baseman, Robin Ventura , over the Oakland Athletics ' Gold Glove and Silver Slugger -winning third baseman Eric Chavez . Before the 2009 game, Major League Baseball announced that an additional pitcher would be added to each roster, bringing
13689-464: Was scheduled, but it would be extremely difficult to find such a make-up date in any event as Major League Baseball would have to postpone one or more days of the regular season and/or schedule the make-up date on a travel day during the postseason, the latter which would be unfair to teams involved in the upcoming series. Since 2012, there have been off days for all teams on the Wednesday and Thursday after
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