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 the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump. They are also sometimes addressed as blue at lower levels due to the common color of the uniform worn by umpires. In professional baseball, the term blue is seldom used by players or managers, who instead call the umpire by name. 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.
John Bertrand "Jocko" Conlan was an American baseball umpire who worked in the National League (NL) from 1941 to 1965. He had a brief career as an outfielder with the Chicago White Sox before entering umpiring. He umpired in five World Series and six All-Star Games. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 by the Veterans Committee.
William Joseph Klem, known as "the Old Arbitrator", was an American baseball umpire who worked in Major League Baseball from 1905 to 1941, spending his entire career in the National League (NL). He worked 18 World Series, which is a major league record. Klem was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953.
Nestor George Chylak Jr. was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1954 to 1978. He umpired in three ALCS, serving as crew chief in 1969 and 1973. He also called five World Series, serving as the crew chief in 1971 and 1977. He also worked in six All-Star Games: 1957, 1960, 1964, 1973 and 1978, working home plate in the second 1960 game and in 1973.
John F. Sheridan was an American umpire in Major League Baseball. In his 30-year career as an official, he worked 18 seasons between 1890 and 1914 in three major leagues. Several of Sheridan's contemporaries considered him to be the best major league umpire. He pioneered the crouching stance used by modern umpires at home plate. In 1946 Sheridan was named to the Honor Rolls of Baseball of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
James Bremond Evans is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB) who worked in the American League (AL) from 1971 to 1999, and ran a professional umpiring school from 1990 through 2012.
Brian Scott Gorman is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball. After working in the National League from 1991 to 1999, he umpired in both leagues from 2000-2021. Gorman was promoted to crew chief in 2010. He is the son of Tom Gorman, who served as an NL umpire from 1951 to 1977. He wore uniform number 9 throughout his career.
Gerald Sidney Davis is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball. He worked in the National League from 1982 to 1999 and in Major League Baseball from 2000 to 2021. He was promoted to crew chief in 1999. Davis umpired six World Series, nine League Championship Series and eleven League Division Series. He also worked in the All-Star Game four times. Davis wore uniform number 12 throughout his career.
Edwin Americus Rommel was an American baseball player, coach, and umpire who played as a right-handed pitcher and in Major League Baseball. He spent his entire playing career (1920–1932) with the Philadelphia Athletics. He is considered to be one of the earlier adaptors of the modern knuckleball.
Gary Richard Darling is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball. After beginning his career in the National League from 1986 to 1999, he worked throughout both major leagues from 2002 until his retirement in 2014. He wore uniform number 37.
José Antonio Offerman Dono is a Dominican professional baseball manager and former player who currently manages the Conspiradores de Querétaro of the Mexican League. He played professional baseball for nearly 20 years, including 15 seasons in Major League Baseball and four seasons of independent and Mexican League baseball after leaving MLB.
George William Pipgras was an American right-handed starting pitcher and umpire in Major League Baseball.
Wallace Robert Bell was an American umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB) who worked in the National League from 1992 to 1999 and in both major leagues from 2000 to 2013. He wore the number 36 while a National League umpire, then changed to 35 when the American League and National League staffs were merged in 2000. Tim McClelland wore number 36 longer and he claimed the number.
Michael John Winters is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League from 1988 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2019, wearing number 33. For the 2011 season, Winters was named a crew chief following the retirements of Jerry Crawford, Mike Reilly, and Chuck Meriwether.
Timothy Forbes Timmons is an American retired Major League Baseball umpire. After debuting in the National League as a substitute in late 1999, Timmons was promoted to the MLB umpiring staff in 2002. He worked the World Series in 2018 and retired following the 2022 season.
Marvin Lee Hudson is an American Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire who began his career in the National League in 1998. He has officiated in the 2004 All-Star Game, eight Division Series, two League Championship Series, and two World Series. He wears uniform number 51.
Eric Richard Cooper was an American professional baseball umpire, whose Major League Baseball (MLB) career spanned 1999 until his death in October 2019. He wore umpire uniform number 56. As a Major League umpire, Cooper officiated in ten Division Series, four League Championship Series, three Wild Card Games, one All-Star Game, and one World Series.
Gerald William Meals is an American former Major League Baseball umpire. After serving as an NL reserve umpire from 1992 to 1997, he became a full-time umpire in 1998. Meals was promoted to crew chief in 2015, and worked the World Series in 2014 and 2020. He retired following the 2022 season.
Edward Lawrence Sudol was an American baseball umpire who worked in the National League from 1957 to 1977. Sudol umpired 3,247 major league games in his 21-year career, wearing uniform number 16 for most of his career. He umpired in three World Series, three League Championship Series and three All-Star Games. Sudol was also the home plate umpire for Jim Bunning's perfect game in 1964, as well as Bill Singer's no-hitter in 1970. In 1974, he was the second base umpire when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's career home run record.
Lance Cole Barrett is an American umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). He wore number 94 but changed to 16 starting in the 2020 season. Barrett became a minor league umpire in 2003 and was hired to the MLB staff prior to the 2014 season.
