| Greg Gibson | |
|---|---|
 Gibson in 2011 | |
| Born:October 2, 1968 Ironton, Ohio, U.S. | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 14, 1997 | |
| Last appearance | |
| May 30, 2022 | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Special Assignments |
Gregory Allan Gibson (born October 2,1968) is an American former Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the National League from 1997 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2022. He was promoted to crew chief for the 2022 season.
Gibson has worked two Wild Card Games (2012,2013),ten Division Series (2001,2003,2004,2006,2007,2009,2010,2011,2015,2021),five National League Championship Series (2005,2012,2013,2014,2018),the 2011 World Series,and the 2008 All-Star Game. He has also officiated in two World Baseball Classics (2009,2013).
Gibson was the home plate umpire for Randy Johnson's perfect game on May 18,2004,as well as Tim Wakefield's 200th win. [1] Before reaching the major leagues,he umpired in the Appalachian League (1991),Florida Instructional League (1991 and 1994),South Atlantic League (1992),Florida State League (1993),Eastern League (1994–1995) and International League (1996–1999).
During the 2005 NLCS,Gibson didn't see a ball hit off of Mark Grudzielanek's foot while he was still in the box,which would have been a foul ball. Instead,Grudzielanek grounded out to pitcher Roy Oswalt for the first out of the home half of second inning. [2]
In the 2009 ALDS,Gibson was alleged to have ruled incorrectly on a baserunner coming into third base. [3]
In the 12th inning of a game between the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals on April 24,2010,Minnesota was leading 9–7 with two outs. Kansas City's Willie Bloomquist came to bat with baserunner Scott Podsednik on first base. Bloomquist hit a ground ball to shortstop J. J. Hardy,who mishandled it before throwing the ball to second base. Podsednik appeared to be safe,but Gibson,the second-base umpire,ruled him out to end the game and give the Twins a 9–7 win. Royals manager Trey Hillman unsuccessfully disputed the call. [4]
On April 17,2012,while serving as home plate umpire,Gibson made a series of calls in a game between the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins that were not well received by fans,first calling a balk on pitcher Francisco Liriano,then tossing out Denard Span and team manager Ron Gardenhire for showing disapproval of Gibson's "strike" call at the beginning of the Span at-bat. Gibson's demeanor was reported by media as antagonistic as the fray began with Span,then remained aggressive as he tossed Gardenhire with great animation. [5]
On August 15,2012,Gibson left a game between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Cleveland Indians after he was slashed near the left eye by Torii Hunter during a play at the plate. Hunter's cleat kicked up after a hard slide to home plate and kicked Gibson. Gibson was not seriously injured. [6] After his departure,minor league fill-in and first base umpire Manny Gonzalez assumed home plate umpiring duties as the crew worked in a three-person alignment for the remainder of the contest. [7]
On September 3,2008,Gibson was the home plate umpire for MLB's first use of instant replay.
Gibson was chosen as one of the umpires for the one-game Wild Card playoff between the Baltimore Orioles and the Texas Rangers on October 5,2012. [8]
Gibson was the home plate umpire for Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on October 18,2013. At the start of the game,a "standoff" developed between Los Angeles Dodgers' first baseman Scott Van Slyke and St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher Joe Kelly. Both players remained on the field after the pregame ceremony,each waiting for the other to return to their respective dugout. Gibson ended the standoff by motioning both players back to their dugouts,with the Dodgers celebrating in their dugout after a Van Slyke victory. This incident was recorded in video form, [9] and was used as an outro by the MLB's official YouTube channel for all videos posted in 2014. The outro has developed into an internet meme,and Gibson has become a well-known umpire thanks to this video clip.
On March 31,2014,Gibson became the first umpire to have a call overturned via a manager's challenge during a regular season game. During the sixth inning,Atlanta Braves skipper Fredi González successfully contested Gibson's ruling that Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was safe at first base. [10]
On June 18,2014,Gibson was the home plate umpire when Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw no-hit the Colorado Rockies,8–0. [11]
On April 21,2016,Gibson was the first base umpire when Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta no hit the Cincinnati Reds,16–0,his third career no hitter.
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is usually achieved by hitting the ball over the outfield fence between the foul poles without the ball touching the field.
In baseball or softball, a strikeout occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is denoted by K in scorekeeping and statistics. A "strikeout looking"—in which the batter does not swing and the third strike is called by the umpire—is usually denoted by a ꓘ.
Throughout the history of baseball, the rules have frequently changed as the game continues to evolve. A few common rules most professional leagues have in common is that four balls is a base on balls, three strikes is a strikeout, and three outs end a half-inning.
In baseball, interference occurs in situations in which a person illegally changes the course of play from what is expected. Interference might be committed by players on the offense, players not currently in the game, catchers, umpires, or spectators. Each type of interference is covered differently by the rules.
In baseball, a pitcher can commit illegal motions or actions that constitute a balk. Most of these violations involve pitchers pretending to pitch when they have no intention of doing so. In games played under the Official Baseball Rules that govern professional play in the United States and Canada, a balk results in a dead ball or delayed dead ball. In certain other circumstances, a balk may be wholly or partially disregarded. In the United States, under the National Federation of State High School Associations, a balk results in an immediate dead ball. In the event a balk is enforced, the pitch is generally nullified, each runner is awarded one base, and the batter (generally) remains at bat with the previous count. The balk rule in Major League Baseball was introduced in 1898.
The 1985 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1985 season. The 82nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Kansas City Royals and the National League (NL) champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals upset the heavily favored Cardinals in seven games. The Series was popularly known as the "Show-Me Series" or the "I-70 Showdown Series," as both cities are in the state of Missouri which is nicknamed the "Show Me State" and are connected by Interstate 70.
The 1965 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1965 season. The 62nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the American League champion Minnesota Twins. The Dodgers won in seven games. It is best remembered for the heroics of Sandy Koufax, who was named the World Series Most Valuable Player. Koufax did not pitch in Game 1, as it fell on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, but he pitched in Game 2 and then tossed shutouts in Games 5 and 7 to win the championship.
Jerry Blake Layne is an American umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League between 1989 and 1999, and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He wore uniform number 24 in the NL, but when MLB merged the AL and NL umpiring staffs in 2000, Layne was forced to switch to number 26, as AL umpire Al Clark, who also wore 24, had more seniority. When Clark was fired midway through the 2001 season by MLB, Layne reclaimed number 24 and has worn it ever since. With Joe West's retirement in 2022, Layne became MLB's most senior active umpire.
The 1992National League Championship Series was played between the Atlanta Braves (98–64) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (96–66) from October 6 to 14. A rematch of the 1991 NLCS, Atlanta won the 1992 NLCS in seven games to advance to their second straight World Series. The series ended in dramatic fashion; in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7, with Atlanta down 2–1 and the bases loaded, the Braves' Francisco Cabrera cracked a two-run single that scored David Justice and Sid Bream. Bream famously slid to score the Series-winning run, beating the throw by Pirates left fielder Barry Bonds.
Ronald Clarence Kulpa is an American umpire in Major League Baseball. He wears uniform number 46.
Mark Patrick Wegner is an American Major League Baseball umpire. He worked in the National League from 1998 to 1999, and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He was promoted to Crew Chief for the 2018 MLB season when Dale Scott retired after the 2017 MLB season.
Philip Cuzzi is an American professional baseball umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). He worked as a reserve umpire in the National League (NL) from 1991 to 1993 and returned to the NL in 1999. Since 2000, he has worked in both major leagues. Cuzzi wore number 99 when his career started; he now wears number 10.
This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries.
The 2005 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 105th season. They finished with a 99–63 record in the regular season and first place in the American League Central by six games over the Cleveland Indians. In the playoffs, they won the ALDS 3–0 over the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox, the ALCS 4–1 over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the World Series 4–0 over the Houston Astros, ending an 88-year championship drought.
The 2009 American League Central tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2009 regular season, played between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins to determine the champion of the American League's (AL) Central Division. It was played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 6, 2009. The Twins won the game 6–5 in a thrilling 12-inning battle, and advanced to the 2009 AL Division Series where they were swept by the New York Yankees; the Tigers failed to qualify for the postseason.
Major League Baseball (MLB) uses instant replay review to allow league officials to review certain types of plays in order to determine the accuracy of the initial call of the umpires on the field. Reviews may be initiated either by a team's manager with limitations or by the umpires themselves. All instant replay reviews are examined by umpires at the Replay Command Center in New York City, who have the final decision as to whether to uphold or overturn the initial call.
On July 23, 2009, Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox pitched a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The game took place at US Cellular Field in Chicago in front of 28,036 fans, and occurred from 1:07 PM CT to 3:10 PM CT.
Andrew Jay Fletcher is an American umpire in Major League Baseball, wearing number 49. He worked in the National League in 1999 and has worked across both major leagues since 2000. Fletcher has appeared in one Major League Baseball All-Star Game and in one World Baseball Classic.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2014 throughout the world.
