| 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, a pitcher may 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.
Anthony John Pierzynski is an American former professional baseball player and current television sports presenter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher with the Minnesota Twins (1998–2003), San Francisco Giants (2004), Chicago White Sox (2005–2012), Texas Rangers (2013), Boston Red Sox (2014), St. Louis Cardinals (2014) and Atlanta Braves (2015–2016). Pierzynski is one of only thirteen catchers in Major League history to reach 2,000 hits in his career.
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.
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Ronald Clarence Kulpa is an American umpire in Major League Baseball. He wears uniform number 46.
Brian Edward Runge is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League in 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2012; he wore uniform number 18, and previously 71.
Harry Hunter Wendelstedt III is an American baseball umpire who has worked in the National League in 1998–1999 and throughout both major leagues since 2000. His father Harry Hunter Wendelstedt, Jr. was an NL umpire from 1966 to 1998. Hunter Wendelstedt goes by his middle name to avoid confusion with his father.
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.
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.
Edwin William Hickox is an American retired Major League Baseball umpire. He worked in the American League from 1990 to 1999 and in Major League Baseball from 2005 until his retirement in 2023. Hickox wore uniform number 39 with the American League and number 15 with Major League Baseball. He officiated the Division Series in 2007, 2010, 2012, and 2019 and 2020, as well as the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Kirk Gibson's 1988 World Series home run was a baseball play that occurred in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, on October 15, 1988, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Gibson was initially held out of the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup with injuries to both legs, but after being called upon to pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs, he hit a two-run, walk-off home run against Oakland Athletics pitcher Dennis Eckersley. The home run won the game for the Dodgers by a score of 5–4.
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.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2012 throughout the world.
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.
Todd Frederick Tichenor is an American professional baseball umpire. He became a Major League Baseball reserve umpire in 2007 and was promoted to the full-time MLB staff in 2012. He wore number 97 until the 2014 season, when he switched to number 13.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2014 throughout the world.
