Mark Hirschbeck (born September 22, 1960 in Bridgeport, Connecticut) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1987 to 1999, and both Major Leagues from 2000 until his retirement in 2003. He wore uniform number 4 (previously worn by former NL umpire Satch Davidson) throughout his NL career, but changed to 20 when the umpiring staffs unified in 2000. [1] His brother John is also a major league umpire, making the Hirschbecks the first pair of brothers to umpire in the Major Leagues at the same time. [2] (Brothers Tim and Bill Welke became the second such pair.)
Mark Hirschbeck's assignments included the 1997, 1999 and 2002 National League Division Series, the 2001 American League Division Series, the 1996 NLCS, the 2000 ALCS, and the 1998 and 2001 World Series. Hirschbeck also officiated the 1993 and 2000 All-Star Games. [1]
Hirschbeck was forced to retire seven games into the 2003 season after it was discovered that he needed a hip replacement. Although Hirschbeck originally hoped to return to umpiring after he recovered from his surgery, his ceramic implant cracked six weeks after the operation. [3] About two months later, a staph infection formed in Hirschbeck's hip and he was unable to return to baseball. Hirschbeck later sued Wright Medical Technology, makers of the ceramic prosthetic, as well as the doctor who performed the surgery. Hirschbeck settled out of court with both the surgeon and the medical device company. [4]
In 2012, Hirschbeck opened the Shelton, Connecticut restaurant, Hirschbeck's Sports Bar & Grille, [5] which later closed in 2015. [6]
Mark Eugene Grace is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who spent 13 seasons with the Chicago Cubs and three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks of the National League (NL). He was a member of the 2001 World Series champion Diamondbacks that beat the New York Yankees. Grace batted and threw left-handed; he wore jersey number 28 and 17 during his rookie season of 1988, and he kept number 17 for the remainder of his career.
Roberto Alomar Velázquez is a Puerto Rican former second baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for sixteen seasons, primarily with the Toronto Blue Jays. He is regarded as one of the greatest second basemen and all-around players. During his career, the 12-time All-Star won more Gold Glove Awards (10) than any other second baseman in baseball history, in addition to winning four Silver Slugger Awards for his hitting. Among second basemen, he ranks third in games played (2,320), fifth in stolen bases (474), sixth in plate appearances (10,400), seventh in doubles (504) and assists (6,524), and eighth in hits (2,724), runs (1,508), at-bats (9,073), and double plays turned (1,407). In 2011, Alomar was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the first Hall of Fame member to be depicted as a Blue Jays player on his plaque.
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.
William Joseph Klem, born William Joseph Klimm, known as the "Old Arbitrator" and the "father of baseball umpires", was a National League (NL) umpire in Major League Baseball from 1905 to 1941. He worked 18 World Series, which is a major league record. Klem was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953.
Albert Joseph Barlick was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League for 28 seasons. Barlick missed two seasons (1944–45) due to service in the United States Coast Guard and two seasons (1956–57) due to heart problems. He umpired seven World Series and seven All-Star Games.
Harold Douglas Harvey was an umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB), who worked in the National League (NL) from 1962 through 1992.
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.
David William Wallace is an American former professional baseball pitcher, pitching coach and front-office executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays. After his playing career he was a pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles.
John Francis Hirschbeck is a former umpire for Major League Baseball. He worked in the American League from 1984 to 1999 and worked in both leagues from 2000 to 2016. He was a crew chief at the time of his retirement, and wore uniform number 17 throughout his career. Hirschbeck announced his retirement following the 2016 season. In 2000, Hirschbeck was elected as the first president of the newly certified World Umpires Association, a position he held until 2009.
Robert Allan Davidson is a former umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Balkin' Bob" and "Balk-a-Day Bob" for his tendency to liberally invoke baseball's balk rule, Davidson was an umpire on the National League (NL) staff from 1982 to 1999, and he was on the combined MLB umpiring staff from 2005 to 2016. He worked one World Series (1992) and several other postseason series.
Timothy James Welke is a former American professional baseball umpire. He worked in the American League from 1984 to 1999 and has worked throughout Major League Baseball from 2000 to 2015. He had been a crew chief since 2000. Welke wore number 30 when he joined the American League staff, then switched to 3 after the AL and National League umpiring staffs merged in 2000. His brother Bill is also a major league umpire. Tim has umpired in four World Series, seven League Championship Series, eight Division Series and three All-Star Games.
James Alfred Joyce III is an American former professional baseball umpire who worked in the American League (AL) from 1987 to 1999 and throughout Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2000 to 2016. He wore uniform number 6 while in the AL and number 66 for MLB. His loud and enthusiastic strike call drew comparisons to that of retired umpire Bruce Froemming. Though his umpiring was generally praised by players and coaches, Joyce is best known for his incorrect call in Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game in June 2010.
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.
Frank Scott Bunnell High School is an accredited high school in Stratford, Connecticut, United States. The school serves students in grades 9 through 12 as part of Stratford Public Schools. The school mascot is the bulldog, and the school colors are blue, gold and white.
James Norris Reynolds IV is a former American Major League Baseball umpire. He joined the major league staff in 1999 and was promoted to crew chief for the 2020 season. Reynolds wore uniform number 77. He retired following the 2022 season.
Frederick ("Fred") Brocklander was a Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire in the National League (NL) from 1979 to 1992. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, he umpired in the minor leagues for ten years. He was promoted to the National League during the 1979 umpire strike. He retired as an NL umpire in 1992. Throughout his National League career, he wore number 28.
The Major League Umpires Association was a union for the umpires of both the American League and the National League. It was formed in 1970. It was decertified and replaced by the World Umpires Association]] ) which became the bargaining agent for MLB umpires before the 2000 season.
Christopher Gene Guccione is an American umpire in Major League Baseball. He wears number 68.
Daniel Guthrie Morrison is a former professional baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1979 to 1999, and throughout both major leagues in 2000 and 2001. He wore uniform number 34 when the AL adopted them for its umpires in 1980 and retained the number when the AL and NL umpiring staffs merged in 2000. Morrison umpired 2,660 major league games in his 23-year career. He umpired in the 1992 World Series, the 1988 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, three American League Championship Series, and three Division Series.
The 1979 Major League Umpires Association Strike was a labor action by the Major League Umpires Association (MLUA) against Major League Baseball (MLB) that lasted from March until mid-May, 1979.
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