| Mark Wegner | |
|---|---|
 Wegner in 2012 | |
| Born:March 4, 1972 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 20, 1998 | |
| Crew Information | |
| Umpiring crew | J (10) |
| Crew members |
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Special Assignments | |
Mark Patrick Wegner (born March 4, 1972) 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. [1]
Wegner has umpired in ten Division Series (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2020), five League Championship Series (2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018), and two World Baseball Classics (2009, 2013). He also officiated in the 2008 All-Star Game, the 2014 and 2018 National League Wild Card Games, and the 2013 World Series and recently the 2017 World Series. Wegner wears uniform number 14, and previously wore uniform number 47. For the 2018 regular season he was found to be a Top 10 performing home plate umpire in terms of accuracy in calling balls and strikes. His error rate was 7.28 percent. This was based on a study conducted at Boston University where 372,442 pitches were culled and analyzed. [2]
On June 2, 2007, Wegner was involved in a heated argument with Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella. After Wegner ruled that Ángel Pagán was out at third on an attempted steal, Piniella, who later acknowledged the call was correct, stormed out of the dugout, threw his hat down, and started kicking dirt on Wegner. Piniella would be ejected and given a four-game suspension and he later apologized to Wegner. [3]
On June 28, 2007, Wegner was behind the plate when Toronto Blue Jay Frank Thomas hit his 500th career home run off Minnesota Twins pitcher Carlos Silva. Later in the game, Thomas was ejected by Wegner for arguing balls and strikes. Toronto manager John Gibbons was thrown out of the game as well. [4]
Wegner umpired at third base on the game where Randy Johnson won his 300th career game on June 4, 2009. [5]
On May 30, 2012, Wegner was the target of Chicago White Sox announcer Ken Harrelson for ejecting pitcher Jose Quintana. Harrelson claimed Wegner "knew nothing about the game of baseball". Those comments drew much ire from Major League Baseball, and Harrelson apologized for those comments.
Wegner worked his first career no-hitter on July 13, 2013, calling balls and strikes for Tim Lincecum's 148-pitch performance against the San Diego Padres. Replays indicate Wegner called Lincecum to the tune of 97.9% accuracy, missing just two pitches. [6]
On November 1, 2017, Wegner was behind home plate for Game 7 of the World Series, which was won by the Houston Astros by a score of 5–1 over the host Los Angeles Dodgers. [7] Prior to the start of the 2018 season, Wegner was promoted to crew chief. [1]
A Catholic known for his charity work, [8] Wegner has been involved in church activities and the "BLUE for kids" outreach of UMPS CARE, the MLB Umpires' charity. [9]
Bruce Neal Froemming is an American Major League Baseball Special Assistant to the Vice President on Umpiring, after having served as an umpire in Major League Baseball. He first umpired in the National League in 1971, and from 2000 to 2007 worked throughout both major leagues. Early in the 2007 season, Froemming tied Bill Klem for the most seasons umpired. Previously, on August 16, 2006, Froemming umpired his 5,000th game between the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, making him the second umpire to reach that milestone; Klem retired after 5,374 games. Froemming now stands third on the all-time list of games umpired, having been passed when Joe West officiated his 5,164th Major League Baseball game on August 14, 2019. On April 20, 2007, he umpired at first base in the Cleveland Indians-Tampa Bay Devil Rays game, passing Klem to become – at age 67 years 204 days – the man then believed to be the oldest umpire in major league history; Hank O'Day holds the record, retiring at 68 years, 2 months. He worked his final regular-season game at age 68 years 2 days on September 30, 2007, when Froemming received a standing ovation before umpiring his last regular-season game, manning the third base position as the Milwaukee Brewers hosted the San Diego Padres at Miller Park in his native Milwaukee, with much of his family in attendance. Because Froemming was then over age 65, he became eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010 instead of having to wait the customary five years.
Joseph Henry West, nicknamed "Cowboy Joe" or "Country Joe", is an American former baseball umpire. He worked in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1976 to 2021, umpiring an MLB-record 43 seasons and 5,460 games.
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.
Martin Robert Foster is an American former Major League Baseball umpire. After first working in the American League in 1996, he was added to the MLB umpiring staff in 2000. Foster retired following the 2022 season.
Edward George Barrett is an American retired Major League Baseball umpire. He joined the American League's staff in 1994, and worked throughout both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement in 2022. Promoted to crew chief in 2013, Barrett worked in 33 play-off series, including five World Series. He retired following the 2022 season.
Edward Stephen Rapuano Jr. is an umpire supervisor in Major League Baseball who previously worked as an on-field umpire in the National League from 1990 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2012.
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.
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.
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.
Fieldin Henry Culbreth III is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). He worked in the American League from 1993 to 1999 and in both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement in 2021. Culbreth was promoted to crew chief prior to the 2013 season. Culbreth wore number 42 while he was an American League umpire, then changed to 25 in 2000 after the MLB umpires were unified into one crew.
William Scott Miller is an American Major League Baseball umpire who began his career in the American League in 1997. Miller wears number 26. He has been a crew chief since the 2014 season.
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.
Victor Joseph Carapazza is an American Major League Baseball umpire. He wears uniform number 19, and previously wore uniform number 85.
William John Hohn is an American former professional baseball umpire. He worked in Major League Baseball during 1987–1999 and 2002–2010. His uniform number was 29.
Hal Harrison Gibson III, known as Tripp Gibson, is an American Major League Baseball umpire who wears uniform number 73. Gibson's first Major League game was July 8, 2013, at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. He was promoted to a full-time position in January 2015. Prior to his hiring, he worked as a substitute teacher during the offseason.
Adam Curtis Hamari is an American Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire.
Patrick Hoberg is an American Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire. In the 2022 World Series he called the first ever “perfect game” by an umpire by not getting a single ball or strike call incorrect.
Ryan Benjamin Blakney is an American Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire. He has umpired in MLB since 2015.
Benjamin Joseph May is an American umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). He has worked in MLB since 2014, and wears number 97.
Erich Bacchus is an American professional baseball umpire. He has been an umpire in Major League Baseball since 2020 and was promoted to the full-time umpiring staff in 2023. Bacchus wears uniform number 12.
