 |
Tim Tschida | |
|---|---|
 Tschida in 2009 | |
| Born | May 4, 1960 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation | Major League Baseball umpire |
| Years active | 1985–2012 |
| Spouse | Barbara Herzan (m. 1992) |
| Children | 2 |
Timothy Joseph Tschida ( /ˈtʃiːdə/ CHEE-də; born May 4, 1960) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball. He joined the American League's full-time staff in 1986, and worked in both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement following the 2012 season. [1]
His professional umpiring career began after he attended the Joe Brinkman Umpire School in 1981. He was elevated to the AL for the 1986 season. In 2000, the American and National Leagues combined umpiring staffs. He wore uniform number 4 beginning in the late 1980s.
For the 2007 season, Tschida was promoted to a crew chief position, and his crew included Jim Joyce, Jeff Nelson and Jim Wolf. His crew in 2011 included Jeff Nelson, Marty Foster and Bill Welke. Tschida's 2012 crew consisted of Jeff Nelson, Bill Welke, and Chris Guccione.
A report by The Hardball Times asserts that Tschida called the smallest strike zone of all MLB umpires in 2011. [2]
He worked in thirteen postseasons, including the World Series in 1998, 2002 and 2008; the League Championship Series in 1993, 1999, and 2000; and the Division Series in 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. He worked the All-Star Game in 1992 and 2002. He was the second base umpire for the single-game playoff to decide the NL's 2007 wild card team. He was also the third base umpire for Kenny Rogers's perfect game on July 28, 1994, and the home plate umpire for Nolan Ryan's seventh no-hitter on May 1, 1991 and Carlos Zambrano's no-hitter on September 14, 2008. Home plate umpire for Tom Kramer's one hitter on May 24, 1993, in Cleveland's Municipal stadium.
On August 3, 1987, Tschida was the plate umpire when he ejected Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Niekro for possessing an emery board. [3]
On August 4, 1999, Anaheim Angels hitter Orlando Palmeiro struck out to lead off a game and then dropped his bat at home plate, prompting Tschida, the home-plate umpire, to eject him. However, manager Terry Collins convinced Tschida to allow Palmeiro back into the game, as Palmeiro had merely been leaving the bat at home plate because every hitter was using the same bat. [4]
Tschida made a widely disputed call in the 1999 ALCS in which Chuck Knoblauch applied a "phantom tag" to José Offerman. The call was ranked the worst call in sports history by readers of ESPN Playbook. [5]
On June 19, 2012, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Joel Peralta was ejected by Tschida for having pine tar inside his glove. [6] [7]
Tschida attended Cretin-Derham Hall High School and the University of St. Thomas. Tschida is involved in charity work, including Meals on Wheels and other Catholic charities. Tschida became a member of the Catholic Athletic Association's Hall of Fame in 2007. [8]
Joseph Franklin Niekro was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was the younger brother of pitcher Phil Niekro, and the father of former Major League first baseman Lance Niekro. Niekro was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, and attended Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio and West Liberty University in West Liberty, West Virginia. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1967 to 1988 for seven different teams, primarily for the Houston Astros.
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An emery ball is an illegal pitch in baseball, in which the ball has been altered by scuffing it with a rough surface, such as an emery board or sandpaper. This technique alters the spin of the ball, causing it to move in an atypical manner, as more spin makes the ball rise, while less spin makes the ball drop. The general term for altering the ball in any way is doctoring. The emery ball differs from the spitball, in which the ball is doctored by applying saliva or Vaseline. Vaseline or saliva smooths the baseball, while the emery paper roughens it.
Baseball personnel have cheated by deliberately violating or circumventing the game's rules to gain an unfair advantage against an opponent. Examples of cheating include doctoring the ball, doctoring bats, electronic sign stealing, and the use of performance-enhancing substances. Other actions, such as fielders attempting to mislead baserunners about the location of the ball, are considered gamesmanship and are not in violation of the rules.
