Retirement of MLB Umpire Tim McClelland

Veteran MLB Umpire Tim McClelland has retired from baseball's full-time umpire roster. McClelland retires after a 33-year career in the American League (1981-99) and in Major League Baseball (2000-2013).*

Retiring MLB Umpire Tim McClelland

The second-tallest umpire at the time of his retirement (tallest: Jordan Baker), McClelland concludes his illustrious MLB career with 77 ejections, spanning from his first career ejection on July 24, 1983, of Royals infielder George Brett for using a doctored bat as part of the infamous "pine tar game." Lost in the tale of the tape was the story of McClelland's other three ejections that day: Kansas City Manager Dick Howser, coach Rocky Colavito, and pitcher Gaylord Perry, for interfering with the umpires' confiscation by stealing Brett's bat.

Over the years, McClelland ejected Hall of Famers and other legendary ballplayers, including Yankees catcher-turned-manager Yogi Berra, Orioles ironman Cal Ripken, future broadcaster Joe Morgan, PED poster children Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, future boss Joe Torre and scores of others in between.

McClelland presided over David Wells' perfect game in 1998 and tied with fellow crew chief Tom Hallion for taking part in (being on the field for) the most no-hitters amongst active umpires—seven. He participated in three All-Star Games (1986, '98, 2003) and 15 postseasons, reaching the Fall Classic in 1993, 2000, 2002 and 2006. He made the playoff roster every year from 2000 through 2009, when multiple missed calls in Anaheim's AL Championship Series hit the front pages of mainstream sports media.

McClelland's final career ejection occurred June 9, 2012, when he ousted Oakland Athletics Manager Bob Melvin for arguing balls and strikes (QOC = Correct).

*McClelland's final game was in September 2013 as he spent the 2014 season as a member of the full-time MLB staff, but on the Disabled List.

As part of McClelland's retirement, 2014 acting crew chiefs Jerry Meals and Larry Vanover have been permanently promoted to the Crew Chief position.