Confirmed: MLB Hires 7 New Umpires to Full-Time Staff

MLB hired umpires Jordan Baker, Lance Barrett, Cory Blaser, Mike Estabrook, Mike Muchlinski, David Rackley and DJ Reyburn to the full-time Major League staff as the professional baseball's highest league continued its umpire hiring spree Tuesday afternoon. The new hires include five Pacific Coast League and four International League alumni (Barrett and Reyburn worked both leagues).

The aforementioned former vacation fill-in umpires are the seven umpires rumored by the UEFL to be MLB's latest hired officials related to crew expansion and baseball's adoption of video instant replay.

Jordan Baker: With just 197 games of Major League experience over two seasons (72 in 2012, 125 in 2013), Baker is the freshest of the hires, debuting June 22, 2012 during the evening's Indians-Astros game. The 6-foot, 7-inch Baker ejected three in 2013 for an MLB career total of six ejections. Baker worked as a AAA call-up while in the Pacific Coast League, after a mid-year promotion from the Double-A Southern League in 2011. He graduated from the Wendelstedt School.
> First ejection: July 23, 2012 (SF Giants SS Brandon Crawford)
> Most recent ejection: June 12, 2013 (KC Royals DH Billy Butler).

Lance Barrett: Barrett enters the full-time roster of officials with 212 big league games over four years (three games in 2010, 39 in 2011, 104 in 2012 and 66 in 2013) and five ejections during that span, all occurring during Barrett's busy 2012 season. The 29-year-old Fort Worth, Texas native spent 2011 and 2012 in the PCL after a 2008-2011 stint in the International League. Prior to AAA, Barrett worked the Gulf Coast, Appalachian, Florida Instructional, South Atlantic, California, Eastern, and Arizona Instructional Leagues. He also worked the 2008 and 2009 Arizona Fall and 2010 Dominican Winter League.
> First ejection: April 16, 2012 (CHI White Sox Pitching Coach Don Cooper)
> Most recent ejection: August 25, 2012 (CHI W-Sox C AJ Pierzynski & M Ventura).

Cory Blaser: Blaser has 346 games of MLB service since his first season of 12 MLB games in 2010. The 32-year-old Denver, Colorado native has four career MLB ejections, though none since 2011. Like Baker, Blaser hails from the Pacific Coast League and like Estabrook, he graduated from the Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School. Blaser worked the PCL from 2008-2013, accumulating numerous All-Star Game and Post-Season assignments in the minors, including the 2007 Eastern League All-Star Game. He also worked the California and Arizona Leagues, pickup up off-season Arizona Fall, Dominican Winter and Venezuela League assignments.
> First ejection: May 12, 2010 (COL Rockies Manager Jim Tracy).
> Most recent ejection: July 16, 2011 (COL Rockies C Chris Iannetta & Mgr Tracy).

Mike Estabrook: Estabrook's 696 games of MLB experience ranks first amongst this hiring class, as does the Daytona Beach, Florida's age (37 years at time of hire [7/28/1976]). He holds a share of the top ejection title with fellow umpire DJ Reyburn, though Estabrook began his Major League umpiring career two years earlier, in 2006. The 37-year-old Estabrook began his professional baseball career out of the Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School in 1999 (as the "top student" nonetheless) when he was placed into the Gulf Coast League. Since then the Boynton Beach, Florida resident worked the Appalachian, South Atlantic, Florida State and Venezuelan Leagues before promotion to AAA's International League in 2005, where he remained through 2013 and his 2014 promotion to the MLB staff. Estabrook worked the Arizona Fall League in 2006.
> First ejection: April 25, 2009 (CIN Reds PH Jerry Hairston & Manager Dusty Baker).
> Most recent ejection: September 13, 2012 (KC Royals DH Billy Butler).

Mike Muchlinski: With 570 MLB games in the bigs since a 34-game 2006 debut, Muchlinski is second to Estabrook in this hiring class when it comes to MLBU seniority. Over the course of his fill-in service, Muchlinski racked up 10 ejections, which leads this group of hires. The Tacoma, Washington native is the third oldest umpire hired at this time, born on February 26, 1977 (36 years old at time of permanent appointment). Muchlinski worked as "Michael Muchlinski" in the PCL since 2003 after stints in the Eastern and Midwest Leagues during years prior. Muchlinski worked the first round of the 2006 World Baseball Classic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona.
> First ejection: August 18, 2007 (OAK Athletics Manager Bob Geren).
> Most recent ejection: August 17, 2013 (DET Tigers C Brayan Pena).

David Rackley: Rackley's 170 games at the Major League level come over four years of work (six games in the inaugural 2010 season) and produced three ejections, including two in 2013. The 31-year-old North Carolinan (by way of his native Houston) spent six full years in Triple-A's International League after stops through the lower level Arizona, Florida Instructional, Northwest, South Atlantic, California, Arizona Instructional and Texas Leagues. Rackley worked the off-season Arizona Fall League twice (2008-'09) and Venezuelan Winter League in 2010.
> First ejection: August 26, 2012 (HOU Astros PH Marwin Gonzalez).
> Most recent ejection: August 9, 2013 (STL Cardinals 2B Daniel Descalso & M Mike Matheny).

DJ Reyburn: Reyburn is the only of these seven umpires to have begun his MLB career in 2008, accruing 437 games and shares the most cumulative ejections of the group with 14 heave-ho's beginning in 2009. Born on October 13, 1976 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Reyburn is also the second eldest of the present hiring class (37 years old at time of permanent appointment) and, like Barrett, worked both the PCL (2006-2009, 2012-13) and International (2010) Leagues. Prior to Triple-A, Reyburn began his professional career with the 2000 Arizona League, subsequently officiating in the Appalachian, Florida Instructional, Midwest, Florida State, Arizona Instructional and Eastern Leagues. He additionally worked the off-season Arizona Fall (2006-2009) and Dominican (2009-10) Leagues and was the umpire assaulted by Jose Offerman during a LiDom game, resulting in both his (and his crewmates') resignation from LiDom and Offerman's lifetime ban, which was overturned by the league in 2013. Reyburn worked the 2013 WBC Qualifier in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
> First ejection: August 9, 2009 (CIN Reds PH Alex Gonzalez).
> Most recent ejection: June 17, 2013 (CHI Cubs Manager Dale Sveum).

Bill Miller is said to be MLB's choice to serve as crew chief for the new crew created by the staff expansion.

The hires were confirmed by MLBU crew chief Jerry Layne at the Wendelstedt School.