MLB-High 10 Umpires Retire During 2022-2023 Off-Season

It's official—10 Major League Baseball umpires have retired following the 2022 season, a record-high for the unified MLB era and most since 1999, when a failed contract strategy led to 22 resignations. Seven crew chiefs and three 'number twos' won't return in 2023, opening the door to call-up umpires looking for a full-time job as well as current backup chiefs looking for a permanent promotion to that role. This retiring class combined for 261 years of on-field Major League experience.

The retirements of Greg Gibson (10/6/22), Tom Hallion (12/8/22), and Jim Reynolds (12/21/22) were previously disclosed by the indivual umpires prior to this announcement of all 10 retirements.

Retirements, Listed as Name, Service Time (Seasons with 1+ games)

- Postseason & total ejection stats listed on following lines:

Ted Barrett, 26 Years (29 Seasons AL/MLB [1994-2022]): Crew Chief with 3,400 regular season games.

- 6 Wild Cards (2012, 13, 15, 16, 20, 22)

- 12 Division Series (2000, 01, 02, 03, 06, 07, 11, 14, 17, 18, 19, 21)

- 10 League Championship Series (2005, 08, 09, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 20, 22)

- 5 World Series (2007, 11, 14, 18, 21)

> 65 MLB ejections

Greg Gibson, 24 Years (25 Seasons NL/MLB [1997-2019, 2021-22]): Crew Chief with 2,746 games.

- 3 Wild Cards (2012, 13, 18)

- 10 Division Series (2001, 03, 04, 06, 07, 09, 10, 11, 15, 21)

- 5 League Championship Series (2005, 12, 13, 14, 18)

- 1 World Series (2011)

> 92 MLB ejections

Marty Foster, 24 Years (27 Seasons AL/MLB [1996-2022]): Number Two with 2,745 games.

- 1 Wild Card (2020)

- 3 Division Series (2006, 08, 17)

> 110 MLB ejections

Tom Hallion, 30 Years (32 Seasons NL/MLB [1985-99, 2005-19, 2021-22]): Crew Chief w 3,645 games.

- 10 Division Series (1996, 97, 2008, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21)

- 5 League Championship Series (1998, 2007, 09, 10, 11)

- 2 World Series (2008, 21)

> 102 MLB ejections

Sam Holbrook, 22½ Years (22 Seasons A/NL/MLB [1996-99, 2002-19, 2021]): Crew Chief w 2,423 games.

- 1 Wild Card (2012)

- 7 Division Series (2005, 07, 10, 13, 16, 19, 21)

- 4 League Championship Series (2008, 09, 11, 12)

- 3 World Series (2010, 16, 19)

> 78 MLB ejections

Jerry Meals, 26 Years (31 Seasons NL/MLB [1992-2022]): Crew Chief with 3,303 games.

- 3 Wild Cards (2020, 21, 22)

- 9 Division Series (1999, 2004, 05, 09, 10, 11, 14, 19, 20)

- 3 League Championship Series (2008, 17, 21)

- 2 World Series (2014, 20)

> 61 MLB ejections

Paul Nauert, 22½ Years (24 Years NL/MLB [1995-99, 2002-20]): Number Two with 2,450 games.

- 1 Wild Card (2020)

- 6 Division Series (2004, 08, 10, 13, 14, 17)

- 1 League Championship Series (2016)

- 1 World Series (2017)

> 33 MLB ejections

Jim Reynolds, 22½ Years (24 Years AL/MLB [1999-2022]): Crew Chief with 2,815 games.

- 3 Wild Cards (2015, 17, 20)

- 7 Division Series (2005, 07, 08, 12, 13, 14, 18)

- 5 League Championship Series (2010, 15, 16, 17, 20)

- 2 World Series (2014, 18)

> 43 MLB ejections

Tim Timmons, 22½ Years (23 Years NL/MLB [1999-2021]): Number Two with 2,746 games.

- 2 Wild Cards (2013, 20)

- 3 Division Series (2005, 09, 18)

- 4 League Championship Series (2011, 14, 15, 20)

- 1 World Series (2018)

> 90 MLB ejections

Bill Welke, 22½ Years (24 Years AL/MLB [1999-2022]): Crew Chief with 2,816 games.

- 3 Wild Cards (2014, 16, 20)

- 6 Division Series (2003, 06, 08, 11, 15, 20)

- 4 League Championship Series (2014, 16, 17, 19)

- 1 World Series (2015)

> 102 MLB ejections

Video as follows:

Correcting Broadcast Blasphemy in Runner Placement Play

When Dodgers broadcasters Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser incorrectly stated that the base award for a thrown ball bouncing out of play is based on the batter-runner's location at the time of the ball leaving the field (in this case, bouncing into and out of the Dodger Stadium camera well), Tmac decided to correct the record.

Official Baseball Rule 5.06(b)(4)(G) states that a runner advances two bases from their position *at the time the wild throw is made."* In turn, because R1 Kris Bryant was located between second and third base (having passed second base) at the time of the wild throw, his two-base award takes him to third base and to home plate, scoring a run.

The umpires initially ruled that Rockies batter-runner Brendan Rodgers had not yet arrived at first base when center fielder Cody Bellinger released his throw, resulting in a Rockies challenge for runner placement, a call that was confirmed as the Replay Official conclusively determined that batter-runner Rodgers was indeed somewhere between home plate and first base at the time of the throw, confirming the on-field umpires' ruling and making Rodgers' two-base award first base and second base.

*Please note there are limited exceptions to this rule, but none of them award bases based upon the runner's position at the time the ball left the playing field. The main exception pertains to a ball thrown out of play by an infielder on the fielder's first play (usually on a ground ball). In such a case, the runners are awarded two bases based on their positions at the time of the pitch.

Video as follows: