Angel Behind the Plate

We tend to forget that coaches and players are people, too. We forget that they are capable of mistakes, have families and a life outside of their sport. What about the officials? We forget they’re human, too, which means they won’t get every call right. Furthermore, we forget they are also capable of greatness in their own way.

MLB umpire has been called one of the worst by various people throughout baseball. Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington said “Angel is just bad,” reported by NBC Sports. Washington Nationals’ rookie sensation Bryce Harper got into a full-blown argument with him during a game. But what each of these Angel bashings failed to mention was Hernandez’s incredible charity work in south Florida.

Hernandez is the Chairman of the Board of the West Pembroke Pines Miracle League. The Miracle League was formed in 1998 to enable disabled children to participate in little league baseball. The Miracle League is a nationwide group started by the Rockdale Youth Baseball Association in Rockdale, Ga. The slogan of the league is “Because every child deserves to play baseball.”

“I am blessed with the opportunity of seeing children who normally wouldn’t have the chance to play baseball do just that,” Hernandez wrote on the Angel Miracle League website. “[This is] a cause very dear to my heart.”

Remember Dick Bavetta? Of course you don’t. Like most officials he is not known—until he really messes up. Let me jog your memory with the 2007 NBA All-Star weekend in Las Vegas. The race against Charles Barkley on TNT was a pretty interesting event. Ah, now you remember. Well that little race against the Round Mound of Rebound raised $75,000 for the Las Vegas Boys & Girls Clubs.

Despite grumblings Bavetta is a bad referee, he is 72 and has been an official for 37 years without missing a game. In addition to being the ironman of officiating, Bavetta established and finances the Lady Bavetta Scholarships for minority students, which he started in 1986. He has also volunteered with the Double-H Hole in the Woods Ranch which helps with childhood cancer and HIV.

It’s a shame that these are the conditions it had to come under, but Shannon Eastin is breaking history. If we can recognize in the great acts officials have done off the field, we should also recognize refs need to be taken care of financially and the NFL refs are on strike because they’re not satisfied with the money they’re receiving from the NFL.

Although the gloomy business side of the game has led to replacement referees, it has opened the door for Shannon Eastin to become the first woman referee. Thursday during the San Diego Chargers and Green Bay Packers preseason game she made her debut on the NFL level. Eastin, an official in lower level college football for years, is one of the many replacement refs under scrutiny during the 2012 preseason.

With the news that the replacement refs may continue into the regular season many fans and players are less than thrilled, but it is nice to see these refs, like Eastin make their personal dreams come true by refereeing at the highest level.

I know it’s tough for us to remember, but the officials you want to call “idiot” “blind” or other derogatory terms are people, as well. They can achieve great accomplishments and are susceptible to downfalls, too. As much as we don’t care about refs and their personal lives, it’s nice to the human side besides the “stripes” and the good side behind “blue".

Longtime Baseball Umpire and Supervisor Marty Springstead dies at age 74

All Major League Umpires will be wearing a patch in memory of Marty Springstead this season

Martin John Springstead (July 9, 1937 – January 17, 2012) was a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1966 to 1985 and had since worked as an umpire supervisor. He was the youngest umpire ever to serve as crew chief in the World Series, heading the staff for the 1973 Series at the age of 36 years and 3 months.

Springstead was born in Nyack, New York. Springstead graduated from Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx, where he played basketball and ran track as well as playing baseball. He then attended Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey, majoring in advertising. After a brief playing career as a catcher for American Legion and semi-pro teams, he attended the Al Somers umpiring school and began his career in the Class "C" Northern League in 1960. In 1961-1962 he served in the Army's 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas, where he continued to play in and officiate baseball games. He then worked in the Southern League (1963-65) before joining the AL staff in 1966. Throughout his career he lived in the communities of Garnerville and Suffern, both near his birthplace.

Springstead officiated in the All-Star Game in 1969, 1975, and 1982. In addition to the 1973 World Series, he also worked the 1978 and 1983 Series, again serving as crew chief in 1983. Springstead, who became an AL crew chief in 1974, also officiated four American League Championship Series in 1970 (Games 2-3), 1974, 1977 and 1981. He also officiated in five no-hitters, including being the home plate umpire for two: Clyde Wright's on July 3, 1970 and Mike Warren's on September 29, 1983. Springstead wore uniform number 4 starting in 1980, when the AL adopted numbers. Upon his retirement, the number was assigned to Tim Tschida, who continues to wear No. 4 as a crew chief on MLB's combined umpiring staff.

Springstead retired from field duties after the 1985 season and became the AL's fourth Executive Director of Umpires on January 1, 1986, succeeding Dick Butler. In 2000, when the umpiring staffs of the American and National Leagues were combined, he became a special assistant to Major League Baseball's vice president for umpiring.

He was a popular guest speaker and conducted umpiring clinics for the Japanese Professional Umpires of the Pacific League; in addition, he taught umpiring in Canada and for the United States Air Force in Spain, Holland and Germany. Springstead died of a heart attack on January 17, 2012 while swimming near his home in Sarasota, Florida. He was 74.

Marty's picture is displayed in famous restaurants around the country. At one New York establishment, executive director of Major League Baseball, Sandy Alderson (now with the New York Mets) remarked after seeing Marty's picture, "Maybe someday I'll have my picture on the wall here." Marty snapped, "Not in your lifetime."

Marty was loved by hundreds of people. It was not uncommon for people that were sent to restaurants around the country by Marty to have their meal served "on the house"... Many times the establishments wouldn't even let them leave a tip. All they wanted was for them to "tell Marty we said, 'Hello.' ''

Respected by management, players, and umpires, when news of his death reached the major league umpires at their union meeting, the umpires abruptly called off their meeting in respect of him. Over 50 umpires came to pay their respects at his funeral in Siesta Key, Florida. Sandy Alderson was there, too.

Umpire Derryl Cousins Biography (Crew Chief)

CAREER: Joined the Major League staff in 1979...has worked the All-Star Game (1987, 98, 2008), Division Series (1997, 99, 2002, 05, 07), League Championship Series (1985, 89, 95, 2003, 06, 08, 10) and World Series (1988, 99, 2005)...served as crew chief at the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium...was the crew chief for the semi-finals and finals of the 2009 World Baseball Classic at Dodger Stadium...became just the 18th umpire ever to work his 4,000th Major League game on May 2, 2009 at Seattle; as was the case in the 2008 All-Star Game, he was behind the plate for all 15 innings as he reached the milestone in the A's-Mariners tilt...was an instructor at MLB's inaugural Umpire Camps (MLBUC.com), held at MLB's Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California, in November 2006...worked in the Midwest League (1973), Carolina League (1974), Texas League (1975), Pacific Coast League (1976-78), Arizona Instructional League (1973-75), Dominican (1976) and Puerto Rican Winter Leagues (1978).

PERSONAL: Born in August 1946 in California...resides in southern California...married to Shawna...has two children, Cas and Cole...studied political science and received his degree from El Camino Community College in California...inducted into the El Camino College Hall of Fame in 2004...played professional baseball in the Detroit and Cleveland organizations from 1966-72...enjoys traveling in the off-season...favorite vacation spot is Hawaii...hobbies include golf.

Umpire Sam Holbrook Biography

Sam Holbrook became a member of the Major League staff in 1998...has worked the 2004 All-Star Game, the Division Series (2005, 07, 10), the 2008 American League Championship Series, the 2009 National League Championship Series and the 2010 World Series...previously worked in the Appalachian League (1990), Midwest League (1991), Carolina League (1992-93), Texas League (1993), Eastern League (1994-95) and International League (1995-97)...proudest moment was walking on the field for the first time under contract.

Sam was born in July 1965 in Kentucky...resides in Kentucky...married to Susie...has two children, Adam and Amy...received a B.S. and an M.S. from Eastern Kentucky University...does charitable work for Fellowship of Christian Athletes...played baseball for four years in college...enjoys fishing, hunting, golf, and spending time with his family...most admires his parents for the job they did raising their family.

MLU Welcomes Dan Bellino to the 2011 Staff

Dan Bellino has been selected to the Major League staff for the 2011 season..has umpired professionally since 2003…has been assigned to work Major League Spring Training each year since 2009…has been called up to the Majors each year since 2008...has 156 days of service at the Major League level…made his Major League umpiring debut on June 25, 2008, when the Orioles played the Cubs at Wrigley Field…has worked in the New York-Penn League (2003), Midwest League (2004), Florida State League (2005), Eastern League (2006), Pacific Coast League (2007-2009) and International League (2010)…worked the Arizona Instructional League (2005), Hawaii Winter League (2006), Arizona Fall League (2007-2008) and Puerto Rico Winter League (2009). Born in October 1978, resides in Illinois. He holds a law degree (J.D.), an MBA & has passed the bar exam.

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Umpire Chuck Meriwether Biography

Julius Edward "Chuck" Meriwether (born June 30, 1956 in Nashville, Tennessee) is an umpire in Major League Baseball. After working in the American League from 1988 to 1999, he has umpired in both leagues since 2000. He originally wore number 32, in 2001 and 2002 he wore number 22 but in 2004 switched to number 14 after offering veteran Joe West his original number when he was rehired..

After graduating from Athens State College in 1978, he first umpired in the minor leagues in 1979, reaching the American Association in 1986 before continuing up to the AL. He officiated in the 2004 World Series and 2007 World Series, and in the All-Star Game in 1996 and 2002. He has also umpired in the 2003 National League Championship Series and 2006 American League Championship Series, and in seven Division Series (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007). He was the third base umpire for the single-game playoff to decide the NL's 2007 wild card team. He was also the third base umpire for David Cone's perfect game on July 18, 1999. Most recently he was the second base umpire for Mark Buehrle's perfect game on July 23, 2009.

On joining the league's staff, he became only the fifth African American umpire in major league history, and the first in the AL since Emmett Ashford retired in 1970. Coincidentally, Meriwether was behind the plate when the Boston Red Sox – the last major league team to integrate its roster – won its first World Series in 86 years in 2004, and he was again behind the plate when they won the Series three years later in 2007.

Before the start of the 2010 season, fellow MLB umpire Mike Dimuro wrote on his "Umps Care Blog" that Merriweather will sit out the 2010 season on the Disabled List and then retire following the 2010 season. His son, Chris Meriwether, is a walk-on point guard for the Vanderbilt University basketball team.

Majorleague ump Ed Rapuano backs Pope John Paul II

When an assistant baseball coach at Pope John Paul II High in Boca Raton fell ill last winter, the school didn't have to look far to find a qualified temp.

Coaching at first base for a few games was one of the school's biggest boosters - Major League Baseball umpire Ed Rapuano.

"I put the Pope John uniform on for a couple of games. My wife got a chuckle out of it,' Rapuano said this week before working a game in Detroit.

During his 20 years umpiring in the big leagues, Rapuano has heard more than an earful from angry players and managers. He once threw Philadelphia's Shane Victorino out of a game - for arguing balls and strikes from his position in center field.

But Rapuano laughed and said he never thought about taking advantage of his rare role reversal to spew any venom at the high school umps.

"I tried to disguise myself a little bit and wear sunglasses, but they all knew who I was,' he said. "Those guys do a heck of a job and they were all really great.'

Rapuano, 52, has lived in Boca Raton for 20 years, since his earliest days as an umpire in the Florida State League. Although his job keeps him on the road most days during baseball season, he has kept his allegiances close to home.

Rapuano is helping raise money to build the first baseball fields at Pope John Paul II, whose team has played its games at Boca Raton's Sugar Sand Park.

"We've had alumni involved, too, but our biggest driving force up to now has been Eddie Rapuano,' said Athletic Director Scott Baker.

The school is still working on construction estimates and a time table, but Rapuano said it's important to raise money now in hopes that the new fields will attract more students.

"We're on the ground floor, but it's moving along,' he said.

He raised $7,000 by raffling off a ball autographed by the Yankees. He also hosted a wine-tasting charity with Greg Norton, the school's softball coach.

"He has been first-class all the way,' baseball coach Pete Graffeo said. "He will do anything he can to help the program. At first, I thought he was too good to be true.'

Rapuano has a vested interest in Pope John Paul II. His three kids went to school there - Eddie (24) and Rosalie (20) graduated and 17-year-old Nick is entering his senior year.

The school recently hired former Dolphins running back and Notre Dame star Autry Denson as its new football coach. Rapuano said the next step is to build the baseball fields.

"The Catholic schools are low on attendance with the economy the way it is. Athletics is a good way to bring kids to the school,' Rapuano said. "Since my name has been out there, we've been getting a lot of nibbles on the hook. Hopefully we get more kids to apply.'

Rapuano said he's convinced that baseball fields at the school will boost team pride, pointing out how the players respond when they work out in batting cages on the school grounds.

"I noticed the difference in the kids' attitudes when they are on their complex, when they're at the school with the football and lacrosse teams at the other end of the field and soccer team playing on the football field and their school in the background. You can see how much better they respond when they're actually in their own backyard,' he said.

Volunteering for the school, Rapuano is often asked by players and parents about life as a major-league umpire. He worked the 1995 and 2008 All-Star Games and the 2001 and 2003 World Series. "After Game 6 in New York, I remember standing there and watching as they all ran in,' Rapuano said about the Marlins' clinching win at Yankee Stadium in '03. "Seeing those expressions on those guys' faces, the underdogs just beating the Yankees, was something I'll never forget.' But his most memorable game was his first - May 11, 1990 - because his daughter Rosalie was born the next day. "My wife, Valerie, was due a week later, and when I got called to the big leagues she didn't want me to miss my first weekend,' he said. "I worked the game on a Friday night in Pittsburgh behind the plate. The next afternoon, she called me and said, 'What do you want to name your daughter?' I didn't know whether to be angry that I wasn't there or happy. "That night, our crew put it on the scoreboard, 'Congratulations third-base umpire Ed Rapuano on the birth of your daughter.' '

Saugerties native Hallion named MLB crew chief

As a major league umpire, Tom Hallion has been able to achieve many career milestones, including working All-Star games, League Championship Series and World Series. Now he’s reached the highest position an umpire can aspire to — crew chief. The Saugerties native earned the promotion at the beginning of spring training and is looking forward to having his own crew when the regular season begins next week. “It’s very rewarding. It’s almost feels like I’ve come full circle,” said Hallion, who talked by phone Monday after working the Astros-Pirates exhibition in Bradentown, Fla. Ironically, he was on his way to St. Petersburg to watch Saugerties High’s baseball team play a preseason game. “I’m very thrilled,” he said. With the retirements of Charlie Reliford, Randy Marsh, Ed Montague and Rick Reed, Hallion was promoted by the Commissioner’s office along with Brian Gorman, Jeff Kellogg and Jerry Layne. A 17-year veteran, Hallion has umpired two All-Star games, three divisional series, two LCS and the 2008 World Series. Hallion had been in Jerry Crawford’s crew the last two years. “It’s sad. It’s Jerry’s last year and I wanted to stay with him. I was caught between a rock and a hard place,” said Hallion, who filled in as a acting chief when Crawford was sidelined by a bad back last year.Crawford pushed him to accept the position. The retirement of four chiefs allowed for the shuffling and creation of new crews. Hallion’s new crew includes Ed Rapuano, Ron Kulpa and Lance Barksdale. Rapuano actually filled in when Crawford was out in ’09 and he also worked with Hallion in the ’08 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. “I’ve worked a little bit with Eddie and Ron. I’ve never worked with Lance,” Hallion said. The crew makes its’ debut next Monday afternoon in Kansas City when the Royals open against the Detroit Tigers. The unit heads to Texas after that for the Rangers and the Seattle Mariners. Hallion’s crew will spend much of its time this season west of the Mississippi River. After the first weekend, they go to Colorado, San Diego, Arizona, then back to Texas. Their schedule calls for only two trips to New York, including a late-season series at Yankee Stadium, and no visits to Boston. “My niece lives up there in Boston. I had to break the bad news that I’m not heading that way,” Hallion said. His first major league game was in 1985, but Hallion was out of baseball in ’99 as part of a failed stand by umpires which led to 22 arbiters’ resignations being accepted. He returned as a minor league ump in ’03, made his way back to the majors by ’05 and was fully reinstated in ’07. In another instance of coming full circle, Hallion was part of the negotiating team for the World Umpires Association that hammered out a new five-year collective bargaining agreement that was unanimously approved. It was the largest umpiring contract ever signed, Hallion said. Adding to the irony was Hallion sitting across the table during negotiations from Rob Manfred, MLB’s Executive Vice President for Labor Relations. Manfred was involved in the MLB’s handling of the ’99 situation that led to Hallion’s dismissmal. “It was kind of interesting,” remarked Hallion, who plans to umpire for at least five or more six years in order to help out with the next contract. As for memories with Crawford’s crew, last Aug. 26 in Toronto won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Hallion had to replace Crawford behind the plate early in the game when the veteran crew chief took a foul ball off his face mask. In the sixth inning, Travis Snider swung and missed at a Scott Kazmir pitch that crossed up Tampa Bay catcher Gregg Zaun. The 92-mph pitch hit smacked Hallion in the chest, bringing him down. “He was calling for a slider outside. Kazmir threw a fastball inside,” Hallion remembered. “It was like I got shot. “It was never touched. It got the bottom of the chest protector and part of the flesh.” It didn’t leave a Rawling’s logo on him, but a “bruise that ended up six different shades of color.” Medical staff rushed to his side and a cart was brought out, but he eventually rose and walked off without assistance. After a 21-minute delay, Hallion returned to handle third base. “Jerry was already out. I wasn’t going to leave us down to two guys,” he said. “They let me go stand at third base and help with the rotation. They made me promise not to move.” The bruise eventually went away. Hallion accepts the risk, saying “It was the nature of the beast.” He did, though, get a new chest protector. “(Umpiring legend) Joe West makes a vest that’s a little longer,” he said. “The next day he called me and said, ‘Your new protector is on the way and you’ll have it before the next time behind the plate.”

Behind the Mask - Drew Coble '75

Though he retired from umpiring in Major League Baseball more than a decade ago, Drew Coble has vivid memories of his days working in the big leagues and the minors. Read on for Coble’s insights into the world of umpiring, as well as his favorite moments of his baseball career.

The umpiring life

A standout catcher and first baseman, Drew Coble (right) led Elon in batting average, hits and RBI in 1973.

Just as it is for ballplayers, the quality of life is far different for umpires in the minor leagues compared with the majors.

After earning one of the two minor-league positions offered at the conclusion of his umpire training course in 1975, Coble started work in the long-season Class A Western Carolina League. Over the next couple of years, he moved up to the higher-level Class-A Carolina League and, in 1977, the Class AA Southern League.

“In the minors, the pay was really low,” Coble recalls. “You had to drive everywhere. You’d drive through the night, and you’d just hope you could get some sleep before you had to work the next night. That’s what the minor leagues were like.”

Coble spent 10 days working in the Southern League before he caught the eye of Barney Deary, the head of minor-league umpires at the time. Deary liked what he saw and promoted Coble to Class AAA, the last stop in minor-league play before the majors. Class AAA was an improvement in lifestyle, but still posed challenges for Coble and his family.

“In triple-A, you fly everywhere, and the money is a little bit better, but it’s not great,” he says. “I had a second job in the wintertime to get enough money for my family to get by.”

One phone call in April 1981 changed all that.

“It was opening day (of the MLB season), and I was sitting at home, watching the Cincinnati Reds on TV,” Coble recalls. “The phone rang, I picked it up, and the person said ‘Drew, this is Dick Butler (head of umpires) of the American League. I want to welcome you to the American League.’”

Though his time in the majors directly following Butler’s call lasted only a few games, Coble returned to the majors for good in June of that year.

Former Elon baseball coach Jerry Drake (left) introduced Coble for his 2007 induction to the Elon Sports Hall of Fame.

“Once you get to the big leagues, you fly everywhere, you stay in first-class hotels, you travel first class,” he says. “It’s just a big, big difference (from the minors).”

Favorite memories in baseball

Over his nearly 20-year career as a major-league umpire, Coble witnessed some amazing moments in baseball. For example, in 1990, he became only the fifth umpire since 1901 to work two no-hitters in a single season; he was on hand for A’s pitcher Dave Stewart’s no-no against the Blue Jays on June 29, and Blue Jays pitcher Dave Steib’s against the Cleveland Indians on Sept. 2.

“When you’re working, you kind of get caught up in the game. Then you realize, ‘Hey, this guy is throwing a no-hitter, and he’s depending on me to make the calls,’” Coble says. “It’s a little bit of pressure.”

As an AL umpire, Coble worked alongside stars and hall-of-famers, including the New York Yankees’ Reggie Jackson, the Kansas City Royals’ George Brett and the Milwaukee Brewers’ Robin Yount. In his first game after being recalled to the major leagues in June 1981, Coble remembers getting to work with A’s manager Billy Martin, a man famously fired and re-hired multiple times by George Steinbrenner when Martin worked for the Yankees.

But perhaps his favorite memory of his career was working the classic 1991 World Series between the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves. The series lasted the maximum seven games, three of which went to extra innings. Coble worked the plate for one of those extra-inning affairs, Game 3 in Atlanta, when Mark Lemke’s single to left scored David Justice from second for the game-winning run in the bottom of the 12th, giving the Braves a 2-1 victory. The Twins, however, prevailed in the series.

“I had more fun in that World Series than God knows what,” Coble recalls. “(The umpires) had our families with us, and it was like a 10-day vacation. All I had to do was work a couple of hours each night.”

by Kristin Simonetti, Staff

Harvey Elected to Hall of Fame

Long time National League umpire Doug Harvey has been elected to the Hall of Fame. Harvey umpired in five World Series (1968, 1974, 1981, 1984 and 1988), serving as crew chief in 1984 and 1988, and in six All-Star Games (1963, 1964, 1971, 1977, 1982 and 1992). He umpired in the National League Championship Series nine times – 1970(Games 2-3), 1972, 1976, 1980, 1983, 1984 (Game 5), 1986, 1989 and 1991. Veteran umpire Joe West said “it is a long time coming and we are very proud of him.”

Long time umpire Mike Reilly said this of Harvey, "Doug Harvey was someone I always respected coming up in the minor leagues. I remember my first World Series assignment was in 1984 and I was honored to be chosen to umpire a World Series. Then I found out that I would be umpiring with Doug, it was really special and an honor. It is one of my best umpiring memories."

Senior umpire Ed Montague said of Harvey’s selection, "I am glad the hall recognized Doug, I am real proud of him. Doug set the bar high along with umpires like Shag Crawford and Paul Runge. When I look at Doug I think Hall of Fame."

The WUA and its members salute Doug on this most prestigious lifetime achievement award.