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.

Umpire Thomas Gorman Biography

Thomas David Gorman (March 16, 1919 – August 11, 1986) was an American pitcher and umpire in Major League Baseball who pitched five innings in four games for the New York Giants in 1939, and went on to serve as a National League umpire from 1951 to 1976 and then as a league supervisor. His son Brian has been a major league umpire since 1993.

Gorman was born in New York City and grew up in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. After pitching in the minor leagues for three years, he served in the Army in Europe as a member of the 16th Infantry during World War II. An injury in 1946 ended his playing career; faced with the choice of returning to New York City and becoming a plumber, he became aware of an umpiring position in the New England League, and although he felt he was not cut out to be an umpire, his wife persuaded him to take the position for the 1947 season for $180 per month. He later moved up to the International League in 1949. He also coached baseball at Rice High School in Manhattan, a Christian Brothers school.

After joining the NL staff, he umpired in the World Series in 1956, 1958, 1963, 1968 and 1974, serving as crew chief in the last two Series. In 1956, he was in left field for Don Larsen's perfect game. In Game 1 of the 1968 Series, he called balls and strikes as Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals struck out a Series-record 17 Detroit Tigers.

He also officiated in the National League Championship Series in 1971 and 1975, serving as crew chief in 1971, and in the three-game playoff to determine the NL champion in 1959. He also worked in the All-Star Game in 1954, 1958, 1960 (both games) and 1969, calling balls and strikes for the second half of the second 1960 game. During a game in the 1962 season, he discovered that the Giants (by now in San Francisco) were having their groundskeepers water down the Candlestick Park infield to slow down the Los Angeles Dodgers' Maury Wills; Gorman stopped the game for an hour and a half to allow the field to dry out.

Among the notable games in which he umpired were nine no-hitters, tying a record for NL umpires shared by Frank Secory and Augie Donatelli; he tied the mark on July 9, 1976, working second base in Larry Dierker's 6-0 win. Paul Pryor, who also officiated in that game, tied the mark himself later that year, and broke it upon working in his 10th no-hitter in 1978. Gorman was the home plate umpire for two no-hitters – Warren Spahn's first on September 16, 1960,[4] and Bill Stoneman's first on April 17, 1969. He was the left field umpire for Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series.[6] He was the home plate umpire on June 15, 1952 when the St. Louis Cardinals set an NL record by overcoming an 11-0 deficit to beat the Giants 14-12, and again two weeks later on June 29 when the Chicago Cubs scored seven runs with two out in the ninth inning to beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-8. Two years later, on August 8, 1954, he was again the home plate umpire when the Reds gave up a record 12 runs (all of them unearned) after there were two out and no one base in the eighth inning of a 20-7 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers; the inning ended only when Gil Hodges' bid for a grand slam was caught high off the center field wall. And on May 2, 1956, he was again behind the plate as the Giants and Cubs used 48 players in a 6-5, 17-inning New York victory; Cub Don Hoak struck out a record six times against six different pitchers.

In 1975 he was honored by the Al Somers Umpire School as the Outstanding Umpire of 1974. In his acceptance remarks, he said of umpiring, "It's a hard road but a good road. Sometimes you'll ask yourself if it's worth it. If you've got the guts and the skills, the answer is bound to be yes." He added, "People may come to see ballplayers, but there'd be no baseball without good umpires. Mad magazine ran an article presenting hypothetical magazines from other planets. In the interplanetary version of Sports Illustrated, umpire Tom Gorman explains why he threw out a player from Venus: "He opened up ten mouths to me!

Gorman married Margaret Fay on October 7, 1944, and they had three sons and a daughter before her death c. 1968; they resided in Whitestone, Queens until 1965, when they moved to Closter, New Jersey, where he would live until his death.



Prior to moving to Closter, he and Margaret were invited to the White House by John F. Kennedy. Kennedy had met Gorman at a banquet where Gorman was the guest speaker. Gorman went home and told his wife to buy a new dress and she replied, "What for?" and he said, "For our trip to the White House." Margaret just ignored him until a White House staff member called their home and asked about their travel plans... It's said that Kennedy said that Gorman was his favorite "after dinner speaker." Gorman was also personal friends with Bob Hope. Gorman's autobiography Three and Two!, co-written with Hall of Fame Sportswriter Jerome Holtzman, was published in 1979. Gorman died of a heart attack in Closter at age 67, and was buried in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, in his umpire's uniform with the ball-strike counter set at 3-2.

West Vest Umpire Mask A3009

The original West Vest mask features a unique lightweight frame and soft "amara suede" padding. Combines an expanded throat and ear bar for maximum protection. It is light weight, solidly protective and includes the extended frame popular in the US. This mask is a quality piece of umpire equipment and is currently worn by some Major League Umpires.

MLB Major League Umpire Hat

Long sought after but hard to get, the MLB Umpire fitted hat by New Era is always in high demand and low supply. Most people don’t even know that retailers now have to carry the Umpire hat as a custom order and are not readily for purchase from New Era. This hat available in a variety of sizes at www.majorleagueumpires.com It is available in fitted and adjustable. Check them out before they are gone.

Frank Dezelan Remembered

Former National League umpire Frank Dezelan passed away on Monday at Manor Care Health Services in Monroeville, Pa. He was 81. Dezelan served as an NL umpire from 1966-71.

Dezelan was behind the plate on Sept. 22, 1969, when Willie Mays hit his 600th career home run in San Diego. Dezelan also served as one of the umpires for the 1970 All-Star Game at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, a game best known for the Ray Fosse-Pete Rose collision.

The Pittsburgh-area native also was the first-base umpire for the first game at Three Rivers Stadium on July 16, 1970.

Dezelan's professional career in blue began in 1958 in the Northern League, with stops in the South Atlantic League, Pacific Coast League, Southern League and International League before reaching the Majors.

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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