Four new MLB umpires appointed
The four new umpires are Rob Drake, Chad Fairchild, James Hoye and Adrian Johnson, all of whom have worked regular season Major League games as Triple-A call-up umpires in recent years.
Rob Drake, 40, has umpired professionally since 1993, and has been assigned to Major League Spring Training games since 1999. Last season, Drake was a member of the Pacific Coast League staff. Drake, who will wear number 82, will be a part of Joe West's crew, along with Angel Hernandez and Paul Schrieber.
Chad Fairchild, 39, has umpired professionally since 1997, and has been assigned to Major League Spring Training games since 2004. Last season, Fairchild was a member of the International League staff. Fairchild, who will wear number 75, has been assigned to Mike Reilly's crew, alongside Eric Cooper and Bill Miller.
James Hoye, 39, has umpired professionally since 1995, and has been assigned to Major League Spring Training games since 2003. Last season, Hoye was a member of the International League staff. Hoye, who will wear number 92, will work on John Hirschbeck's crew, along with Wally Bell and Laz Diaz.
Adrian Johnson, 34, has umpired professionally since 1998, and has been assigned to Major League Spring Training games since 2006. Last season, Johnson was a member of the International League staff. Johnson, who will wear number 80, will be a member of Tim McClelland's crew, alongside Mike Everitt and Andy Fletcher.
All four new Major League Umpires worked the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.
The four new umpires will fill the vacancies created by the departures of four longtime Major League Umpires, all of whom served as crew chiefs.
Randy Marsh, a veteran of 28 Major League seasons, and Charlie Reliford, a 20-year Major League Umpire, will join Major League Baseball's group of Umpire Supervisors, roles in which they will serve as liaisons between MLB and the Major League Umpires.
Ed Montague, a 34-year Major League Umpire, and Rick Reed, a 28-year Major League Umpire, also have left the field.
Marsh, whose 26 World Series games had ranked him third among the current staff, was assigned to the Fall Classic in 1990, 1997, 1999 and 2003 and he was the crew chief for the 2006 World Series. Reliford worked two World Series in his career, the Subway Series in 2000 and the 2004 Fall Classic between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Montague, the son of former Cleveland Indians infielder and Giants' scout Ed Montague, Sr., was the most experienced member of the MLB Umpiring staff with 34 Major League seasons, and he worked six World Series (1986, 1991, 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2007). Montague's 34 World Series games worked had ranked first among the current staff, his 99 postseason games rank fourth all-time, and his 4,369 Major League games worked are the eighth most in history. Reed, who worked the 1991 World Series, was the first base umpire for Dave Righetti's July 4, 1983 no-hitter, and the Michigan native was behind the plate for Joe Cowley's Sept. 19, 1986 no-hitter and for George Brett's 3,000th hit on Sept. 30, 1992. (Statistical information is courtesy of David Vincent of retrosheet.org.)
The four new crew chiefs on the Major League Umpiring staff will be 18-year Major League Umpire Brian Gorman, 17-year Major League Umpire Tom Hallion, 17-year Major League Umpire Jeff Kellogg and 21-year Major League Umpire Jerry Layne. Gorman's crew will include Ted Barrett, Tony Randazzo and Paul Nauert. Hallion's crew will consist of Ed Rapuano, Ron Kulpa and Lance Barksdale. Kellogg will lead the crew comprised of Larry Vanover, Jeff Nelson and Mark Carlson. Layne's crew will include Mike Winters, Hunter Wendelstedt and Brian Runge.
The MLB Umpire Camps will be held from Nov. 7-14, 2010, at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California. Learn more by visiting www.MLBUmpireCamps.com or www.MLBUC.com online.
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