Umpire Facts

An umpire is a person chosen to rule a game's plays. He settles disputes about the rules and calms arguments. In the world of sports, umpires rule in baseball.

  1. First Umpire

    • The first umpire to oversee a National League baseball game was William McLean in 1876. He umpired a game between Boston and Philadelphia.

    Major League Umpires Association

    • The Major League Umpires Association was formed in 1970, although it wasn't formally recognized by either the American or National leagues until they went on strike during a League Championship Series to get attention.

    Firsts

    • The first black pro umpire was Emmett Ashford in both the minor and the major leagues. Eight years after, the first Hispanic umpire in the majors was Armando Rodriguez. Bernice Gera, the first female professional umpire, failed to make it to the majors but was an umpire in the minor leagues for many years.

    Professionalism

    • Umpires have to show utmost professionalism at all times. They must get the call right, be competitive the whole game, and not be afraid to answer questions. They must keep control of the game and not take the game off the field; when the game is over, it's over.

    Uniforms

    • Professional umpires always wear the same uniforms, consisting of many parts. Shirts and slacks all match, as do the cap and shoes. The field umpires wear jackets, and the plate umpire wears a coat. Protective gear is worn, as are accessories. The accessories consist of brooms, ball bags, belts and a collar.