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Saturday, March 16, 2024

2024 MLB Umpire Crew List & Roster

MLB quietly posted its 2024 umpire crew list on its website, albeit marked "CONFIDENTIAL"... though the crews are posted publicly via Official Information => Umpires = > Crews. In any case, crew chief Jerry Layne returns as baseball's most experienced umpire in the major leagues, with a new crew for recently-promoted chief Chris Guccione and new-hires Clint Vondrak and Ryan Wills slotted into the mix. Here are the 2024 crews:

2024 MLB Umpire Crews

#Crew ChiefUmpire 2Umpire 3Umpire 4
A50 Emmel, Paul49 Fletcher, Andy76 Muchlinski, Mike52 Visconti, Jansen
B2 Bellino, Dan10 Cuzzi, Phil11 Randazzo, Tony66 Tosi, Alex
C26 Miller, Bill88 Eddings, Doug62 Whitson, Chad44 Moore, Malachi
D64 Porter, Alan28 Wolf, Jim36 Blakney, Ryan29 Barber, Sean
E13 Tichenor, Todd89 Blaser, Cory79 Gonzalez, Manny33 Ceja, Nestor
F80 Johnson, Adrian81 Wolcott, Quinn18 De Jesus, Ramon25 Valentine, Junior
G72 Marquez, Alfonso16 Barrett, Lance90 Ripperger, Mark40 Ortiz, Roberto
H63 Diaz, Laz73 Gibson, Tripp83 Estabrook, Mike12 Bacchus, Erich
I51 Hudson, Marvin21 Wendelstedt, Hunter74 Tumpane, John48 Mahrley, Nick
J14 Wegner, Mark1 Dreckman, Bruce35 Rehak, Jeremie15 Vondrak, Clint
K46 Kulpa, Ron4 Fairchild, Chad37 Torres, Carlos20 Wills, Ryan
L24 Layne, Jerry19 Carapazza, Vic78 Hamari, Adam32 Moscoso, Edwin
M27 Vanover, Larry86 Rackley, David96 Segal, ChrisTBD*
N98 Conroy, Chris7 O'Nora, Brian31 Hoberg, Pat55 Miller, Brennan
O58 Iassogna, Dan54 Bucknor, CB97 May, Ben38 Beck, Adam
P6 Carlson, Mark71 Baker, Jordan85 Scheurwater, StuTBD*
Q23 Barksdale, Lance5 Hernandez, Angel93 Little, Will59 Lentz, Nic
R92 Hoye, James8 Drake, Rob17 Reyburn, DJ84 Libka, John
S68 Guccione, Chris91 Knight, Brian47 Morales, Gabe67 Additon, Ryan
UUnassigned: 87 Barry, Scott43 Livensparger, ShaneCloseCallSports.com

Transactions:
Crew A (Emmel) added Fletcher for Fairchild, Muchlinski for Lentz, and Visconti for Rehak.
Crew B (Bellino) added Randazzo for Ripperger and Tosi for Livensparger (unassigned).
Crew C (Miller) added Eddings for Drake and Moore for Ortiz.
Crew D (Porter) added Blakney for Muchlinski. Blakney is now a #3.
Crew E (Tichenor) added Blaser for Knight, Gonzalez for Randazzo, and Ceja for Tosi.
Crew F (Johnson) added De Jesus for Gonzalez. Wolcott is now a #2. De Jesus is now a #3.
Crew G (Marquez) added Barrett for Eddings. Barrett is now a #2.
Crew H (Diaz) added Gibson for Fletcher. Gibson is now a #2.
Crew I (Hudson) added Mahrley for Blakney.
Crew J (Wegner) added Vondrak (new-hire) for Scheurwater. Rehak is now a #3.
Crew K (Kulpa) added Fairchild and Wills (new-hire) for Blaser and Visconti.
Crew L (Layne) added Moscoso for Mahrley.
Crew M (Vanover) added Segal (from Nelson) for Guccione (new crew chief). Rackley is now a #2.
Crew N Conroy added Miller, Br for Ceja.
Crew O (Iassogna) added Bucknor and May (from Nelson), for Barry (unassigned) and Morales. 
Crew P (Carlson) added Scheurwater for Gibson and TBD for Br Miller.
Crew Q (Barksdale) added Hernandez for Hickox (retired) and Lentz for Additon.
Crew R (Hoye) added Drake for Hernandez.
Crew S (Guccione) replaced 2023 Crew B (Nelson; retired) and has four different umpires.
Unassigned umpires are Barry and Livensparger. Crews M & P have TBD slots.

Supervisor Jim Reynolds oversees Crews A (Emmel), F (Johnson), N (Conroy), and P (Carlson).
Supervisor Larry Young oversees Crews B (Bellino), D (Porter), and J (Wegner).
Supervisor Mike Everitt oversees Crews C (Miller), G (Marquez), H (Diaz), and Q (Barksdale).
Supervisor Charlie Reliford oversees Crews E (Tichenor), L (Layne), and S (Guccione).
Supervisor Jeff Kellogg oversees Crews I (Hudson), O (Iassogna), and R (Hoye).

Video as follows:

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Did Gomes Interfere with Adames in Brewers-Cubs ST?

When Cubs baserunner R2 Yan Gomes stood in Brewers shortstop Willy Adames' way during a ground ball in the 5th inning of Tuesday's Milwaukee-Chicago game, 2B Umpire Bruce Dreckman ruled no interference had occurred. You've asked us to review the play to see if a call could have been made and our answer is 'yes'—in two different ways.

By now, you should be familiar with our right-of-way axiom: a fielder has the right to field a batted ball while the runner has primary right of way at any other time (other than a batted ball). Official Baseball Rule 5.09(b)(3) puts a runner out for interference when "they intentionally interfere with a thrown ball; or hinder a fielder attempting to make a play on a batted ball."

OBR 6.01(a)(10) reinforces this: "It is interference by a batter or runner when they fail to avoid a fielder who is attempting to field a batted ball..." The intent requirement on the runner's part only applies to interference with a thrown ball or fielder attempting a throw (remember the runner has primary right of way on non-batted ball situations, so to get interference on a throw requires actual intent to commit wrongdoing), but intent is irrelevant for a batted ball situation.

Accordingly, if your judgment deems the fielder was hindered or impeded from fielding batter Mike Tauchman's batted ball due to the actions of baserunner R2 Gomes, then Gomes is guilty of interference.

The second way to get this call is in OBR 6.01(a)(11), which puts a batter or runner out when "a fair ball touches them before touching a fielder. If a fair ball goes through, or by, an infielder [not including the pitcher], and touches a runner immediately back of them, or touches the runner after having been deflected by a fielder [including the pitcher], the umpire shall not declare the runner out for being touched by a batted ball."

On this play, the pitcher did not touch the ball nor did it pass any non-pitcher infielder prior to contacting runner R2 Gomes, so OBR 6.01(a)(11) would apply and put R2 out for the touched-by-a-batted-ball brand of interference.

One final question pertains to whether R2 Gomes was "protected" by having a foot in contact with his base at the time he was touched by the batted ball. Leaving the issue of timing aside (e.g., was he really touching 2B or did the ball touch him before he got back), the rules answer here is found in the MLB Umpire Manual which states, "The fact that the runner had contact with the base when struck with the batted ball has no bearing on the play. (An exception to this is when the runner is hit by an Infield Fly while on base)."

A ground ball is not an Infield Fly, so the exemption here does not apply and R2 Goes, thus, is not protected from interference simply because he is in contact with a base.

Video as follows: