2015 MLB Umpire Crews Listed by Crew Chief Service

The 2015 MLB Umpire Crew list is here, with umpiring crews sorted by the crew chief's service time (as a crew chief). With the 2015 umpire crews now available, the UEFL Draft Deadline for Crew Chiefs is set as April 3. Click here to visit the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League's draft & prospectus guide announcement. Visit the UEFL's Umpire Profiles page for a sortable list of all MLB and MiLB call-up umpires (MLB umpires may be sorted by 2015 Crew). This is an early release of the 2015 MLB Umpire Crews and is subject to change during the season due to vacation, injury or other events.

2015 MLB Umpire Crews (By Umpiring Crew Chief Seniority)

UEFL	Crew Chief UEFL	Umpire 2	Umpire 3	Umpire 4
Crew A	12 Davis, Gerry	10 Cuzzi, Phil	11 Randazzo, Tony	93 Little, Will
Crew B	32 DeMuth, Dana	39 Nauert, Paul	15 Hickox, Ed	83 Estabrook, Mike
Crew C	17 Hirschbeck, John	52 Welke, Bill	34 Holbrook, Sam	92 Hoye, James
Crew D	3 Welke, Tim	57 Everitt, Mike	95 Timmons, Tim	13 Tichenor, Todd
Crew E	5 Scott, Dale	58 Iassogna, Dan	54 Bucknor, CB	94 Barrett, Lance
Crew F	22 West, Joe	44 Danley, Kerwin	30 Drake, Rob	70 Reyburn, DJ
Crew G	38 Cederstrom, Gary	56 Cooper, Eric	23 Barksdale, Lance	81 Wolcott, Quinn
Crew H	24 Layne, Jerry	21 Wendelstedt, Hunter	61 Davidson, Bob	86 Rackley, David
Crew I	9 Gorman, Brian	6 Carlson, Mark	16 DiMuro, Mike	73 Gibson, Tripp
Crew J	8 Kellogg, Jeff	7 O'Nora, Brian	64 Porter, Alan	90 Ripperger, Mark
Crew K	20 Hallion, Tom	72 Marquez, Alfonso	1 Dreckman, Bruce	2 Bellino, Dan
Crew L	33 Winters, Mike	14 Wegner, Mark	60 Foster, Marty	76 Muchlinski, Mike
Crew M	66 Joyce, Jim	53 Gibson, Greg	51 Hudson, Marvin	4 Fairchild, Chad
Crew N	25 Culbreth, Fieldin	77 Reynolds, Jim	43 Schrieber, Paul	79 Gonzalez, Manny
Crew O	65 Barrett, Ted	55 Hernandez, Angel	87 Barry, Scott	98 Conroy, Chris
Crew P	45 Nelson, Jeff	63 Diaz, Laz	68 Guccione, Chris	89 Blaser, Cory
Crew Q	26 Miller, Bill	88 Eddings, Doug	28 Wolf, Jim	80 Johnson, Adrian
Crew R	27 Vanover, Larry	46 Kulpa, Ron	91 Knight, Brian	19 Carapazza, Vic
Crew S	41 Meals, Jerry	50 Emmel, Paul	49 Fletcher, Andy	71 Baker, Jordan
[DL]	[None Probable]	obtained by	Close Call Sports	/ UEFL

Some Notes and Observations:
≫ As previously noted, Larry Vanover & Jerry Meals have been promoted to Crew Chief.
≫ New-hire assignments: Will Little -> Davis. Tripp Gibson -> Gorman. Mark Ripperger -> Kellogg.
≫ Promotions to the Umpire 2 (backup crew chief) position: Phil Cuzzi, Paul Nauert, Mark Carlson.
≫ ≫ Note that individual crews are ordinarily sorted by Major League service time (see Jerry Layne's crew for an exception; Bob Davidson has more service time [25 years] than Hunter Wendelstedt [15]); hence an umpire on a crew with the third-most service time in 2014 who now has the second-most service time on this crew in 2015 will be said to have been "promoted" to the second spot.
≫ Pursuant to terms of the WUA-MLB collective bargaining agreement, all 76 umpiring slots across 19 crews have been filled (+2 over 2014). There are no permanent [AAA Rover] positions in 2015.

MLB Ejection S-1: Dan Iassogna (S1; Fredi Gonzalez)

HP Umpire Dan Iassogna ejected Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez for arguing a ball one call in the bottom of the 1st inning of the Braves-Yankees game. With none out and none on, Yankees batter Jacoby Ellsbury took a 0-0 fastball from Braves pitcher Shelby Miller for a called first ball. Ellsbury grounded out on the ensuing pitch. Replays indicate the pitch was located outside the lower right quadrant of home plate (pitch f/x unavailable), the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 0-0. The Yankees ultimately won the contest, 3-2.

This is Dan Iassogna (58)'s first ejection of 2015.
Dan Iassogna now has 0 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 0 [Spring Training Ejection] = 0).
Crew Chief Dan Iassogna now has 0 points in Crew Division (0 Previous + 0 Correct Call [ST] = 0).

This is the 1st ejection of the 2015 MLB Spring Training preseason.
This is the 1st Manager ejection of the Spring Training.
This is the Braves' 1st ejection of the preseason, 1st in the Grapefruit League (ATL 1, Others 0).
This is Fredi Gonzalez's first ejection since September 15, 2014 (Tim Timmons; QOC = N).
This is Dan Iassogna's first ejection since September 14, 2014 (Steve Smith; QOC = Y).

Wrap: Atlanta Braves vs. New York Yankees (Grapefruit League Spring Training), 3/12/15
Video: Gonzalez wastes no time getting tossed, arguing the very first pitch from Miller (NYY)

2015 Draft Open, UEFL Releases Draft Prospectus

The Umpire Ejection Fantasy League announces the 2015 draft & prospectus preseason guide.

The 2015 prospectus appears in the 2015 debut edition of The Left Field Corner publication for March.

This special edition of the Corner discusses several changes baseball is making to its replay system in 2015, reviews several other rules changes for the UEFL and introduces two candidates for the vacancy on the 2015 UEFL Appeals Board.

This issue also contains a recap of the 2014 season and a detailed look at several umpire ejection trends dating back to the fabled UEFL migration from Livejournal.

The prospectus looks at the impact of instant replay on UEFL standings and how ejections, replays, and bonus points all combine to elevate certain umpires to the top spot in the league standings, with several umpires appearing in the top 10 year after year.

Click here to read the March 2015 edition of The Left Field Corner on the UEFL Portal. You can also download past issues of the Corner via its page on the Portal.

UEFL Owners: Click here to access and submit your picks for the 2015 UEFL Draft.
Pursuant to schedule, the UEFL Draft Deadlines are as follows:
≫ Primary Umpires - March 27
≫ Secondary Umpires - March 28
≫ Crew Chiefs - April 3 (if the crew list is not available by April 3, this deadline will be extended)

Introducing UEFL Digest, Final Days to Register

As the 2015 season approaches, the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League introduces the UEFL Digest, a week-in-review e-mail newsletter capturing the week that was. To sign up for the UEFL Digest, fill out the following form:

Subscribe to UEFL Communications

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Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Registration for the 2015 UEFL season closes this Tuesday, March 10. Don't miss out on your chance to join the league and draft your umpiring crew. Click here for more information on registration procedures and to sign up (you'll also be able to sign up for Communications during league registration). The draft will begin shortly after registrations close.

Dale Scott Exits with Injury, Joyce Umps Behind Mound

HP Umpire Dale Scott was injured on a pitch to the hand during the first inning of Thursday's Cubs-Giants split-squad game and left the field as a precaution. With none out and none on, Giants batter Nori Aoki took a 0-0 pitch from Cubs pitcher Jacob Turner for a called ball. The pitch evaded catcher Welington Castillo and struck Scott's hand.

As 3B Umpire Mark Ripperger retreated to the umpire's dressing room in order to change into his plate gear, 1B Umpire Jim Joyce stepped behind the mound to call balls and strikes with 2B Umpire Ron Kulpa filling in at first base, recalling memories of Spring Training 2013, when veteran Tim McClelland served as umpire-in-chief from behind the pitcher after plate umpire Seth Buckminster broke his hand on an errant Wily Peralta fastball that also struck batter Albert Pujols.

Information on Scott's condition was not immediately available, though we later confirmed Scott suffered a "bruise" and was placed in a temporary sling (he returned to the field on Saturday); Having recovered from his hand injury, Buckminster worked 66 games during the 2014 MLB season. Ripperger returned to the field as the plate umpire in the bottom of the second inning.

Wrap: Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco Giants, 3/5/15
Video: Scott leaves with wrist injury, leaving Joyce to call balls and strikes from behind the mound (MLBAM)

Hirschbeck Returns, Gibson Changes Official Name to 'Tripp'

Umpire John Hirschbeck returned to baseball during Spring Training action in Florida's Grapefruit League after nearly one year each on umpiring's extended bereavement list.

Hirschbeck, whose second son Michael passed away in early April 2014, made his 2015 comeback during Wednesday's Phillies-Yankees game. Hirschbeck, whose last MLB contest worked was April 6, 2014, served as a field umpire, starting the game at first base, alongside Tim Welke, Sean Barber and home plate umpire Adam Hamari. Hirschbeck had made appearances at the New York Replay Operations Center in September 2014.

Hal 'Tripp' Gibson, whom MLB hired full-time this January, officially changed his name as appears in the box score from "Hal Gibson III" to "Tripp Gibson III." Gibson's first Spring Training game as a freshly minted MLBU was Wednesday's White Sox-Dodgers game at Camelback Ranch.

Co-hires Will Little (TOR-PIT) and Mark Ripperger (ARI-COL) have kept their pre-promotion names.

MLB Releases Pace of Game, Replay Changes for 2015

MLB announced changes to pace of game and instant replay review for 2015 designed to cut down on game times. For the upcoming season, Major League Baseball's Pace of Game and Instant Replay Committees—with the approval of the MLB Players Association and World Umpires Association—announced the following rules and enforcement changes:

Instant Replay Review (Video: MLB Network Hot Stove Introduces New Rules)

> Managers now will challenge plays from the dugout. The invocation of the Manager's Challenge will be signaled verbally or with a hand gesture by the manager from the top step of the dugout. The Manager will still be permitted to hold play while consulting with replay and coaching personnel. In the event of an inning-ending play to be reviewed, the Manager will be required to leave the dugout immediately to challenge the call, as in 2014.

> As a result of the unreviewable play that was overturned in Kansas City, MLB has added properly touching a base on a tag-up play (including whether a runner left early) to the list of reviewable plays.

> A manager will now retain the challenge after every overturned call, instead of losing his challenge after its second use, regardless of whether the second call was reversed or affirmed.

> As a result of the Rule 7.13 loophole, wherein safe/out plays at home plate could be reviewed "for free" (Crew Chief Review) instead of by Manager's Challenge, MLB has now decided that all home-plate collision reviews must be initiated via Manager's Challenge, unless the Manager is out of challenge after the start of the seventh inning, in which case the Crew Chief Review is available as it would be for any other reviewable play. This leaves 2008-era HR/boundary calls as the only play that always is initiated by the umpiring Crew Chief.

> During Jewel Events (postseason, regular season tiebreaker and All-Star games), Managers will now have two challenges per game.

Pace of Game Rules Changes and Initiatives
> Umpires will enforce Rule 6.02(d), the batter's box pace of play rule that previously applied only to National Association, or Minor League games. The rule requires batters to keep one foot in the batter's box throughout the at-bat unless: the batter swings at a pitch, the batter is forced out of the box by a pitch, the umpire grants a request of "Time," a play is made on a runner at any base, the batter feints a bunt, a wild pitch or passed ball occurs, the pitcher leaves the dirt of the mound after receiving the ball or the catcher leaves the catcher's box to give signals. The penalty for violation is the award of an automatic strike.

> Inning breaks and pitching changes will now be timed by an MLB timer and the eight-pitch warm-up will be forgone in favor of the time. For instance, a pitcher will have 2 minutes and 15 seconds in which to throw as many warm-up pitches as he wishes for a nationally televised game (1:55 for locally televised games). If he throws less than eight, he forfeits the opportunity to throw the remainder of the traditional allotment. The penalty for violation is a League-issued warning and fine.


Press Release: MLB, MLBPA announce pace of game initiatives, replay modifications (MLB.com)

2015 Major League Spring Training Umpire Roster

MLB released its Spring Training Umpires roster for 2015, which includes all 76 umpires on the freshly expanded Major League staff, plus those minor league umpires invited and assigned to baseball's Spring Training in Arizona's Cactus and Florida's Grapefruit Leagues. For the 2015 season, the Major League staff expanded to 76 (from 74) following MLB's hiring of three umpires and the retirement of one.

The Spring Training roster below also includes sleeve numbers for all applicable umpires, including Minor League call-up umpires authorized to fill in at the Major League level during the regular season. "--" indicates umpire is a Minor League (AAA) official and has not been given a sleeve number for the MLB regular season fill-in list. Newcomers to the MiLB Call-Up list are indicated by bold text.

MLB Spring Training Umpires' Roster - 2015 Pre-Season

MLB Staff	MLB Staff	MiLB Call-Ups
Baker, Jordan 71 Barksdale, Lance 23 Barrett, Lance 94 Barrett, Ted 65 Barry, Scott 87 Bellino, Dan 2 Blaser, Cory 89 Bucknor, CB 54 Carapazza, Vic 19 Carlson, Mark 6 Cederstrom, Gary 38 Conroy, Chris 98 Cooper, Eric 56 Culbreth, Fieldin 25 Cuzzi, Phil 10 Danley, Kerwin 44 Davidson, Bob 61 Davis, Gerry 12 DeMuth, Dana 32 Diaz, Laz 63 DiMuro, Mike 16 Drake, Rob 30 Dreckman, Bruce 1 Eddings, Doug 88 Emmel, Paul 50 Estabrook, Mike 83 Everitt, Mike 57 Fairchild, Chad 4 Fletcher, Andy 49 Foster, Marty 60 Gibson, Greg 53 Gibson, Hal 'Tripp' 73 Gonzalez, Manny 79 Gorman, Brian 9 Guccione, Chris 68 Hallion, Tom 20 Hernandez, Angel 55 Hickox, Ed 15	Hirschbeck, John 17 Holbrook, Sam 34 Hoye, James 92 Hudson, Marvin 51 Iassogna, Dan 58 Johnson, Adrian 80 Joyce, Jim 66 Kellogg, Jeff 8 Knight, Brian 91 Kulpa, Ron 46 Layne, Jerry 24 Little, Will 93 Marquez, Alfonso 72 Meals, Jerry 41 Miller, Bill 26 Muchlinski, Mike 76 Nauert, Paul 39 Nelson, Jeff 45 O'Nora, Brian 7 Porter, Alan 64 Rackley, David 86 Randazzo, Tony 11 Reyburn, D.J. 70 Reynolds Jim 77 Ripperger, Mark 90 Schrieber, Paul 43 Scott, Dale 5 Tichenor, Todd 13 Timmons, Tim 95 Vanover, Larry 27 Wegner, Mark 14 Welke, Bill 52 Welke, Tim 3 Wendelstedt, Hunter 21 West, Joe 22 Winters, Mike 33 Wolcott, Quinn 81 Wolf, Jim 28	Barber, Sean 29 Basner, Toby 99 Blakney, Ryan -- Buckminster, Seth 67 Byrne, Jon 59 Fagan, Clint 82 Goodman, Ryan -- Gosney, Jeff 40 Hamari, Adam 78 Hoberg, Pat 31 Johnson, Anthony 48 Lentz, Nic -- May, Ben 97 Morales, Gabe 47 Pattillo, Marcus 18 Scheurwater, Stuart 85 Segal, Chris 96 Torres, Carlos -- Tumpane, John 74 Vines, Doug -- Whitson, Chad 62 Woodring, Tom 75 (22 MiLB Umpires) (76 MLB Umpires) (98 Total Umpires) Information obtained by UEFL on 2/18/2015. www.closecallsports.com

Some observations:

• MiLB invites dropped by six (from 2014), while full-time MLB umpires increased by two.
• Bruce Dreckman, John Hirschbeck and Sam Holbrook are returning, Tim McClelland is not.
• Angel Campos (11 years of Triple-A experience; MLB 2007-2012, 2014) has been released.
• Umpires who appeared on the 2014 Spring Training MiLB invitee list, but who have been cut for the 2015 preseason are: Allen Bailey, Angel Campos, Shaun Lampe, Jeff Morrow, Brad Myers, Alex Ortiz, and David Soucy.
• Of these 2014 invitees cut from the 2015 invite list, Shaun Lampe, Jeff Morrow, and Alex Ortiz have been assigned to the 2015 Pacific Coast League. Brad Myers and David Soucy were IL Umpires in 2014. (Baseball switched Campos to the 2014 IL after several years in the PCL.)

Retirement of MLB Umpire Tim McClelland

Veteran MLB Umpire Tim McClelland has retired from baseball's full-time umpire roster. McClelland retires after a 33-year career in the American League (1981-99) and in Major League Baseball (2000-2013).*

Retiring MLB Umpire Tim McClelland

The second-tallest umpire at the time of his retirement (tallest: Jordan Baker), McClelland concludes his illustrious MLB career with 77 ejections, spanning from his first career ejection on July 24, 1983, of Royals infielder George Brett for using a doctored bat as part of the infamous "pine tar game." Lost in the tale of the tape was the story of McClelland's other three ejections that day: Kansas City Manager Dick Howser, coach Rocky Colavito, and pitcher Gaylord Perry, for interfering with the umpires' confiscation by stealing Brett's bat.

Over the years, McClelland ejected Hall of Famers and other legendary ballplayers, including Yankees catcher-turned-manager Yogi Berra, Orioles ironman Cal Ripken, future broadcaster Joe Morgan, PED poster children Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, future boss Joe Torre and scores of others in between.

McClelland presided over David Wells' perfect game in 1998 and tied with fellow crew chief Tom Hallion for taking part in (being on the field for) the most no-hitters amongst active umpires—seven. He participated in three All-Star Games (1986, '98, 2003) and 15 postseasons, reaching the Fall Classic in 1993, 2000, 2002 and 2006. He made the playoff roster every year from 2000 through 2009, when multiple missed calls in Anaheim's AL Championship Series hit the front pages of mainstream sports media.

McClelland's final career ejection occurred June 9, 2012, when he ousted Oakland Athletics Manager Bob Melvin for arguing balls and strikes (QOC = Correct).

*McClelland's final game was in September 2013 as he spent the 2014 season as a member of the full-time MLB staff, but on the Disabled List.

As part of McClelland's retirement, 2014 acting crew chiefs Jerry Meals and Larry Vanover have been permanently promoted to the Crew Chief position.

MLB Considering Changing Strike Zone Definition

MLB may change the definition of its strike zone in 2016, according to league sources. According to the report, the Major League Baseball Playing Rules Committee—whose umpires have been represented by crew chief Brian Gorman since 2011, and Charlie Reliford before him—has put the strike zone on its agenda for the 2015-16 offseason and may tweak Rule 2.00 [Strike Zone] as early as that time. The rule presently reads:

The 1996-present (2015) strike zone in professional baseball.

The STRIKE ZONE is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the kneecap. The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter’s stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.

The reason for the review may be tied to decreased offense and run production: the league sources cited technology, including Questec and the now-employed Zone Evaluation system tied to Pitch f/x, and the unintended consequence of a larger, more consistent strike zone, that has led to a recent trend towards pitcher domination.

Mets GM and Playing Rules Committee chairman Sandy Alderson referred to the last time the Committee changed the definition of its strike zone, which occurred in 1996: "I don’t think the Playing Rules Committee at the time of the last change ever expected that the umpires would call strikes at the hollow of the knee."

Thanks to that committee and reinforced by the numbers and evaluation of PFX and ZE, they are.

A 2014 Hardball Times story concluded that the strike zone expanded down the knee, to its hollow, by 46 square inches between 2009 and 2014.

The following is a history of Major League Baseball's strike zone, in the form of [lower-upper limit]:

Key: Green = Lower or Upper Bound same as preceding rules change. Yellow = Changed rule.
1887: Batsman's knee - shoulders;
1907: Batsman's knee - shoulders (Adopted by both National and American Leagues)
1950: Top of the knee when batter assumes a natural stance - armpits;
*NOTE: 1957 was the Adoption of Rule 2.00 [Strike] referencing Rule 2.00 [Strike Zone]*
1963: Top of knees when batter assumes a natural stance - top of shoulders;
1969: Top of knees when batter assumes a natural stance - armpits;
1988: Top of knees when prepared to swing - midpoint between top of shoulders and top of pants;
1996: Hollow of the knees when prepared to swing at pitch - midpoint b/w top of shoulders/pants.

H/T: Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan | Follow my blog with Bloglovin