Ed Montague (umpire)

Last updated
Ed Montague
Ed Montague 2008.jpg
Montague in 2008
Born (1948-11-03) November 3, 1948 (age 75)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Former MLB umpire
Umpire supervisor
Years active1974–2009
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)

Edward Michael Montague (born November 3, 1948) is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball. He worked in the National League in 1974 and from 1976 to 1999, and officiated throughout both leagues between 2000 and 2009. The most senior active umpire in the major leagues at the time of his retirement, he wore uniform number 11 throughout his career. His 4,369 total games ranked eighth in major league history when he retired, and he is one of only three umpires to serve as crew chief for the World Series four times.

Contents

Career

Montague was born in San Francisco, California. He umpired the World Series in 1986, 1991, 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2007, serving as crew chief on the last four occasions; only Bill Klem (9 times) and Bill Summers (4 times) held the position of World Series crew chief as often. Montague also umpired in the All-Star Game in 1982, 1990, 1998 and 2004, calling balls and strikes for the last three contests. He is only the fourth umpire in history—joining Bill McGowan, Summers and Al Barlick—to serve as crew chief for three World Series and as home plate umpire for three All-Star Games. In 2004, he became the first umpire to work behind the plate for the entire All-Star Game and serve as crew chief in the World Series in the same season.

Montague also umpired in seven League Championship Series (1979, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002), and in seven Division Series (1981, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007). He was the first base umpire for the single-game playoff to decide the NL's 2007 wild card team. He became an NL crew chief in 1996 after the death of longtime umpire John McSherry on Opening Day at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

Montague was known for his quick flick of the wrist on a called strike, and his quick punchout on called third strikes to left-handed hitters. Montague umpired few games during the 2009 season due to injury, and he announced his retirement in February 2010. As of 2018, Montague is a supervisor of MLB umpires. [1]

Notable games

On May 28, 2006, Montague was umpiring second base when Barry Bonds hit his 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time list.

In early 2008, Montague ejected Los Angeles Dodgers third-base coach Larry Bowa after Bowa refused to heed Montague's warnings not to move in front of the coach's box toward the playing field. Bowa was suspended three games for "inappropriate and aggressive conduct." [2] Montague called the situation, "One of the dumbest ejections I've ever had." [3]

Personal life

Montague's father, also named Ed Montague, was a major league player and scout.

Montague has a son also named Ed who played in Minor League Baseball and independent baseball from 2002 through 2008. [4] Another son, Brett, played college baseball for Colorado State University-Pueblo. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umpire (baseball)</span> Person charged with officiating a baseball game

In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump. They are also sometimes addressed as blue at lower levels due to the common color of the uniform worn by umpires. In professional baseball, the term blue is seldom used by players or managers, who instead call the umpire by name. Although games were often officiated by a sole umpire in the formative years of the sport, since the turn of the 20th century, officiating has been commonly divided among several umpires, who form the umpiring crew. The position is analogous to that of a referee in many other sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Klem</span> American baseball umpire (1874-1951)

William Joseph Klem, known as "the Old Arbitrator", was an American baseball umpire who worked in Major League Baseball from 1905 to 1941, spending his entire career in the National League (NL). He worked 18 World Series, which is a major league record. Klem was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953.

Bruce Neal Froemming is an American Major League Baseball Special Assistant to the Vice President on Umpiring, after having served as an umpire in Major League Baseball. He first umpired in the National League in 1971, and from 2000 to 2007 worked throughout both major leagues. Early in the 2007 season, Froemming tied Bill Klem for the most seasons umpired. Previously, on August 16, 2006, Froemming umpired his 5,000th game between the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, making him the second umpire to reach that milestone; Klem retired after 5,374 games. Froemming now stands third on the all-time list of games umpired, having been passed when Joe West officiated his 5,164th Major League Baseball game on August 14, 2019. On April 20, 2007, he umpired at first base in the Cleveland Indians-Tampa Bay Devil Rays game, passing Klem to become – at age 67 years 204 days – the man then believed to be the oldest umpire in major league history; Hank O'Day holds the record, retiring at 68 years, 2 months. He worked his final regular-season game at age 68 years 2 days on September 30, 2007, when Froemming received a standing ovation before umpiring his last regular-season game, manning the third base position as the Milwaukee Brewers hosted the San Diego Padres at Miller Park in his native Milwaukee, with much of his family in attendance. Because Froemming was then over age 65, he became eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010 instead of having to wait the customary five years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Darling</span> American baseball umpire (born 1957)

Gary Richard Darling is a former umpire in Major League Baseball. After beginning his career in the National League from 1986 to 1999, he worked throughout both major leagues from 2002 until his retirement in 2014. He wore uniform number 37.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Nelson (umpire)</span> American baseball umpire (born 1965)

Jeffrey Brian Nelson is an American former professional baseball umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB), who was named to the National League (NL) staff prior to the 1999 season, and worked throughout both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement after the 2023 regular season.

Harry Hunter Wendelstedt Jr. was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1966 to 1998. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He umpired in the World Series in 1973, 1980, 1986, 1991 and 1995, serving as crew chief in 1980 and 1995. He also officiated in seven National League Championship Series and four All-Star games, calling balls and strikes in 1976. He umpired in the National League Division Series in 1995, 1996 and 1997. He wore uniform number 21.

Joseph Norbert Brinkman is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB) who worked in the American League (AL) from 1972 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement during the 2006 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe West (umpire)</span> American baseball umpire (born 1952)

Joseph Henry West, nicknamed "Cowboy Joe" or "Country Joe", is an American former baseball umpire. He worked in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1976 to 2021, umpiring an MLB-record 43 seasons and 5,460 games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ángel Hernández (umpire)</span> Cuban baseball umpire (born 1961)

Ángel Hernández is a Cuban-American umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). He worked in the National League from 1991 to 1999, and has worked throughout MLB since 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hirschbeck</span> American baseball umpire (born 1954)

John Francis Hirschbeck is a former umpire for Major League Baseball. He worked in the American League from 1984 to 1999 and worked in both leagues from 2000 to 2016. He was a crew chief at the time of his retirement, and wore uniform number 17 throughout his career. Hirschbeck announced his retirement following the 2016 season. In 2000, Hirschbeck was elected as the first president of the newly certified World Umpires Association, a position he held until 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim McClelland</span> American baseball umpire (born 1951)

Timothy Reid McClelland is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1983 to 1999 and throughout both leagues from 2000 through the 2013 season. He called many important games, from post-season games to the George Brett "Pine Tar" game in 1983. He was the plate umpire for the Sammy Sosa corked bat game on June 3, 2003, when the Chicago Cubs hosted the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Wrigley Field. He wore uniform number 36 after his promotion to the AL, and kept the number when Major League Baseball merged the American and National League umpiring staffs in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Barrett</span> American baseball umpire (born 1965)

Edward George Barrett is an American retired Major League Baseball umpire. He joined the American League's staff in 1994, and worked throughout both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement in 2022. Promoted to crew chief in 2013, Barrett worked in 33 play-off series, including five World Series. He retired following the 2022 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Tschida</span> American baseball umpire (born 1960)

Timothy Joseph Tschida is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball. He joined the American League's full-time staff in 1986, and worked in both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement following the 2012 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Welke</span> American baseball umpire (born 1957)

Timothy James Welke is a former American professional baseball umpire. He worked in the American League from 1984 to 1999 and has worked throughout Major League Baseball from 2000 to 2015. He had been a crew chief since 2000. Welke wore number 30 when he joined the American League staff, then switched to 3 after the AL and National League umpiring staffs merged in 2000. His brother Bill is also a major league umpire. Tim has umpired in four World Series, seven League Championship Series, eight Division Series and three All-Star Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Winters</span> American baseball umpire (born 1958)

Michael John Winters is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League from 1988 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2019, wearing number 33. For the 2011 season, Winters was named a crew chief following the retirements of Jerry Crawford, Mike Reilly, and Chuck Meriwether.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Wegner</span> American baseball umpire (born 1972)

Mark Patrick Wegner is an American Major League Baseball umpire. He worked in the National League from 1998 to 1999, and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He was promoted to Crew Chief for the 2018 MLB season when Dale Scott retired after the 2017 MLB season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Cuzzi</span> American baseball umpire (born 1955)

Philip Cuzzi is an American professional baseball umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). He worked as a reserve umpire in the National League (NL) from 1991 to 1993 and returned to the NL in 1999. Since 2000, he has worked in both major leagues. Cuzzi wore number 99 when his career started; he now wears number 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fieldin Culbreth</span> American baseball umpire (born 1963)

Fieldin Henry Culbreth III is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). He worked in the American League from 1993 to 1999 and in both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement in 2021. Culbreth was promoted to crew chief prior to the 2013 season. Culbreth wore number 42 while he was an American League umpire, then changed to 25 in 2000 after the MLB umpires were unified into one crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Miller (umpire)</span> American baseball umpire (born 1967)

William Scott Miller is an American Major League Baseball umpire who began his career in the American League in 1997. Miller wears number 26. He has been a crew chief since the 2014 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Hallion</span> American baseball umpire (born 1956)

Thomas Francis Hallion is a retired Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the National League (NL) from 1985 to 1999 and in both major leagues from 2005 until 2022. He was promoted to crew chief in 2010. Hallion has worn number 20 during his MLB career. He resigned from the NL in 1999 as part of a failed mass bargaining strategy, but he was rehired by MLB before the 2005 season.

References

  1. ↑ "Umpire Executives". MLB.com . Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  2. ↑ Gurnick, Ken. "Bowa suspended for three games". MLB.com. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  3. ↑ Gurnick, Ken. "Bowa melts down after getting ejected". MLB.com. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "Ed Montague". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Brett Montague". gothunderwolves.com. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.