Three Generations of Umps

[ASA/NYSSOBLUE]

Three Kincade generations umpire first game together | recordonline.com

almost beats the Wendlestadts working a game or two together...

Ive known 'grandpa' a few years, and he has a lot of cool stories about working spring training games.

Anybody else know of something like this?

[Kevin Finnerty]

Wow!

That is a cool story.

[RogersUmp]

Great read!

I just got my son started this year as a 13-year old. He still plays and was only able to call 7 games. He said he enjoyed it! I heard one mom standing next to me (didn't know I was his dad) say he needs glasses at one of his games. I just kind of chuckled and asked him about it after the game. He said he didn't remember hearing that one. Great start!

It would be awesome if we had a 3-generation game sometime down the road, too!

[Hock9]

While they never had a chance to work together, it's pretty impressive (at least to me) that 3 generations of Runge made it as ML umpires (Ed, Paul, Brian).

Other impressive officiating families - Crawfords, and several examples of father/son or uncle/nephew (Wendelstedt, DiMuro, Gorman, Carey's in FB [brothers], Welke's, McCauley's (NHL), Devorski's (NHL), probably others although I'm not as familiar with the NBA and NFL rosters.

And there are player-related examples - the 3? Alou's in baseball, 6...count 'em, 6 Sutters in hockey who made it to the NHL.

Not sure if there's an apples to apples comparison here, though, since there are far many jobs for players in any sport than there are for officials.

But impressive nonetheless.

Hopefully I didn't take this too far off-topic.

Hock9

[MrUmpire]

Great brother act from the past: Umpire Bill Haller (the smarter brother), and long time Giants Catcher, Tom Haller.

[johnnyg08]

cool story...thanks for posting

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

Great brother act from the past: Umpire Bill Haller (the smarter brother), and long time Giants Catcher, Tom Haller.

Newer brother act from the present: Umpire Jim Wolf and his brother Randy, a pitcher with the Dodgers. Jim is not allowed to work the plate in any of Randy's games due to a potential conflict of interest.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Newer brother act from the present: Umpire Jim Wolf and his brother Randy, a pitcher with the Dodgers. Jim is not allowed to work the plate in any of Randy's games due to a potential conflict of interest.

Bill Haller was an AL umpire and Tom spent most of his career in the NL. However, in 1972 Bill did work the plate behind his brother in one game.

[Ump29]

I am personally living one of these now.
My father-in-law was one of the first youth umpires in this area. My wife was an umpire for about 8 years and I have been one for 20. My son took it up over 10 years ago. At one point, before my wife left umpiring, we were able (and did in fact) form a 3 umpire team to do games on several occasions.
Now my son and I can continue on with 2 man teams.

[RogersUmp]

Originally Posted by Ump29

I am personally living one of these now.
My father-in-law was one of the first youth umpires in this area. My wife was an umpire for about 8 years and I have been one for 20. My son took it up over 10 years ago. At one point, before my wife left umpiring, we were able (and did in fact) form a 3 umpire team to do games on several occasions.
Now my son and I can continue on with 2 man teams.

That's great! I bet you've got some great stories! When you met your wife were you both umpires?

[Ump29]

Lots of stories. Umpiring started after marriage. Married 32 years. Started umpiring just after my wife. Was umpiring and coaching for quite a while when my son started playing.
Gave up coaching about 9-10 years ago. So much for my life story. Do not want to reveal too much. But many good times umpiring.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

Bill Haller was an AL umpire and Tom spent most of his career in the NL. However, in 1972 Bill did work the plate behind his brother in one game.

I remember Haller (one of my favorite Dodgers ... an extremely nice guy) going to Detroit at the end, and wondering if his brother ever worked one of his games. Broadcasters used to make a big deal about how Haller's umpire brother was in the A.L., so there was never any chance. Today's announcers give equal emphasis to the Wolf edict.

Although I can't conceive of Jim Wolf giving Randy even one pitch, it's a good thing he doesn't have to work with that spectre of a conflict.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Haller caught only 59 games that year behind Bill Freehan. Of the six Detroit games his brother worked that year--all at Detroit--Haller caught four of them. Bill Haller worked the bases in the first three of the six, a series in late May. Then, on July 14, Bill worked the plate and Tom caught all nine innings of a 1-0 loss.

Can you believe that? He had to have a nail-biter!

[Steven Tyler]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Jim is not allowed to work the plate in any of Randy's games due to a potential conflict of interest.

And you know this because? I would guess if it his is turn in the rotation to work the plate and his brother is pitching, he will be working the plate.

I would think his integrity would suffice in this case as it does in all the games that he calls.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Steven Tyler

And you know this because? I would guess if it his is turn in the rotation to work the plate and his brother is pitching, he will be working the plate.

I would think his integrity would suffice in this case as it does in all the games that he calls.

I know this because it is a fact. He is prohibited from umpiring the plate when his brother pitches. Randy Wolf pitched for the Padres last year, and it was brought up and discussed on TV, radio, fan forums and in Wikipedia. Only Wiki is wrong (in Randy's profile), because it says he can't work any of his games, but I have seen Jim Wolf on the bases while Randy was on the mound. He just can't call his pitches.

In my association, we are not allowed to work games where one of our children is participating. Several umpires face this dilemma every year.

Integrity has little to do with the decision. They just don't want to take the chance, both in MLB and amateur associations alike.

Here is what is written at Wikipedia for Jim Wolf's profile:

"He is the brother of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf, which has caused players to accuse him of having a conflict of interest. In September 2003, Florida Marlins catcher Ivan Rodriguez accused him of skewing calls against the Marlins during one late-season series to help the Philadelphia Phillies, his brother's team at the time, beat the Marlins for the wild card. Pitcher Mark Redman also inferred the same but stopped short of fully accusing him. The Marlins won the wild card that year and went on to win the World Series. If Wolf is ever umpiring a game that his brother pitches, he does not call balls and strikes, although MLB generally avoids assigning him to Randy's games."