Five umpires promoted to Major League staff
Major League Baseball today announced that five umpires have been promoted to the full-time Major League staff. The newest members are umpires Ryan Additon, Sean Barber, John Libka, Ben May and Roberto Ortiz, who becomes the first Puerto Rican-born umpire ever to join the Major League staff.
Additon, 36, has been a Minor League Umpire since 2010. Ryan has 381 Major League games of on-field experience as a call-up umpire since 2017, and he was behind the plate for last season’s no-hitter by Corey Kluber, then of the New York Yankees, at Texas. He worked Triple-A East in 2021.
Barber, 36, has been a Minor League Umpire since 2006. Sean has 690 Major League games as a call-up umpire since 2014 and worked Triple-A East in 2021.
Libka, 34, has been a Minor League Umpire since 2010. John has 371 Major League games as a call-up umpire since 2017 and worked Triple-A West in 2021.
May, 40, has been a Minor League Umpire since 2007. Ben has 650 Major League games as a call-up umpire since 2014 and worked Triple-A West in 2021.
Ortiz, 37, has been a Minor League Umpire since 2009. Roberto has 411 Major League games as a call-up umpire since 2016 and worked Triple-A East in 2021.
The new umpires, all of whom have worked Major League Spring Training since becoming call-up umpires, fill the slots left by the retirements of veteran Major League Umpires:
Fieldin Culbreth, who worked three World Series (2008, 2012 and 2018) in his 25-year Major League career and was on the field for the 3,000th hit of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.
Kerwin Danley, who followed a first-team All-American playing career at San Diego State University – where “KD” was a teammate of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn – by becoming a 25-year Major League Umpire who, in 2020, became the first African American crew chief in MLB history.
Gerry Davis, who retires with a combined 5,000 games worked between the regular season (4,849, fourth all-time) and his all-time record 151 Postseason games. Gerry had a streak of 24 consecutive years with Postseason duties during his 38-year Major League career, the second longest ever.
Brian Gorman, the son of former Major League player and umpire Tom Gorman. Brian worked three World Series in his 30-year Major League career and long represented the Major League Umpires on MLB’s Playing Rules Committee.
Joe West, who retires with an all-time record 5,460 Major League games since his debut in September 1976. Joe broke the longstanding mark of Hall of Fame Umpire Bill Klem on May 25, 2021 in Chicago (White Sox-Cardinals).
With these retirements, the new crew chiefs on the Major League staff are veteran umpires Laz Díaz, Greg Gibson, Marvin Hudson, Ron Kulpa and Bill Welke.