Joe Brinkman

Joseph Norbert Brinkman (born April 9 1944 in Little Falls, Minnesota) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1973 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement during the 2006 season.

Career

His 34 years of umpiring AL games surpassed the record set by Larry Barnett (1968-1999). Brinkman umpired in three World Series: 1978, 1986, 1995. He also officiated in 5 American League Championship Series (1976, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1997), and in 3 All-Star games (1977, 1991, 1996), calling balls and strikes in 1991. He worked the Division Series in 1981, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2005. He served as the crew chief for the ALCS in 1976, 1987 and 1997, becoming the fourth AL umpire to do so three times, and also for the 2005 NLDS. His retirement was announced on August 22, 2006 [http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/15316997.htm] . Former umpire Bob Davidson returned to replace Brinkman on the major league roster.

Pine Tar Game

Brinkman was also the crew chief for the Pine Tar Game between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees on July 24, by|1983. In that game, George Brett of the Royals hit a two-run home run off of Yankees reliever Goose Gossage in the ninth inning, but home plate umpire Tim McClelland, after conferring with Brinkman, found that the pine tar on Brett's bat exceeded the allowed limit of 18 inches, and Brett was called out. Brett immediately ran out of the dugout toward the umpires, and disputed the call so vehemently that Brinkman had to grab him around the neck to keep him from attacking McClelland. American League president Lee MacPhail later overturned the umpires' ruling upon a protest by the Royals, and the home run was restored. The game was resumed on August 18, but Brinkman and his crew were not present. Brinkman had provided a sworn affadavit stating that Brett and baserunner U. L. Washington had touched all the bases, anticipating appeal plays by Yankees manager Billy Martin to state that the runners missed at least one base. Dave Phillips, the crew chief of the umpiring crew that was at Yankee Stadium when the game resumed, showed Martin a copy of the affadavit.

1998 ALDS

Brinkman worked behind the plate for Game 2 of the 1998 American League Division Series on September 30. An argument ensued over 3 pitches in the first inning to leadoff hitter Darren Lewis. Brinkman claimed they were all low; however, pitcher Dwight Gooden didn't agree, and then Cleveland Indians manager Mike Hargrove was ejected 3 pitches into the first inning. Later in the inning, Brinkman called Boston Red Sox third baseman John Valentin safe at home. Brinkman ejected Gooden shortly after this play was made.

Uniform number

He wore uniform number 15 from the year the AL adopted uniform numbers in 1980, and kept the number when MLB took over supervision of a combined umpiring staff in 2000. He was one of the last active umpires to have worn the red blazers that were part of the AL's umpiring uniforms from 1973 through 1979. (Mike Reilly and Derryl Cousins are the last remaining umpires to have worn the blazers.) He likened the red coats to making AL umpires look like "a bunch of Captain Kangaroos" in cold weather. He was also the last umpire to have worn the outside chest protector favored by AL umpires until the league made new umpires wear the inside chest protector starting in 1977. Brinkman was not the last umpire to wear the "balloon" protector, having switched to the inside protector in the early 1980s. Jerry Neudecker was the last umpire to use the "balloon" protector and used it until he retired in 1985, never switching to the inside protector.

Brinkman was well-known for his very delayed calls (while they changed from his 1995 finger point call to his 1998 fist call) and for kneeling far behind the catcher, unpopular compared to other umpires standing or kneeling right behind the catcher, some (including Tim McClelland) lightly touching the back of the catcher to determine where the catcher is squatting (over the plate or off a corner of the plate.)

Other information

For several years he operated the Joe Brinkman Umpire's School in Cocoa, Florida, and has worked at several baseball camps and clinics over the years. Brinkman was raised in Holdingford, Minnesota and graduated from Holdingford High School.

External links

* [http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/official_info/umpires/bio.jsp?id=2214 Major league profile]
* [http://www.mplsobserver.com/node/31 "Minneapolis Observer" article]