Derryl Cousins

Derryl Cousins
Derryl Cousins

Cousins in 2009.
Born August 18, 1946 (1946-08-18) (age 65)
Fresno, California
Occupation Major League Baseball umpire
Height 6' 0" inches
Weight 205lb.

Derryl Cousins (born August 18, 1946 in Fresno, California) is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the American League from 1979 to 1999, and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He has umpired in the World Series in 1988, 1999 and 2005. He has also officiated in the All-Star Game in 1987, 1998 and 2008, and was behind the plate for the 2008 game at Yankee Stadium, which lasted a record 4 hours 50 minutes before ending in the 15th inning. He has worked in six American League Championship Series (1985, 1989, 1995, 2003, 2006, 2008), and in five Division Series (1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2007). On May 12, 2001 Cousins was the Third base umpire during A.J. Burnetts no-hitter against the San Diego Padres.[1] Cousins was promoted to crew chief for the 2008 season.

Cousins has worn uniform number 13 since the AL adopted them in 1980. Since he was called up to the AL during the 1979 umpires' strike, he was not allowed to join the Major League Umpires Association, the former umpires' union which was headed by Richie Phillips. He is currently a member of the World Umpires Association, the new collective bargaining union of MLB umpires since 2000. Cousins is the only umpire hired as a "replacement" during the 1979 umpires' strike still in MLB, and the last umpire to have worn the American League's red blazer during its' tenure in the AL (from 1973-1979).

Cousins was the home plate umpire for the game between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres on August 4, 2007. In the top of the second inning at San Diego, Barry Bonds of the Giants hit his 755th career home run off Clay Hensley, tying Hank Aaron for first all-time. Also, he was the third base umpire in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series when Kirk Gibson hit his famous pinch-hit home run. Cousins also was the second base umpire in the last game in Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2008. He called his 4,000th game in Seattle on May 3, 2009 when the Mariners faced the Oakland A's.

For the 2011 season, Cousins is the crew chief. His crew includes Jim Joyce, Ron Kulpa, and Jim Wolf.

References

  1. ^ The Offical Major League Baseball Fact Book 2002. The Sporting News. 2002. pp. 161. ISBN 0-89204-6708-8. 

External links

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