Eric Gregg
Encyclopedia
Eric Eugene Gregg was an American
umpire
in Major League Baseball
who worked in the National League
from 1975
to 1999
. He was known as a pioneering black umpire, for his longtime weight problems, and for his controversial home plate umpiring in Game 5 of the 1997 National League Championship Series
, when his generous strike zone helped the Florida Marlins'
Liván Hernández
strike out 15 Atlanta batters. He is also the first black umpire to work a World Series game, which he accomplished on October 14, 1989, in Game 1 of the "Bay Area" series between the San Francisco Giants
and the Oakland Athletics
. Through his National League career, Gregg wore uniform number 7.
, and upon his debut at the age of 24 he was the third black umpire in the big leagues, following Emmett Ashford
and Art Williams
, and among the youngest in major league history. He officiated in the 1989 World Series
, and was the third base umpire for Game 3, which was postponed due to the Loma Prieta earthquake
, but since the series ended in four games, he did not get to work home plate, as happened to Ashford in the 1970 World Series
. He also worked in four National League Championship Series
(1981
, 1987
, 1991
, 1997
), the 1995
and 1996 National League Division Series
and the 1986 All-Star Game
at the Houston Astrodome. He was the home plate umpire for two no-hitter
s (Terry Mulholland
in 1990
and Ramón Martínez in 1995
) and worked third base for Tom Browning
's perfect game
on September 16, 1988. On August 8, 1988
, Gregg was the home plate umpire for the first night game at Wrigley Field
. The Phillies
and Cubs were rained out and the first official game was played August 9, 1988. His call of Game 5 in the 1997 National League playoff series was voted by Baseball America as the third-worst umpire performance of 1975 - 2000 era. His strike zone was later measured to have been five feet top to bottom and an unbelievable six feet wide. One memorable call has him calling a strike on a pitch that was over the head of Fred McGriff
.
in as part of a labor action. Richie Phillips
, executive director of the umpires' union
, felt that by doling out millions in severance pay Major League Baseball might reconsider its stance in contract negotiations with the union. However, MLB chose to accept the resignations, though they later rehired several of those who had resigned which did not include Gregg. On August 7, 2001, Rep. Robert A. Brady (D-Pa.), a member of the United States House of Representatives
, wrote a letter with 25 other House Members urging Commissioner
Bud Selig
to rehire Gregg, but Selig refused.
died in Cincinnati
of a heart attack
; the two had planned for a long time to try to lose weight together, but McSherry's death motivated Gregg to take a leave of absence from umpiring and enter a program at Duke University
.
His frame, still hefty and recognizable despite the weight loss, encouraged publicity for Gregg. He was honorary commissioner of the Wing Bowl
, an annual competitive eating
event in Philadelphia, and also umped at various celebrity softball events. He also occasionally worked at Chickie's and Pete's Philadelphia restaurant and at the restaurant's stand at Veterans Stadium
as a bartender
and server. Aside from his girth, he was also well-known for his jocular personality and wide smile, which had a disarming effect on game participants who took issue with his calls.
On December 31, 1974, he married Conchita Camilo, with whom he had four children.
His autobiography, Working the Plate (written with Marty Appel
), was published in 1990
.
Gregg's son Kevin worked with the Philadelphia Phillies
as an intern while a student at James Madison University
, and from 2005 until 2006 was a public relations official with the NBA
's Philadelphia 76ers
before returning to his father's game, and the Phillies, on November 22, 2006 where he has served in the public relations department. Son Eric Joseito is the head lacrosse coach at Saint Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia. Gregg's daughter Ashley Gabrielle was named for Ashley Abbott
off the Sony Pictures Television
daytime drama The Young and the Restless
; Gregg mentioned in his autobiography that umpires, who work night games usually, were prone to watch network television dramas; a photo of him with Eileen Davidson
is in the book. Eric and Conchita have another son, Jamie.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
umpire
Umpire (baseball)
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...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who worked in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
from 1975
1975 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Boston Red Sox ; Pete Rose, MVP*All-Star Game, July 15 at County Stadium: National League, 6-3; Bill Madlock and Jon Matlack, MVPs-Other champions:...
to 1999
1999 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; Mariano Rivera, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Orlando Hernández**American League Division Series:*National League Championship Series MVP: Eddie Pérez...
. He was known as a pioneering black umpire, for his longtime weight problems, and for his controversial home plate umpiring in Game 5 of the 1997 National League Championship Series
1997 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 7, 1997 at Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Marlins scored three unearned runs in the first inning off Greg Maddux, thanks to a Fred McGriff error, when Moisés Alou hit a bases-clearing double to left...
, when his generous strike zone helped the Florida Marlins'
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
Liván Hernández
Liván Hernández
Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. He is the half-brother of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernández.-Playing career:...
strike out 15 Atlanta batters. He is also the first black umpire to work a World Series game, which he accomplished on October 14, 1989, in Game 1 of the "Bay Area" series between the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. Through his National League career, Gregg wore uniform number 7.
Umpiring career
Gregg was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, and upon his debut at the age of 24 he was the third black umpire in the big leagues, following Emmett Ashford
Emmett Ashford
Emmett Littleton Ashford , nicknamed "Ash", was the first African American umpire in Major League Baseball, working in the American League from 1966 to 1970....
and Art Williams
Art Williams (umpire)
Arthur Williams was a professional baseball umpire who worked in the National League from 1972 to 1977. Williams umpired 806 major league games in his six year career. He also umpired in the 1975 National League Championship Series-External links:*...
, and among the youngest in major league history. He officiated in the 1989 World Series
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
, and was the third base umpire for Game 3, which was postponed due to the Loma Prieta earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
, but since the series ended in four games, he did not get to work home plate, as happened to Ashford in the 1970 World Series
1970 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 10, 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Jackson 5 performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the game, which almost became an embarrassment when the group realized shortly before their performance that they weren't familiar with the lyrics...
. He also worked in four National League Championship Series
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
(1981
1981 National League Championship Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 13, 1981 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe Dodgers took the first game of the series behind the strong pitching of starter Burt Hooton. For the first seven innings the game stayed close, with the only scoring coming in the second inning when the Dodgers got...
, 1987
1987 National League Championship Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 6, 1987 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Giants struck first on an RBI groundout by Candy Maldonado, but the Cardinals tied it in the third on Vince Coleman's RBI single...
, 1991
1991 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1991 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaThe Pirates proved they would be tough to eliminate early when they stifled the Braves offense behind 1990 Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek and won the first game 5–1...
, 1997
1997 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 7, 1997 at Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Marlins scored three unearned runs in the first inning off Greg Maddux, thanks to a Fred McGriff error, when Moisés Alou hit a bases-clearing double to left...
), the 1995
1995 National League Division Series
-Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:-Game 1, October 3:Coors Field in Denver, ColoradoGame 1 was a match-up between aces: Greg Maddux for the Atlanta Braves and Kevin Ritz for the Colorado Rockies. Ritz and Maddux worked their way out of minor trouble early on, but, in the top of the third,...
and 1996 National League Division Series
1996 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:-Game 1, October 1:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Cardinals and Padres began their rivalry in this series. The Cardinals' first of three postseason victories against the Padres took place here. Their dominance is overwhelming to the tune of only one...
and the 1986 All-Star Game
1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 57th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 15, 1986 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, the home of the...
at the Houston Astrodome. He was the home plate umpire for two no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
s (Terry Mulholland
Terry Mulholland
Terence John Mulholland is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He threw left-handed and batted right-handed.-Early and personal life:...
in 1990
1990 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Oakland Athletics ; José Rijo, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP Dave Stewart*National League Championship Series co-MVPs: Rob Dibble and Randy Myers...
and Ramón Martínez in 1995
1995 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Atlanta Braves over Cleveland Indians ; Tom Glavine, MVP*All-Star Game, July 11 at The Ballpark in Arlington: National League, 3-2; Jeff Conine, MVP-Other champions:...
) and worked third base for Tom Browning
Tom Browning
Thomas Leo Browning is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals...
's perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
on September 16, 1988. On August 8, 1988
1988 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 1988 season involved the Cubs finishing in fourth place in the National League East with a record of 77-85, 24 games behind the New York Mets...
, Gregg was the home plate umpire for the first night game at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
. The Phillies
1988 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in Major League Baseball. The Phillies finished sixth in the National League East with a record of 65 wins and 96 losses.-Offseason:...
and Cubs were rained out and the first official game was played August 9, 1988. His call of Game 5 in the 1997 National League playoff series was voted by Baseball America as the third-worst umpire performance of 1975 - 2000 era. His strike zone was later measured to have been five feet top to bottom and an unbelievable six feet wide. One memorable call has him calling a strike on a pitch that was over the head of Fred McGriff
Fred McGriff
Frederick Stanley McGriff is a left-handed former Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both...
.
Resignation
Gregg was one of 22 umpires who resigned1999 Major League Umpires Association mass resignation
The 1999 Major League Umpires Association mass resignation was a labor tactic used by the Major League Umpires Association against Major League Baseball in 1999. Unable to strike because they had a labor agreement in place at the time, more than 50 umpires resigned in an attempt to force...
in as part of a labor action. Richie Phillips
Richie Phillips
Richard G. Phillips is the former general counsel and executive director of the 52-member Major League Umpires Association , having held those positions from 1978 to 2000. He is most notable for recommending that the union baseball umpires resign en masse effective September 2, 1999 to leverage...
, executive director of the umpires' union
Major League Umpires Association
The Major League Umpires Association was a union for the umpires of both the American League and the National League. It was formed in 1970. It was superseded by the World Umpires Association which became the bargaining agent for MLB umpires before the 2000 season.-History:After a one-day strike by...
, felt that by doling out millions in severance pay Major League Baseball might reconsider its stance in contract negotiations with the union. However, MLB chose to accept the resignations, though they later rehired several of those who had resigned which did not include Gregg. On August 7, 2001, Rep. Robert A. Brady (D-Pa.), a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, wrote a letter with 25 other House Members urging Commissioner
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
to rehire Gregg, but Selig refused.
Weight problems
Gregg battled weight troubles throughout his career. His weight was generally listed in the 315-325 pound area, but Gregg admitted that this was often an understatement and that he frequently approached 400. In , fellow umpire John McSherryJohn McSherry
John Patrick McSherry was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1971 to 1996. Although McSherry originally wore uniform #9 when he entered the National League, he switched to #10 in 1979 when the league reorganized the umpires' numbers and he wore that...
died in Cincinnati
Cinergy Field
Riverfront Stadium , later known as Cinergy Field , was the home of the Cincinnati Reds National League baseball team and the Cincinnati Bengals National Football League team. Located on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, the stadium was best known as the home of "The Big Red Machine," as the...
of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
; the two had planned for a long time to try to lose weight together, but McSherry's death motivated Gregg to take a leave of absence from umpiring and enter a program at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
.
His frame, still hefty and recognizable despite the weight loss, encouraged publicity for Gregg. He was honorary commissioner of the Wing Bowl
Wing Bowl
Wing Bowl is an annual eating contest founded in 1993 by Philadelphia talk-radio hosts Angelo Cataldi and Al Morganti as a celebration of gluttony. The contest was first broadcast on WIP ....
, an annual competitive eating
Competitive eating
Competitive eating, or speed eating, is a sport in which participants compete against each other to consume large quantities of food in a short time period. Contests are typically less than 15 minutes in length, with the person consuming the most food being declared the winner...
event in Philadelphia, and also umped at various celebrity softball events. He also occasionally worked at Chickie's and Pete's Philadelphia restaurant and at the restaurant's stand at Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
as a bartender
Bartender
A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
and server. Aside from his girth, he was also well-known for his jocular personality and wide smile, which had a disarming effect on game participants who took issue with his calls.
On December 31, 1974, he married Conchita Camilo, with whom he had four children.
His autobiography, Working the Plate (written with Marty Appel
Marty Appel
Martin E. Appel , is an American public relations executive and author.Appel graduated from SUNY Oneonta in 1970 with a degree in political science. He began his career in baseball while a student after writing to then-Yankee public relations chief Bob Fishel.Appel began his tenure with the New...
), was published in 1990
1990 in literature
The year 1990 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*J. K. Rowling gets the idea for Harry Potter while on a train ride from Manchester to London. She says "I was staring out the window, and the idea for Harry just came. He appeared in my mind's eye, very fully formed...
.
Gregg's son Kevin worked with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
as an intern while a student at James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
, and from 2005 until 2006 was a public relations official with the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
before returning to his father's game, and the Phillies, on November 22, 2006 where he has served in the public relations department. Son Eric Joseito is the head lacrosse coach at Saint Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia. Gregg's daughter Ashley Gabrielle was named for Ashley Abbott
Ashley Abbott
Ashley Suzanne Abbott McCall is a fictional character from the American soap opera The Young and the Restless, currently played by American actress Eileen Davidson, who had played the character for a total of more than 16 years prior to her return in September 2008...
off the Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
daytime drama The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
; Gregg mentioned in his autobiography that umpires, who work night games usually, were prone to watch network television dramas; a photo of him with Eileen Davidson
Eileen Davidson
Eileen Davidson is an American film and soap opera actress. She is known for her role as Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful and for the multiple roles she portrayed on Days of our Lives....
is in the book. Eric and Conchita have another son, Jamie.
External links
- St. Joseph's Prep Academy lacrosse programme, Eric Joseito Gregg (son)
- Interview with the umpire
- Calling the shots in life with Eric The Ump from the Northeast TimesNortheast TimesThe Northeast Times is an American newspaper, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that primarily targets the Northeast Philadelphia community. After being owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer parent company, it was sold to a newly formed company, Broad Street Media.-External links:* *...
- Associated Press, "Former umpire Gregg dies after stroke" June 5, 2006
- Eric Gregg at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...