Joe Brinkman
Encyclopedia
Joseph Norbert Brinkman 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.
(1968-1999). He is fifth all time in number of games worked in the Major Leagues. Three of the four ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame. Brinkman umpired in three World Series
: 1978
, 1986
, 1995
. He officiated in three American League Championship Series
(1976
, 1980
, 1987
, 1992
, 1997
), and in three 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 also officiated in A.J. Burnetts no-hitter
against the San Diego Padres
on May 12, 2001. 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.
and New York Yankees
on July 24, . 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 and the rest of the crew, 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. MacPhail's ruling was in contrast with the rules. However, the game was resumed on August 18, but Brinkman and his crew were not present. Brinkman had provided a sworn affidavit
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 affidavit.
is the last remaining umpire to have worn the blazer.) He likened the red coats to making AL umpires look like "a bunch of Captain Kangaroo
s" in cold weather. He was one of the last umpires 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. Bill Kunkel
and Jerry Neudecker
were the last umpires to use the "balloon" protector. Neither made the switch, with Kunkel succumbing to cancer early in the 1985 season, and Neudecker retiring after the 1985 season.
Brinkman ran the Joe Brinkman Umpire's School which he had purchased from retired Major League Umpire Bill Kinnemon. He was prominent in union affairs for both the Major League Umpire's Association and the newly formed World Umpire's Association (their first Vice President).
, and has worked at several baseball camps and clinics over the years. Brinkman was raised in Holdingford, Minnesota
and graduated from Holdingford High School.
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 American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
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 BarnettLarry Barnett
Lawrence Robert Barnett is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1969 to 1999 before becoming the major leagues' supervisor of umpires in 2000-2001.-Career:...
(1968-1999). He is fifth all time in number of games worked in the Major Leagues. Three of the four ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame. Brinkman umpired in three World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
: 1978
1978 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 1978 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaWith Yankee ace Ron Guidry unavailable at least until Game 3, the Dodgers pounded twenty-game winner Ed Figueroa. Figueroa left after two innings, allowing home runs to Dusty Baker and Davey Lopes. Lopes would add a...
, 1986
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
, 1995
1995 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....
. He officiated in three American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
(1976
1976 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 9, 1976 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, MissouriThe opener was played on a bright Saturday afternoon at Royals Stadium and pitted Yankee ace Jim “Catfish” Hunter against left-hander and ex-Yankee Larry Gura. The Yankees got off to a quick start scoring two in the first...
, 1980
1980 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 1980 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, MissouriThe series opener saw the Yankees throw their ace, Ron Guidry, against the Royals' Larry Gura. In the top of the second, the Bronx Bombers jumped out to a 2–0 lead when Rick Cerone and Lou Piniella smacked back-to-back...
, 1987
1987 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 7, 1987 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, MinnesotaThe 1987 AL playoffs opened at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, with the Tigers throwing Doyle Alexander against the Twins' Frank Viola. In the bottom of the second, the Twins opened the scoring when third...
, 1992
1992 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 7, 1992 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe first game of the series had Oakland's Dave Stewart face off against Toronto's Jack Morris. The A's put up a three-spot against Morris in the second inning, as Mark McGwire and Terry Steinbach hit back-to-back home runs...
, 1997
1997 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland-Game 2:Thursday, October 9, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland...
), and in three All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
games (1977, 1991, 1996), calling balls and strikes in 1991. He worked the Division Series in 1981
1981 American League Division Series
-New York Yankees vs. Milwaukee Brewers:-Game 1, October 6:Royals Stadium in Kansas City, MissouriMike Norris faced Dennis Leonard and the defending AL Champions in Game 1. Both pitchers were on their game and the game was scoreless through three innings. But in the top of the fourth, the A's got a...
, 1995
1995 American League Division Series
-Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees:-Game 1, Tuesday, October 3:Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OhioAfter a 39-minute rain delay, Game 1 got underway with two veterans, Roger Clemens and Dennis Martínez, starting the opener. The Red Sox jumped in front first in the third on John Valentin's two run...
, 1998
1998 American League Division Series
-Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox:-Game 1, September 29:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkScott Brosius was the hero of Game 1, as Todd Stottlemyre faced David Wells. In the bottom of the second, Stottlemyre yielded two runs when Brosius singled in Jorge Posada after Chad Curtis doubled and...
, 1999
1999 American League Division Series
-Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox:-Game 1, October 5:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe Yankees once again swept the Rangers and held them to one run through three games. In Game 1, Aaron Sele went against Orlando Hernández...
, 2004
2004 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros:-Game 1, October 5:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriOdalis Perez faced Woody Williams in Game 1. Albert Pujols got the Cardinals started with a solo homer to make it 1–0 in the first. Then in the third, Perez reached his limit after surrendering five two-out...
and 2005
2005 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros:-Game 1, October 4:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriIt was a matchup between Jake Peavy and eventual 2005 Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter. In the bottom of the first, Jim Edmonds's one-out solo homer put the Cardinals up 1–0...
. He also officiated in A.J. Burnetts 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"...
against the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
on May 12, 2001. 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
Bob Davidson (umpire)
Robert Allan Davidson is an umpire for Major League Baseball.-Early life:Bob Davidson graduated from Duluth East High School in Duluth, Minnesota in 1970. He attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth where he played baseball for two seasons. Davidson then left to pursue a professional umpiring...
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 RoyalsKansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on July 24, . In that game, George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...
of the Royals hit a two-run home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
off of Yankees reliever Goose Gossage
Goose Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1994 for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The nickname "Goose" is a play on his surname...
in the ninth inning, but home plate umpire Tim McClelland
Tim McClelland
Timothy Reid McClelland is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the American League from 1983 to 1999 and throughout both leagues since 2000. He has called many important games, from post-season games to the George Brett "Pine Tar" game in...
, after conferring with Brinkman and the rest of the crew, found that the pine tar
Pine tar
Pine tar is a sticky material produced by the high temperature carbonization of pine wood in anoxic conditions . The wood is rapidly decomposed by applying heat and pressure in a closed container; the primary resulting products are charcoal and pine tar.Pine tar consists primarily of aromatic...
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
Lee MacPhail
Leland Stanford MacPhail, Jr. is an American retired front-office executive in Major League Baseball...
later overturned the umpires' ruling upon a protest by the Royals, and the home run was restored. MacPhail's ruling was in contrast with the rules. However, the game was resumed on August 18, but Brinkman and his crew were not present. Brinkman had provided a sworn affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
stating that Brett and baserunner U. L. Washington had touched all the bases, anticipating appeal plays by Yankees manager Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
to state that the runners missed at least one base. Dave Phillips, the crew chief of the umpiring crew that was at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
when the game resumed, showed Martin a copy of the affidavit.
Uniform and 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. (Derryl CousinsDerryl Cousins
Derryl Cousins 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...
is the last remaining umpire to have worn the blazer.) He likened the red coats to making AL umpires look like "a bunch of Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
s" in cold weather. He was one of the last umpires 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. Bill Kunkel
Bill Kunkel (baseball)
William Gustave James Kunkel was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1961 to 1963 who went on to a career as an American League umpire from 1968 until his death. His son Jeff was a major league shortstop from 1984 to 1992.Kunkel was born in Hoboken, New Jersey...
and Jerry Neudecker
Jerry Neudecker
Jerome A. Neudecker was a Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the American League from to...
were the last umpires to use the "balloon" protector. Neither made the switch, with Kunkel succumbing to cancer early in the 1985 season, and Neudecker retiring after the 1985 season.
Brinkman ran the Joe Brinkman Umpire's School which he had purchased from retired Major League Umpire Bill Kinnemon. He was prominent in union affairs for both the Major League Umpire's Association and the newly formed World Umpire's Association (their first Vice President).
Other information
For several years he operated the Joe Brinkman Umpire's School in Cocoa, FloridaCocoa, Florida
Cocoa is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 16,412 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 16,478. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Cocoa was...
, and has worked at several baseball camps and clinics over the years. Brinkman was raised in Holdingford, Minnesota
Holdingford, Minnesota
Holdingford is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 708 at the 2010 census. It claims to be "The Gateway to Lake Wobegon", the fictional central Minnesota town created by Garrison Keillor.Holdingford is part of the St...
and graduated from Holdingford High School.