Larry Vanover

27 – Larry Vanover

Vanover in 2012
Born August 22, 1955
Owensboro, Kentucky
MLB debut June 25, 1991
Umpiring crew
J
Crew members
Career highlights and awards

Larry Wayne Vanover (born August 22, 1955) is an American professional baseball umpire Vanover worked in the National League from 1991 to 1999. He did not umpire in 2000 and 2001, and since 2002 has umpired across both major leagues. Vanover officiated in the 1999 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 2003 National League Championship Series, 2006 American League Division Series, 2007 National League Championship Series, 2011 American League Championship Series, 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 2013 American League Division Series, and the San Juan, Puerto Rico round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Career

Vanover worked in several minor leagues before his major league debut in 1993. He officiated in the South Atlantic League, Midwest League, Southern League, American Association, Pacific Coast League, International League and Venezuelan League.[1]

Vanover was behind the plate when Marge Schott came on the field just prior to an April 1996 Astros–Reds doubleheader and apologized to Vanover for her Opening Day comments following the death of umpire John McSherry.[2] The Opening Day game had been postponed after McSherry collapsed on the field; he died at a local hospital. After the game was postponed, Schott had said, "I feel cheated."[3]

Vanover was one of 22 umpires who resigned during the 1999 Major League Umpires Association mass resignation. The negotiation strategy failed when baseball officials simply accepted the resignations and hired replacement umpires. After a protracted legal battle, Vanover and eight other umpires regained their major league jobs for the 2002 season.[4][5]

MLB appointed Vanover to serve as crew chief for the 2014 Legend Series at Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City, Panama on March 15-16.[6]

Vanover spent the 2014 season as an interim crew chief while regular crew chief Tim McClelland was on the Disabled List. Vanover's Crew F is Ángel Hernández, Paul Nauert, and Adrian Johnson. He was officially promoted to permanent crew chief upon McClelland's retirement prior to the 2015 season.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ MLB.com profile
  2. ↑ "Schott Takes the Field To Say She's Sorry". The New York Times. April 15, 1996. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Talk about bad timing". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 15, 1996. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Arbitrator Orders Baseball to Rehire 9 Umpires". The New York Times. May 12, 2001. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Judge Orders Rehiring of 9 Umps". The New York Times. December 15, 2001. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  6. ↑ Imber, Gil. "Roster: 2014 Opening Series (Sydney, Australia) Umpires." Close Call Sports/Umpire Ejection Fantasy League. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  7. ↑ Imber, Gil (17 February 2015). "Retirement of MLB Umpire Tim McClelland". Close Call Sports/Umpire Ejection Fantasy League.

External links