A Conversation in the Umpires Room: Jim Joyce, Greg Gibson, Chad Fairchild, Carlos Torres

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Bill Nowlin: I notice that a lot of umpires have family photos on the inside of their trunks.

Jim Joyce: Absolutely.

BN: You joined the major-league staff in 1989, I guess. Was that a tradition which goes back that far?

JJ: Oh yeah. Every bit of that. You bring your family on the road. We’re on the road so much that you bring your family with you. We have these little cutouts that usually sit on top of our clothes and a lot of times we’ll use that and just do a collage. I have pictures going back to when I started. I keep those on there just to remind me where it all came from. Like I said, we bring our families on the road with us.

BN: It’s a tough life, obviously. You don’t get to play half your games at home.

JJ: Exactly. And every time we walk in here, that reminds us of, really, part of the reason we do this.

BN: Well, if you make it this far, you begin to make a decent living but it’s the years you put in to get here that are the biggest struggle.

JJ: Without a doubt.

BN: That’s one of the things I wanted to ask you about. You went to the Kinnamon School?

JJ: Yes, I did.

BN: What is it like today…do you go back once in a while to instruct, or look in on one of the schools to visit?

JJ: Never have. Gibby [Greg Gibson] has, in the past.

BN: I’m just curious how different it is. The curriculum is probably relatively similar, but presumably more refined. More use of video, certainly, and digital media.

Greg Gibson: Hunter Wendelstedt took over the school from his dad. Hunter and I have been friends. I’ve worked for Harry. I sat at the feet of Harry Wendelstedt for 10 years. One of the things about it, you want to get a real perspective of where we all get started, you should call Hunter — he’s at umpireschool.com — and make a trip down to umpire school to see. Because one of the things we do, we treat — even if a guy…there’s been lots of times we get a guy with experience, and then we get the 18-year-old kid that he doesn’t really know what he wants to do and mom and dad don’t want to waste money on college. Three grand is a better investment to see if he wants to do that. They treat everybody [the same]. He starts with the basics. Obviously things change and you have to teach the system that is sent down from Umpire Development as far as coverage and things like that. Things change with the way they want to do things, depending upon who’s in charge.

GG: The basic fundamentals that they teach at umpire schools is one of the things that I remind Triple-A guys when they get here. What’s your first responsibility? Fair/foul, catch/no catch. The things that we teach from day one are the things you build on no matter what level you’re at. One of the things that I enjoy going back is to be around not only the kids who want to learn but the kids who teach. When you go to umpire school and you’re an instructor, most of the staff is made up of minor-league umpires with the supervision and help of…Hunter will bring in…Jerry Layne’s always there. David Rackley’s still there. Eddie Hickox is still there. Jordan Baker comes down. Kids that have went through the school as instructors, made it as major-league umpires. I haven’t been down for three years now.

BN: One of the things you said you’d heard of umpires who had to sleep in their cars when they were starting off.

JJ: Oh, yeah. Actually, the way I got started is that I was a player and I wanted to stay in the game. I got hurt and I couldn’t play anymore. There was a guy back in Toledo, Ohio by the name of Tom Raveshear who was a long-time minor-league umpire. He worked for the Toledo Recreation Division and I was 16 years old and I used to listen to his stories about umpiring while I was playing. When my playing days were over, I went back to him and asked him about it. He told me how tough the life was and everything, but you know what? It was still professional baseball.

BN: You played in college.

JJ: Yeah. Bowling Green State University. The Falcons. I was a pitcher.

BB: One thing I thought was interesting was that three of you on this crew were all born in Ohio. On this particular crew.

JJ: Yeah. On this particular crew.

BN: And one from Venezuela. Only you [to Carlos Torres]. You missed.

JJ: By a few miles. And a few countries.

BN: There seem to be little clusters. There’s a group of umpires that came from Connecticut. A group from Ohio. Michigan.

JJ: We were talking about that the other day. Chad was talking about how many guys are from Ohio. I don’t know how many we ended up coming up with, but there were quite a few. It’s kind of funny. We all kind of placed somewhere else, though. We met our wives or whatever.

BN: Your dad worked at Jeep? What kind of work did he do?

JJ: My dad was in charge of payroll. He went way back. He started back when it was still Willys Overland after the war when they built the Willys Jeep. Then it went to Kaiser Jeep, then it went to American Motors, and then it finally ended up Chrysler. He put in like 36 years. My mom actually worked there, too. And so did I.

BN: I knew you worked there. Greasing tie rods or something?

JJ: Yes, I greased tie rods. I worked in the press shop. I worked in the paint shop. The body shop. My dad would always get me in during spring break or summer breaks in college. Over at least five years.

BN: And fulltime for at least six months or so.

JJ: Yeah, yeah.

BN: I read your book, that’s how I knew that. You also have a special interest in Christmas lighting?

JJ: Absolutely.

BN: You put up one of those monster displays at home?

JJ: Absolutely. Absolutely. And my son has developed a knack for it. To this day, I’ll put up — well, we live in a different house now, but at my second house, I was putting up over 30,000 lights. This house, it’s scaled down to about 10,000.

BN: Your father did some umpiring?

JJ: Yes, he did. He was an amateur umpire for a while. I would follow him around a little bit. I don’t know if he just lost the interest in it or whatever, but he abruptly quit. Just quit doing it.

BN: You had already started by that time?

JJ: No, no. This was when I was just in high school ball. I never umpired until I went to umpire school. I never umpired. I just watched him. It was kind of interesting. It was a way to stay in baseball. That’s the reason I pursued it.

BN: You just decided to go to umpire school and they thought you were good enough, and you got the bug a little bit.

JJ: Yeah. That’s exactly how it goes. I spent 11 years in the minor leagues.

BN: In the early years before the leagues united, I heard that there was some real rivalry between the National League umpires and the American League umpires.

JJ: It was kind of funny because we all became — in 1982 is when they did away with the outside protector. I always wore the inside, anyway. I think it came from that. The way the two different leagues developed. American League umpires were considered high-ball umpires and National League umpires were considered low-ball umpires. When we went to the inside protector, uniform all the way across the board, there became a friendly rivalry between the American League and the National League. They were always called the Senior League. When I came up, we were a much younger staff that the National League and it was a competitive drive a little bit to show that the American League was just as good as the National League. And the National League never believed it.

BN: And the AL had the DH, too.

JJ: Exactly. That was a big thing, and it was a big thing only because with the addition of the designated hitter, the American League games increasingly started getting longer and longer. There was more offense. The National League always had the belief that their games were always shorter. I was an American League umpire for 13 years and one of our arguments was that our pitchers don’t hit and we have more offense in the game. The National League always claimed that their game was better. Without the DH.

We all came from the same place, though. We all ended up in the major leagues. And we’re all doing the same thing. I like to think it was more of a friendly rivalry.

BN: You actually saved a woman’s life one time.

JJ: Yes, I did.

BN: Jayne Powers. Do you keep in touch with her?

JJ: All the time. It’s been three years now. What was it? 2012. August 20. I just saw her three weeks ago.

It’s really strange. There’s a lot of eerie coincidences. Her birthday and my wife’s birthday are at the same time. We’re all of us very Irish. She had a vision that she was going to have a heart attack. The day before, we left late to the ballpark and I told my crew the next day that we’re leaving 20 minutes earlier because we were a little bit late. If we hadn’t left early that day, I wouldn’t have been walking down the tunnel.

She actually had a heart episode, not a heart attack per se, that only five percent of the people survive even with CPR. Everybody should know CPR. Everybody. Tanner, Chad’s son, could do CPR. You’re going to be 13? He’s going to be 13 and he could do it. I think it should be a prerequisite in school. I’m pushing for that in Oregon.

BN: I do have one question that I guess is kind of the obvious one. I would suspect that you wish that there had been replay at the time of the Galarraga game.

JJ: It would have been very beneficial. It would have spared me a lot of death threats.

BN: You really had death threats.

JJ: My whole family.

BN: I didn’t realize it had reached that point.

JJ: I’ve said ever since the incident, it was my worst day in baseball but it was also my best day in baseball. Actually, in my life. I always look at outcomes. I always look at things done for a reason. I still don’t know the reason, but a lot of good has come from it. More good than bad.

BN: Besides becoming a published author. Before that time, were you in favor of replay at all, or just really not that interested?

JJ: Probably not that interested. At that time, we already had the replay with the box for boundary calls of home runs and stuff. I think we all knew that eventually replay would evolve into what it is today. And I’ll be honest with you — I’m a fan.

BN: I think we know that the technology exists that could even call balls and strikes.

JJ: If that happens, I’m not so sure that you’ll need us.

[some interruption that prevented continuing to talk to Carlos Torres]

BN [asking Greg Gibson]: When you first joined the major-league staff, was that a result of the big transition that occurred in 1999?

GG: I’d rather not answer questions about that.

BN: OK. But that’s when you first got your opportunity.

GG: My first opportunity was when I went up in ‘97. But I got hired in ‘99.

BN: I mentioned to Jim before that it caught my eye that three of you guys were born in Ohio.

GG: I was born there, but I was raised in Kentucky.

BN: OK. Well, part of Ohio was just across the river. I notice you were involved in a couple of replay firsts.

GG: The very first one, with Frank Pulli. [May 31, 1999, in Florida, Cardinals versus Marlins] Cliff Floyd hit a ball that went off the wall; Frank called it a home run. I went to the minor leagues with Cliff Floyd and I was at second base. Cliff got to second base and he said, “Gibby, that was a home run.” And I said, “No, the ball hit the wall.” Cliff ran right to Frank. Frank was working third. Frank whistled (GG gestures the circular motion indicating rounding the bases) and gave a home run.

Well, there’s kind of a thing in the umpiring world where everybody comes out of the dugout and starts yelling at you — chances are, you might have missed it. This was back in the days before replay or anything. Frank was an old National League guy, and you just didn’t huddle. You made the call, that was the call, and that was it. We huddled.

BN: Frank overruled you?

GG: No, it was Frank’s call. It was Frank’s call all the way. But Cliff got to second base and he talked to me. Cliff and I had known each other since A ball. Cliff and I had been together for eight years, every level up through.

Cliff ran to Frank and Frank called it a home run. So we huddled. Frank was big on seniority and Greg Bonin had the plate. He said, “What have you got, Peewee?” “Ah, I don’t know, Frank.” Ed Rapuano was at first base. “What have you got, Eddie Rap?” “I don’t know, Frank. I’m not real sure, Frank.” Frank called me Hoot. Hoot Gibson. Frank had a big Italian…”Hoot, what have you got?” I said, “The ball hit the wall, Frank.” “What?” I said, “The ball hit the wall, Frank.” He said, “Where?” I said, “What do you want me to do, go out there and climb it?” I remember it like it was yesterday. I said, “What do you want me to do, go out there and draw you a big X on the scoreboard?” I said, “It hit the scoreboard.”

He said, “There’s only one way to fix this. And, with that, he turned and he started walking toward the Marlins dugout, with Greg Bonin. And I looked at Eddie Rap and I said, “Is he going to do what I think he’s going to do?” And Rap said back to me, “Like you’re going to stop him?” (laughs)

So Frank goes to the Marlins’ first-base dugout and he literally asks one of the technicians to turn the camera and around and give him the look. Well, some photographer is trying to take pictures of the whole thing. Greg Bonin grabs the guy’s camera and slams it to the ground. Breaks this guy’s real expensive camera. Anyway, it was just a mess, the whole thing was just a mess. That was the first use of instant replay.

John Boles was sick and not there. Fredi Gonzalez was the bench coach and actually the fill-in manager for the Marlins. And I had gone through the minor leagues with Fredi as a manager. So we’re getting ready to go and Fredi comes out and goes, “I want to protest. I want to play this game under protest.” We huddle again and Frank looks at me and he goes, “You’re the rules guy. What have you got?” “There’s nothing to cover this.” I said, “Frank, you’re using technology. There’s nothing to cover this.” Anyway, Frank marks up the protest. We can’t even get off the field. Runge was the supervisor. This was back and I was the only guy who had a cellphone. The first year I had a cellphone. Let’s just say it was a major, major, major…it was a big deal.

BN: You had two other firsts.

GG: Well, we had replay come into effect on boundary calls [in 2008]. I was with Charlie Reliford. Brian Runge had the call. Jerry Layne was at first base and I was at the plate. Tropicana was weird; they had these two…lines. (gestures toward roof) We huddled. Charlie looks at me and says, “What have you got?” and I said, “Brian got it right, but we’ve got it. We might as well use it.” And Charlie was like, “Okay.” So I stayed on the field, and Jerry and Charlie and Runge went off the field and used it.

And then last year, I was the infamous one. I was with Ted Barrett and kicked the crap out of a call at first base. I was the first guy to get overturned.

[March 31, 2014 at Miller Field, Braves vs. Brewers. Bottom of the sixth: BREWERS 6TH: Braun grounded out (third to first); Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez challenged the call at 1B when Ryan Braun was ruled safe; the review overturned the call, which was the first time a call was changed in the newly expanded replay system.]

So I hit the trifecta. What I want to point out is this: I was 2-for-3 with all the firsts on replay. As Meatloaf said, “Two out of three ain’t bad.” Well, that’s been me. I got two out of three right.

BN: Do you know who was in the chair at the replay center?

GG: Brian O’Nora. Mine was the first one flipped. People know I had the first one overturned but they didn’t know that I also had the first unofficial and the first official and I had both of them right.

BN: And probably 99% of all the other calls you’ve made, too.

GG: Well, they only remember you for the ones you miss. They don’t remember you for the ones you get right.

BN: You did work behind the plate for Randy Johnson’s perfect game.

GG: I did.

BN: That must have been quite a thrill in a way.

GG: Well, it’s one of those things that you really don’t think about it until it’s over.

BN: And you worked Kershaw’s no-hitter, too.

GG: Kershaw’s no-hitter, yeah.

BN: Some guys work their whole career and never have a no-hitter from behind the plate.

GG: A lot of guys.

BN: Mexico City. World Baseball Classic. Was that a different experience?

GG: Just the culture. It was fun to go and do that. The World Baseball Classic, there’s three major-league umpires and four amateur picked by the international committee. So that’s fun. You get to work with those guys and they enjoy being around us. It’s a lot of fun.

BN: Those are all the specific questions I have for you right now. Maybe I can catch up with the other guys another time. I know it’s running late.

GG: I’ll be honest with you. One of the most important things — and one of the things I enjoy most — is playing cards before the game.

BN: When you go to replay, do you usually show up there about an hour and a half before the games?

GG: No. Thirty minutes.

BN: At least you don’t have to change beforehand.

GG: It’s a nice break. It’s intense, though. It’s one of those things where you might not have anything going on and then all of a sudden you’ve got something going on over here and something going on over there. It’s a break, but when they come to the headset and they’re needing info, it gets intense. We are all about getting it right, whether we’re on the field or off the field. Our job is the integrity of the game and our job is to get it right.

No matter what a fan thinks. As a fan, you can look at a replay and I can look at a replay and you can have your opinion and I can have my opinion. But at the end of the day, what our guys do, we get it right.

BN: Chad, I wanted to ask you one question. You’re #4.

CF: Yes.

BN: Do the numbers mean anything to people?

CF: Some people, they do; some people, they don’t. Me, they don’t.

BN: That was Tim Tschida’s number.

CF: If I had a number to pick and everything’s available, I’ll take 24. Other than that, I have no….i don’t care what my number is. Is that Jerry Layne?

JJ: Yes.

CF: So if he retires and I’m able to, I’ll take 24. Other than that, I don’t care what my number is.

BN: So they just gave it to you.

CF: Something like that, yeah.

[A fuller interview with Chad Fairchild was conducted on April 20, 2016.]