4 new umps as Hirschbeck, Welke, Davidson, Joyce retire
NEW YORK (AP) Jim Joyce has joined John Hirschbeck, Tim Welke and Bob Davidson in retiring from Major League Baseball's umpire staff.
The commissioner's office said Tuesday that Adam Hamari, Pat Hoberg, Gabe Morales and Carlos Torres have been promoted to the full-time staff.
Joyce was the first base umpire at Detroit on June 2, 2010, when he incorrectly ruled Cleveland's Jason Donald reached first base safely on a two-out, ninth-inning grounder, costing Armando Galarraga a perfect game. Joyce apologized after the game, and in 2014 Major League Baseball launched a video review system designed to aid umpires.
Hirschbeck, the crew chief in last year's World Series and a big league umpire since 1984, had announced his planned retirement last year, as did Welke and Davidson. Hirschbeck and Welke - who was sidelined by knee injuries - were 33-year veterans. Davidson worked his first big league game in 1982.
Hirschbeck and Welke are part of the only brother big league umpire tandems. Mark Hirschbeck retired in 2003 and Bill Welke remains an active umpire.
Hamari, 33, has worked 485 big league games since his first major league spring training in 2012 as a call-up umpire from the minors, and he was behind the plate when San Francisco's Tim Lincecum pitched a no-hitter against San Diego in 2014. Hoberg, 30, has worked 371 big league games since his first major league spring training in 2014. Morales, 32, has officiated 420 since 2014. Torres, 38, has worked 179 since 2015.
A Venezuelan native, Torres is the first full-time big league staff member to emerge from MLB's Umpire Camps initiative.
Paul Emmel, Mike Everitt and Sam Holbrook have been promoted to crew chiefs to replace Hirschbeck, Joyce and Welke.
