Name Doug Eddings Role Umpire | Mlb debut August 16, 1998 | |
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Born September 14, 1968 (age 55)
Las Cruces, New Mexico ( 1968-09-14 ) | ||
Doug Eddings Sucks
Douglas Leon Eddings (born September 14, 1968) is an umpire in Major League Baseball.
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Umpiring style
Eddings is known for his forceful throws when giving a new ball to pitcher. Eddings can be seen stepping out of his home plate stance and delivering a hard throw straight to the pitcher on the mound. In contrast, most umpires hand a new ball to the catcher, or lightly toss the baseball to the pitcher.
A report in The Hardball Times lists Eddings as having called the largest strike zone among all Major League umpires in 2011.
Career
Eddings started umpiring Little League games at 14, and in his early career, worked throughout the minor leagues. He started working American League games in 1998, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. Prior to the White Sox-Angels series, Eddings worked AL Division Series in 2000 and 2002, as well as the 2014 National League Wild Card Game and the 2004 MLB All-Star Game. He also was the home plate umpire for Cal Ripken Jr.'s final major league game on October 6, 2001. He wears uniform number 88.
Eddings was the second base umpire for the game between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres on August 4, 2007 at San Diego when Barry Bonds tied Hank Aaron for first place on Major League Baseball's career home run list by hitting his 755th career home run.
Eddings was the home plate umpire for Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS between the White Sox and the Angels. White Sox batter A. J. Pierzynski quickly got two strikes and then swung at the third pitch, a splitter which came in very low. Angels catcher Josh Paul caught the ball so "thought the inning was over." Not hearing himself called out, Pierzynski took a couple of steps toward the dugout, then turned and ran to first base while most of the Angels were walking off the field.
Eddings had decided that the ball had not been legally caught, but made no audible call that the ball hit the ground. According to umpire supervisor Rich Reiker, the replays showed "there was definitely a change in direction there" indicating the ball touched the ground and felt, at best, the replay was inconclusive. At the time, professional umpiring mechanics did not dictate a specific no-catch signal or a "no catch" verbalization after an uncaught third strike. A mechanic has subsequently been added.