Erich Bacchus (born November 2, 1990) is an American professional baseball umpire. He has been an umpire in Major League Baseball since 2020 and was promoted to the full-time umpiring staff in 2023.[1] Bacchus wears uniform number 12.[1]
| Erich Bacchus | |
|---|---|
| Born: November 2, 1990 Germantown, Maryland | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 7, 2020 | |
| Crew Information | |
| Umpiring crew | 10 |
| Crew members |
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Special Assignments | |
Career
editBacchus graduated from the Wendelstedt umpiring school in 2012 and began his career in 2017, umpiring in the Arizona League, New York-Penn League, Florida Instructional League, South Atlantic League, Carolina League, Eastern League and International League. He also worked one season in the summer collegiate Coastal Plain League[2] as part of an umpire development agreement with Major League Baseball.[3] During that time, he was chosen as an umpire for the 2017 All-Star Futures Game,[4] and the 2019 International League Championship Series.[5]
He made his Major League debut on August 7, 2020 as the second base umpire during a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.[6]
On September 21, 2023, Bacchus called a near-perfect game, missing just one call at home plate in the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Francisco Giants matchup.[7] Bacchus' game was the compared to that of Pat Hoberg, who called a similarly perfect game in Game 2 of the 2022 World Series.[8]
On May 16, 2024, Bacchus ejected Houston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco for using a foreign substance on his glove while pitching. According to the umpire, it was "the stickiest stuff I’ve felt on a glove".[9] The next month, he was criticized for a call during a June 6 game between the San Diego Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks, which saw Bacchus call Jake Cronenworth out on a third-strike call on a high pitch.[10]
Bacchus has served as an instructor at the Wendelstedt Umpiring School since 2016.[11]
Personal life
editAn avid runner, Bacchus competed in a half marathon on behalf of "Umpire Cares Charities" in Holly Springs, NC.[3]
He holds dual citizenship, as a citizen of both the United States and Switzerland.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "MLB Umpire Bios". mlb.com. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "Four Former Coastal Plain League Umpires Make Their Major League Debut". costalplain.com. Coastal Plain League. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ a b "MLB Debut of Umpire Erich Bacchus". closecallsports.com. Close Call Sports & Umpire Ejection Fantasy League. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ "Umpires, official scorers & coaches announced for 2017 All-Star Game". mlb.com. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ "2019 Triple-A Postseason Rosters - PCL & IL". closecallsports.com. Close Call Sports & Umpire Ejection Fantasy League. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ "MLB Debut of Umpire Erich Bacchus". closecallsports.com. Close Call Sports & Umpire Ejection Fantasy League. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ @UmpScorecards (September 22, 2023). "Umpire: Erich Bacchus - Final: Giants 2, Dodgers 7" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Bengel, Chris (October 31, 2022). "World Series 2022: Umpire Pat Hoberg called a 'perfect game' behind the plate in Game 2". cbssports.com. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ^ McCoy, Creswell. ""It was the stickiest stuff I've felt on a glove" - Umpire Erich Bacchus opens up on Ronel Blanco's ejection for using foreign substance". sportskeeda.com. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ Capurso, Tim (June 7, 2024). "Padres Announcer Destroys Ump Over Awful Call on Game-Ending Strikeout". si.com. ABG-SI, LLC. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ Woronoff, Brent (January 23, 2023). "Play ball: Wendelstedt Umpire School safe at home in Ormond Beach". observerlocalnews.com. Observer Media Group Inc. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
External Links
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