Jim Wolf
Encyclopedia
James Michael Wolf is a Major League Baseball
umpire
. He joined the major league staff in 1999 after working in the Arizona Rookie League, the South Atlantic League
, the California League
, the Texas League
and the Pacific Coast League
. He wears uniform number 28. His brother Randy
currently pitches for the Milwaukee Brewers
.
pitcher Randy Wolf
, which has caused players to accuse him of having a conflict of interest. In September 2003, Florida Marlins
catcher Ivan Rodriguez
accused him of skewing calls against the Marlins during one late-season series to help the Philadelphia Phillies
, his brother's team at the time, beat the Marlins for the wild card. Pitcher Mark Redman
also inferred the same but stopped short of fully accusing him. The Marlins won the wild card that year and went on to win the World Series.
If Jim is umpiring a game that his brother pitches, he does not call balls and strikes since doing so would cause him to call pitches in favor of his brother's team. MLB generally avoids assigning him to games involving Randy's team.
Wolf drew criticism from ESPN announcers after he ejected Chicago Cubs
starting pitcher Ted Lilly
at the start of a game on June 10, 2007
against the Atlanta Braves
. Wolf ruled that Lilly had intentionally thrown at the batter's head, and immediately ejected the pitcher. While such a penalty is uncommon without a formal warning to both teams, such action is permitted by baseball's rules.
On October 4, 2001, Wolf served as third base umpire when Rickey Henderson
broke Ty Cobb
's runs scored record.
On May 9, 2010, Wolf was the home plate umpire for Dallas Braden
's perfect game
. His crew were also the umpiring officials for Armando Galarraga
's near perfect game on June 2, 2010.
On October 7, 2010, Wolf ejected Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon
after Maddon argued a call from first base umpire Jerry Meals
. Maddon claimed that Texas Rangers
third baseman Michael Young had not gone around on a check swing. The next pitch resulted in a three-run home run. Crew chief Tim Welke
said: "First base umpire Jerry Meals used his judgement. Obviously it's a judgment call. He felt it [the check swing] was close, but he felt he didn't go, and that's what he said[...] Both Jerry and plate umpire Jim Wolf, I thought, showed a lot of restraint and warned Joe a couple times. Joe kept continuing after being warned a couple times."
On July 9, 2011, Wolf was the home plate umpire when Derek Jeter
got his 3,000th hit against the Tampa Bay Rays
.
Wolf's crew includes crew chief Derryl Cousins
, Jim Joyce
, and Marvin Hudson
wild card team, has officiated two Division Series
(2007
, 2010
) and one Championship Series (2011
). He has also worked one All-Star Game (2010).
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
. He joined the major league staff in 1999 after working in the Arizona Rookie League, the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
, the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
, the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
and the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. He wears uniform number 28. His brother Randy
Randy Wolf
Randall Christopher Wolf is a left-handed pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. Randy's older brother Jim is a Major League umpire. Unlike his brother Jim and Houston Astros relief pitcher Ross Wolf, Randy is a boss...
currently pitches for the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
Umpiring career
Jim is the brother of Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
pitcher Randy Wolf
Randy Wolf
Randall Christopher Wolf is a left-handed pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. Randy's older brother Jim is a Major League umpire. Unlike his brother Jim and Houston Astros relief pitcher Ross Wolf, Randy is a boss...
, which has caused players to accuse him of having a conflict of interest. In September 2003, Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
catcher Ivan Rodriguez
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
accused him of skewing calls against the Marlins during one late-season series to help the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, his brother's team at the time, beat the Marlins for the wild card. Pitcher Mark Redman
Mark Redman
Mark Allen Redman is a retired Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher.-Early career:...
also inferred the same but stopped short of fully accusing him. The Marlins won the wild card that year and went on to win the World Series.
If Jim is umpiring a game that his brother pitches, he does not call balls and strikes since doing so would cause him to call pitches in favor of his brother's team. MLB generally avoids assigning him to games involving Randy's team.
Wolf drew criticism from ESPN announcers after he ejected Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
starting pitcher Ted Lilly
Ted Lilly
Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Lilly III , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws left-handed...
at the start of a game on June 10, 2007
2007 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion – [Boston Red Sox]*Postseason – October 2 to October 28Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
against the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. Wolf ruled that Lilly had intentionally thrown at the batter's head, and immediately ejected the pitcher. While such a penalty is uncommon without a formal warning to both teams, such action is permitted by baseball's rules.
On October 4, 2001, Wolf served as third base umpire when Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
broke Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
's runs scored record.
On May 9, 2010, Wolf was the home plate umpire for Dallas Braden
Dallas Braden
Dallas Lee Braden is a left-handed pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. He was drafted out of Texas Tech University in the twenty fourth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft by the Athletics...
's perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
. His crew were also the umpiring officials for Armando Galarraga
Armando Galarraga
Armando Antonio Galarraga is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Galarraga made his Major League Baseball debut with the Texas Rangers on September 15, 2007...
's near perfect game on June 2, 2010.
On October 7, 2010, Wolf ejected Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon
Joe Maddon
Joseph John Maddon is the Major League Baseball manager for the Tampa Bay Rays.He previously served as interim manager of the Anaheim Angels in both 1996 and 1999. He was also a long-time bench coach for the team.-Early life and career:Maddon attended Lafayette College, where he played baseball...
after Maddon argued a call from first base umpire Jerry Meals
Jerry Meals
Gerald William "Jerry" Meals is a Major League Baseball umpire.Meals was part of the National League umpire crew from 1992 to 1999, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. He worked in the 2008 NLCS between Philadelphia and Los Angeles and at the 2002 MLB All-Star Game in Milwaukee...
. Maddon claimed that Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
third baseman Michael Young had not gone around on a check swing. The next pitch resulted in a three-run home run. Crew chief Tim Welke
Tim Welke
Timothy James Welke is an umpire in Major League Baseball who was named to the American League staff prior to the 1984 season, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. He has been a crew chief since 2000, and currently wears uniform number 3...
said: "First base umpire Jerry Meals used his judgement. Obviously it's a judgment call. He felt it [the check swing] was close, but he felt he didn't go, and that's what he said[...] Both Jerry and plate umpire Jim Wolf, I thought, showed a lot of restraint and warned Joe a couple times. Joe kept continuing after being warned a couple times."
On July 9, 2011, Wolf was the home plate umpire when Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
got his 3,000th hit against the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
.
Wolf's crew includes crew chief Derryl Cousins
Derryl Cousins
Derryl Cousins is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the American League from 1979 to 1999, and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He has umpired in the World Series in 1988, 1999 and 2005...
, Jim Joyce
Jim Joyce
James A. "Jim" Joyce III is a Major League Baseball umpire who has worked in the American League from 1987 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He wears uniform number 66...
, and Marvin Hudson
Marvin Hudson
Marvin Lee Hudson is a Major League Baseball umpire who began his career in the National League in . He has officiated in the 2004 All-Star Game and two Division Series . He wears uniform number 51.Hudson graduated from Marietta High School in 1982 and Piedmont College in 1986...
Post-season and All-Star games
Wolf was the right field umpire for the single-game playoff to decide the NL's 20072007 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion – [Boston Red Sox]*Postseason – October 2 to October 28Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
wild card team, has officiated two Division Series
Division Series
In baseball, the Division Series is the official name for the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Currently, a total of four series are played in this opening round, two each for both the American League and the National League.-1981 season:...
(2007
2007 American League Division Series
-Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees:-Game 1, October 3:Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsIn Game 1, Boston starter Josh Beckett threw a complete-game shut out, allowing the Red Sox to win the opener...
, 2010
2010 American League Division Series
The 2010 American League Division Series were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 American League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth "Wild Card" team played in two series from October 6 to October 12...
) and one Championship Series (2011
2011 American League Championship Series
The 2011 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the winners of the 2011 American League Division Series, the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers, against each other for the American League championship and the right to be the league's representative in the 2011 World...
). He has also worked one All-Star Game (2010).