Mike Winters

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This article is about the baseball umpire. For the comedian, see Mike Winters (comedian).
Mike Winters
Mike Winters 2011.jpg
Winters in 2011
Born: (1958-11-19) November 19, 1958 (age 63)
Oceanside, California
debut
July 9, 1988
Last appearance
August 4, 2019
Career highlights and awards
Special Assignments

Michael John Winters (born November 19, 1958) is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League from 1988 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2019, wearing number 33. For the 2011 season, Winters was named a crew chief following the retirements of Jerry Crawford, Mike Reilly, and Chuck Meriwether.

Umpiring career[]

He umpired in the minor leagues from 1982 to 1989 before joining the NL's regular staff in 1990. Winters wore uniform number 33 his entire career. He has officiated the All-Star Game in 1995, 2007, 2010, and 2016, the Division Series in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2018, the League Championship Series in 1997, 2004, 2008, 2011, and 2012, and the 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2015 World Series. He was crew chief for the Division Series in 1998, 1999, 2014, and 2018. Winters opted out as the 2020 Major League Baseball season, which was delayed and shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2021, he formally retired.[1]

Controversy[]

On September 23, 2007, Winters was accused of "baiting" San Diego Padres outfielder Milton Bradley in a game against the Colorado Rockies. When Bradley came to the plate in the eighth inning, plate umpire Brian Runge asked him if he had thrown his bat toward Runge following a strikeout in the fifth inning. Bradley denied having done so and asked Runge if Winters had told him that. Runge said Winters had not. After reaching first base, Bradley asked Winters if he had told Runge that Bradley had thrown his bat toward Runge, and Winters told him that he had indeed thrown his bat.[2] Bradley began arguing about the allegation, and Winters replied that he should "shut the fuck up and play the game," whereupon Bradley continued to argue and complained that Winters was "treating him like a piece of shit."[3] Winters reportedly replied that Bradley was a "fucking piece of shit," after which Bradley lunged at Winters and tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his knee while being restrained by manager Bud Black. Bradley later called Winters' reaction "the most unprofessional and most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. It's terrible. And now, because of him, my knee's hurt." Three days later, Major League Baseball suspended Winters for the remainder of the 2007 season due to his aiming a profanity at Bradley. Without one of their big bats for the final week, San Diego missed the playoffs via a tiebreaker game.

Former Giants player Charlie Hayes also accused Winters of telling him to "go fuck himself" after Hayes was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in a June 1998 game, after which Hayes had to be restrained by then manager Dusty Baker. Winters denied that he had said that.[4]

Notable games[]

On August 17, 1992, Winters was the home plate umpire for Kevin Gross' no-hitter.[5]

On June 28, 2007, Winters was at second base when Toronto Blue Jay Frank Thomas hit his 500th career home run off Minnesota Twins pitcher Carlos Silva. Later in the game, Thomas was ejected by plate umpire Mark Wegner for arguing balls and strikes, with Toronto manager John Gibbons also getting thrown out.[6]

He was chosen as one of the umpires for the one-game Wild Card playoff between the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals on October 5, 2012.[7]

On July 13, 2013, Winters served as the third base umpire for Tim Lincecum's no-hitter vs San Diego, his first no-hitter as a crew chief.[8]

Winters served as one of three MLB umpire representatives for the November 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series.[9]

Winters was chosen as the crew chief in the 2017 American League Wild Card Game.

Personal life[]

Winters went to college at San Diego State University and he currently lives in Carlsbad, California. He completed the New York City Marathon in 2007.[10]

See also[]

List of Major League Baseball umpires

References[]

  1. ^ Walker, Ben (9 February 2021). "Call it a career: MLB ump Mike Winters opted out in '20, now done". Spokesman-Reivew. Associated Press. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  2. ^ "MLB suspends umpire over Milton Bradley spat". CBC Sports. 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
  3. ^ "How much does batshit crazy cost?". Desipio. 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
  4. ^ Schulman, Henry (2007-09-25). "Padres' GM thinks S.F. will look to the stars". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  5. ^ Retrosheet Boxscore: Los Angeles Dodgers 2, San Francisco Giants 0. Retrosheet.org.
  6. ^ Momentum of Thomas' 500th homer erased as Twins rally. ESPN.com. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
  7. ^ Umpires for Wild Card Games, Division Series announced Darling, Kellogg Will Serve As Crew Chiefs for Wild Card Games; Davis, DeMuth, Gorman and West Assigned to Lead Division Series Crews. MLB.com. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  8. ^ "Freak No-Hitter: Lincecum Dices Padres for 2013 No-No 2." Close Call Sports and the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League. July 14, 2013.
  9. ^ Imber, Gil (November 11, 2014). "Roster: 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series". Close Call Sports & Umpire Ejection Fantasy League.
  10. ^ "UEFL Profile of MLB Umpire: Mike Winters." Close Call Sports and the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League. March 8, 2013.

External links[]

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