BASEBALL
Mike Everitt saw plenty during his MLB umpire career
New Mexico native and 近距离内射合集 grad was involved in one of the big league's most notable games
The group was huddled in left field. It was a mix of hopefuls and dreamers looking to further their path in a profession that tends to lend itself to torrents of criticisms. But this was more about simply trying to learn.
They had already run through the drills and instructions that made up the important part of Saturday鈥檚 umpire camp at Isotopes Park. This bit, the one at the end, offered a chance to gain a different kind of insight from the instructors who had umpired in Major League Baseball for a collective 220 seasons and worked a combined 14 World Series.
So, one by one, questions were offered up and a response given. And then a shout came from the right side of the crowd. Someone wanted to know if there was a favorite memory or call that stood out from all those games across all those seasons.
It was also the kind of question that allowed Rich Rieker, MLB鈥檚 director of umpire development, to usher Mike Everitt forward with the look that there was indeed a tale to tell.
But the New Mexico native who called MLB games for 24 years, worked an All-Star Game, 16 playoff series and three World Series, and was on hand for both Ricky Henderson鈥檚 and Adri谩n Beltr茅 3,000th career hits, as well as Tony Gwynn鈥檚 final game, had a question of his own.
鈥淗ow many of you are Cubs fans?鈥� Everitt asked.
Hands went up. Everitt, who was born in Gallup and grew up in Aztec, was off from there.
Oct. 14, 2003. Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. The Florida 鈥� not Miami yet 鈥� Marlins were playing at the Chicago Cubs. Chicago held a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning, leading the best-of-seven series three games to two. Luis Castillo was at bat for the Marlins.
鈥�(The Cubs) were five outs away from going to the World Series,鈥� Everitt said. 鈥淎nd the ball goes down the left-field line. It wanders over the stands and there鈥檚 fans flying all over the place, and some guy by the name of 鈥︹��
He let the group finish the thought. Plenty happily obliged: 鈥�.鈥�
You know the person and the play. Bartman was the fan who deflected the ball while Cubs outfielder Mois茅s Alou attempted to make the catch near the wall.
鈥淚 was the left-field umpire who had to determine whether it was fan interference or not,鈥� Everitt picked back up. 鈥淚 said it was in the stands. That was early on in my career. It was my first LCS.鈥�
The Cubs collapsed. They lost that game 8-3. Then they lost the next game 9-6, and the series. Bartman was blamed. The franchise didn鈥檛 return to the NLCS until 2015. The Marlins, meanwhile, went on to beat the New York Yankees in the 2003 World Series.
鈥淚 feel bad for Steve Bartman,鈥� Everitt said. 鈥淭hat could have been me. We could have been talking about Mike Everitt. I feel horrible that they treated him that way. I鈥檓 confident if there was replay, it would have gotten called in the stands.鈥�
It鈥檚 hardly the only story Everitt had. And all of them 鈥� the ones he wanted to share, at least 鈥� involved some kind of date.
There were those three World Series in 2007, 2009 and 2015.
And, of course, June 20, 1996. Everitt鈥檚 first MLB game. The Toronto Blue Jays at the then-Oakland Athletics. A game Everitt worked behind the plate.
鈥淚 was extremely nervous,鈥� Everitt said with a laugh. 鈥淐otton mouth, back leg was shaking during warmup pitches. 鈥� The lights turned on and I had never seen lights like that. Then, I see a red light pop in my peripheral. I said, 鈥極h, my God. This game is on TV.鈥欌��
Everitt, now 61, was 12 when those who ran the little league he was in came around asking if anyone would be interested in umpiring the younger age group. No one volunteered. At least until they heard what an honest hour or two of work paid.
鈥淭hey offered a hotdog and a Coke,鈥� Everitt said. 鈥淚 told them I was in. They started paying me $5 next season.鈥�
It continued from there.
But it was his time at New Mexico State that might have helped the most.
鈥淢y playing ability was not going to take me (Division I) or any of that, so I went to college on a music scholarship,鈥� said Everitt, who still sends people a happy birthday with a video of him playing the song on his trumpet. 鈥淚 was gonna teach and coach, and then I met someone at the intramural department that went to umpire school. He suggested I go, so I looked into it, packed up my 1978 Mercury Monarch and went to Florida.鈥�
Safe to say, he passed.
It led to a 12-year stint umpiring in the minor leagues before getting that first big-league assignment in 1996. By 2001, Everitt was calling his first playoff game. In 2017, he was promoted to crew chief and hired as an three years later.
In all, Everitt called , that 2003 night in Chicago included.
He ejected 88 players, including the likes of Rod Carew and Mark McGwire, and managers such as Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, Bruce Bochy, Joe Girardi and Terry Francona. San Diego Padres pitcher Matt Strahm was the final person he tossed 鈥� June 15, 2019. (For what it鈥檚 worth, Francona remains one of Everitt鈥檚 favorite managers. The least favorite? Well, he went unnamed.)
So, was it all worth it?
鈥淥h, yeah,鈥� Everitt said. 鈥淎ll of it was part of my journey. I had to work hard for it, but I think sometimes things happen for a reason. 鈥� I also believe that I couldn鈥檛 have made it and I would have been okay. Now, it would have been a kick in the gut. But there were times in the minor leagues I had to pick myself up because there were times I thought I was going to get released. But it was all worth it.鈥�
David Glovach covers New Mexico 近距离内射合集 and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X .
