Derryl Cousins

Derryl Cousins (born August 18, 1946) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB), who worked in the American League (AL) from 1979 to 1999, and umpired throughout both leagues from 2000 until his retirement following the 2012 season, ending his career as a crew chief.[1]

Derryl Cousins
Cousins in 2009
Born (1946-08-18) August 18, 1946
Fresno, California
OccupationFormer MLB umpire
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)

Cousins was hired as a replacement umpire during the 1979 Major League Umpires Strike and was the last 1979 replacement umpire to officiate in the league at the time of his retirement.

Early life and career

Derryl Cousins was born in 1946 in California. He attended El Camino College. He played minor league baseball for several seasons before entering umpiring. He started playing as a catcher with the Statesville Tigers of the Western Carolinas League. In season of 1968 he played with the Rocky Mount Leafs of the Carolina League, then with the High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms. He made a comeback with the Reno Aces of the California League in 1970.[2]

Cousins umpired in the Midwest League, Carolina League, Texas League, Pacific Coast League and Arizona Instructional League before being promoted to MLB during the 1979 umpire strike.[3]

Umpiring career

Cousins umpired in the World Series in 1988, 1999 and 2005. He also officiated in the All-Star Game in 1987, 1998 and 2008, and was behind the plate for the 2008 game at Yankee Stadium, which lasted a record 4 hours 50 minutes before ending in the 15th inning. He worked in seven League Championship Series (1985, 1989, 1995, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010), and in five Division Series (1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2007). Cousins was promoted to crew chief for the 2008 season. He also officiated in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Cousins wore uniform number 13, starting when the AL adopted numbers in 1980 – after his retirement that number was used by Todd Tichenor. Since Cousins was called up to the AL during the 1979 umpires' strike, he was not allowed to join the Major League Umpires Association, the former umpires' union which was headed by Richie Phillips. He was a member of the World Umpires Association, the new collective bargaining union of MLB umpires since 2000. Cousins was the last umpire to have worn the American League's red blazer during its tenure in the AL (from 1973–1979), and also one of the few who wore the AL's red short-sleeved shirt in the late 1990s.

For the 2012 season, Cousins was a crew chief. His 2012 crew included Jim Joyce, Ron Kulpa, and Jim Wolf. Joyce was replaced by a AAA fill-in umpire after he was promoted to acting crew chief.

He was the home plate umpire for the final game of the 2009 World Baseball Classic.[4]

Notable games
  • He was the home plate umpire for the game between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres on August 4, 2007. In the top of the second inning at San Diego, Barry Bonds of the Giants hit his 755th career home run off Clay Hensley, tying Hank Aaron for first all-time.
  • Cousins served as the second base umpire in the last game in Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2008.
  • He called his 4,000th game in Seattle on May 3, 2009, when the Seattle Mariners faced the Oakland A's.

See also

References
  1. "3 MLB Umps Hired, 3 Retired, 3 New Crew Chiefs". Close Call Sports. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  2. https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Derryl_Cousins
  3. "Umpires: Roster - Derryl Cousins". MLB.com. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  4. https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Derryl_Cousins
  5. Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees Box Score, August 4, 1985 Baseball Reference.com Retrieved 11 August 2017
  6. The Official Major League Baseball Fact Book 2002. The Sporting News. 2002. p. 161. ISBN 0-89204-670-8.
  7. Braden's perfect game 19th ever and second straight against Rays ESPN.com. Retrieved 24 July 2012
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