Mark Wegner
| Mark Wegner | |
|---|---|
 Wegner in 2012 |
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| Born | March 4, 1972 Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| Occupation | MLB umpire |
| Height | 5' 8" |
| Weight | 180 lb |
Mark Patrick Wegner (born March 4, 1972) is a Major League Baseball umpire. He has worked in the National League in 1998-1999, and throughout both major leagues since 2000.
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Umpiring career[edit]
Wegner has umpired in three Division Series (2003, 2004 and 2005), as well as the 2007 National League Championship Series and the 2008 All-Star Game. Wegner wears uniform number 47. He is a member of crew B, along with Jerry Meals, Dan Iassogna and crew chief Dale Scott.
Controversy[edit]
On June 2, 2007, Wegner was involved in a heated argument with Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella. After Wegner ruled that Ángel Pagán was out at third on an attempted steal, Piniella, who later acknowledged the call was right, stormed out of the dugout, throwing his hat and kicking dirt on Wegner. Piniella would be ejected and given a four-game suspension and he later apologized to Wegner.[1]
In 2012, following Wegner's ejection of Chicago White Sox rookie pitcher José Quintana for throwing a pitch behind Ben Zobrist and White Sox manager Robin Ventura’s ejection for arguing the call, Chicago announcer Hawk Harrelson lashed out Wegner on the air, saying: "I'll tell you what, they have got to start making guys be accountable. That is totally absurd. Here's an umpire in the American League that knows nothing about the game of baseball. They have got to do something about this. They have got some guys in this league that have no business umpiring. They have no business umpiring because they don't know what the game of baseball is about."
Notable games[edit]
On June 28, 2007, Wegner was behind the plate 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 Wegner for arguing balls and strikes. Toronto manager John Gibbons was thrown out of the game as well.[2]
Personal[edit]
A Catholic known for his charity work,[3] Wegner has been involved in church activities and BLUE for kids, a charity founded by fellow MLB umpires Mike DiMuro and Marvin Hudson.
At 5'8" tall, Wegner and fellow crew member Jerry Meals are the shortest umpires in Major League Baseball.
See also[edit]
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References[edit]
- ^ "Piniella suspended four games by Major League Baseball". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- ^ Momentum of Thomas' 500th homer erased as Twins rally. ESPN.com. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- ^ Wiering, Maria. "A hero behind home plate: MLB umpire feeds hungry at Our Daily Bread," The Catholic Review (Archdiocese of Baltimore), September 7, 2012.
