crews(new CC), retirements, call up list 2025

[dumbdumb]

MLB--just yesterday--it's official.

pretty sure that, just like being eligible for a post season to start with, umpires first have to work a minimum amount of games, new hires have a minimum amount of call up games to be given credit for prior years service. just guessing, all the new full time hires have accumulated (minimum amount) enough games to be given the maximum 2 years of service credit (unless that maximum amount changed with the new contract just signed), so they will be entering as if starting their 3rd full time year and whatever salary scale and benefits that encompasses.

https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-five-umpires-receive-promotions-to-the-major-league-staff

[Velho]

That link also has the Spring Training invitees for those interested. One is a local to my LL (and I've met one or two of the others). Very cool.

[dumbdumb]

and with all the new additions info above, of the retiring, Layne is the last umpire to have been hired into professional baseball, from school and minor leagues, in the 1970's (Wendelstedt and Appalachian League in 1978 to be exact, and as a teenager 19, at that). and it looks like Layne was the last to go right in as a new hire in the 80's without being a "call up" ("option" was the term in the old days) per "retrosheet" and from the old umpire school guy i talked to.

so, we are into the 80's for umpires getting their starts in school and MiLB and later becoming MLBU full time, and only a few of those are still left but none with full time hire date for MLBU in the 80's.