Chuck Meriwether facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chuck Meriwether
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Meriwether in 2009
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| Born |
Julius Edward Meriwether
June 30, 1956 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
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| Died | October 26, 2019 (aged 63) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
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| Occupation | MLB umpire Umpire supervisor |
| Years active | 1987–2009 |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
Julius Edward "Chuck" Meriwether (born June 30, 1956 – died October 26, 2019) was a well-known baseball umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). An umpire is a person who makes sure the rules are followed during a game. Chuck Meriwether worked in the American League (AL) from 1988 to 1999. After that, he umpired in both the American and National Leagues until 2009. He wore number 32 for many years, but changed to number 14 in 2004.
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Chuck Meriwether's Umpiring Career
After finishing college at Athens State College in 1978, Chuck Meriwether started his umpiring journey. He began in the minor leagues in 1979. He worked his way up to the American League by 1988.
Big Games and Special Moments
Chuck Meriwether umpired in some of baseball's biggest games. He was an umpire in the 2004 World Series and the 2007 World Series. The World Series is the championship series of Major League Baseball. He also worked in the All-Star Game twice, in 1996 and 2002.
He was also part of many important playoff series. These included the 2003 National League Championship Series and the 2006 American League Championship Series. He also umpired in eight Division Series games.
Perfect Games Umpired
Chuck Meriwether was on the field for two very rare baseball events: perfect games. A perfect game is when a pitcher faces the minimum number of batters (27) and none of them reach base.
- He was the third base umpire for David Cone's perfect game on July 18, 1999.
- He was the second base umpire for Mark Buehrle's perfect game on July 23, 2009.
Breaking Barriers in Baseball
When Chuck Meriwether joined the American League, he became only the fifth African American umpire in Major League history. He was the first African American umpire in the American League since Emmett Ashford retired in 1970.
He was behind home plate when the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years in 2004. This was a special moment because the Red Sox were the last team to have African American players join their roster. He was also behind home plate when they won the World Series again in 2007.
Retirement and Later Role
Chuck Meriwether worked with fellow umpire Eric Cooper in 2004 and 2009. Eric Cooper sadly passed away just six days before Meriwether.
Meriwether missed the 2010 season due to injury. He officially retired from umpiring on February 23, 2011. After his retirement, he continued to work in baseball as a supervisor of MLB umpires. In 2016, the umpire dressing room at Nashville's First Horizon Park was named after him.
Chuck Meriwether's Personal Life
Chuck Meriwether had a son named Chris. Chris played basketball as a point guard for the Vanderbilt University basketball team from 2008 to 2010.
Chuck Meriwether passed away at his home in Nashville on October 26, 2019. He was 63 years old and had been battling cancer. Later that same evening, there was a moment of silence to remember him before Game 4 of the World Series.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball umpires
