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Bruce Froemming, Record-Setting MLB Umpire, Dies at 86 After Fall

He spent 37 seasons on the field, ranking third in games worked.

Overview

  • His son said he struck his head in a fall at his Mequon, Wisconsin, home, causing a brain bleed that doctors could not stop because he was on blood thinners.
  • Froemming umpired 5,163 major-league games from 1971 to 2007, placing him behind Bill Klem and Joe West on the all-time list.
  • He was on crews for a record 11 no-hitters, working the plate for Milt Pappas (1972), Ed Halicki (1975), Nolan Ryan (1981) and José Jiménez (1999), and at first for Dennis Martinez’s 1991 perfect game.
  • His postseason résumé included five World Series, a record 10 National League Championship Series, and three All-Star Games.
  • After retiring, he served as a special assistant in MLB’s umpiring office, while his long career also included a 2003 suspension over an offensive voicemail.