ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Umpire Larry Vanover plans to retire, ending a big league career that started in 1991.
Vanover’s wife and son took out the lineup card to the pregame meeting at the plate before Sunday’s game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays.
The Kentucky-born Vanover, 69, was honored with a message on the scoreboard during the first inning and received an ovation from the fans.
His crew is not scheduled to work during the final week of the regular season.
Vanover worked in the South Atlantic League, Midwest League, Southern League, American Association, Pacific Coast League, International League and Venezuelan League.
He umpired his first big league game on June 25, 1991, working third base for the Montreal Expos’ game at the New York Mets, and joined the major league staff in 1993. He was among the 22 umpires who lost their jobs during a mass resignation in September 1999, then was among five rehired for the 2002 season.
On March 31, 2014, he made the first call in the history of expanded video review, confirming an out call at first base in the top of the fifth inning of the Pittsburgh Pirates-Chicago Cubs opener at Wrigley Field.
After serving as an interim crew chief in 2014, Vanover became a crew chief for the 2015 season.
Vanover worked the 2016 World Series and was behind the plate for the opener between the Cubs and Cleveland. His 2014 regular season concluded with plate duties in Derek Jeter’s final game on Sept. 28, 2014, at Boston’s Fenway Park.
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