26 Facts About Bruce Froemming

Bruce Neal Froemming is Major League Baseball Special Assistant to the Vice President on Umpiring, after having served as an umpire in Major League Baseball.

Bruce Froemming first umpired in the National League in 1971, and from 2000 to 2007 worked throughout both major leagues.

Early in the 2007 season, Froemming tied Bill Klem for the most seasons umpired.

Previously, on August 16,2006, Bruce Froemming umpired his 5,000th game between the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, making him the second umpire to reach that milestone; Klem retired after 5,374 games.

Bruce Froemming now stands third on the all-time list of games umpired, having been passed when Joe West officiated his 5,164th Major League Baseball game on August 14,2019.

Bruce Froemming worked his final regular-season game at age 68 years 2 days on September 30,2007, when Froemming received a standing ovation before umpiring his last regular-season game, manning the third base position as the Milwaukee Brewers hosted the San Diego Padres at Miller Park in his native Milwaukee, with much of his family in attendance.

Bruce Froemming became one of the NL's six crew chiefs in 1988.

Bruce Froemming refereed high school basketball games, and was recommended for the NBA by Al McGuire, but declined the opportunity when NL umpire Al Barlick helped him in his advancement to the major leagues.

Bruce Froemming worked in five World Series: 1976,1984,1988,1990 and 1995.

Bruce Froemming umpired in the League Championship Series in 1973,1977,1980,1982,1985,1989,1991,1993,1997 and 2000, all in the NL.

Bruce Froemming officiated in a record nine Division Series: 1981,1995,1996,1998,1999,2001,2002,2003 and 2007.

Bruce Froemming was the home plate umpire for the playoff games to determine the NL wild-card team in both 1998 and 1999.

Bruce Froemming umpired in the All-Star Game in 1975,1986, and 2007, calling balls and strikes for the last two contests.

Bruce Froemming was known for his extremely loud and enthusiastic strike call.

Bruce Froemming wore uniform number 6 beginning in the late 1970s, and kept the number when the umpiring staffs of the AL and NL were merged in 2000.

Bruce Froemming was the plate umpire when Milt Pappas was going for a perfect game on September 2,1972, against the San Diego Padres, but made a ball four call on the 27th batter, Larry Stahl, which cost Pappas the perfect game, though he still pitched a no-hitter.

Bruce Froemming is reviled in Philadelphia for a call in the 1977 National League Championship Series.

Bruce Froemming worked his first perfect game as the first base umpire for Dennis Martinez's perfect game on July 28,1991.

On September 3,2001, Bruce Froemming was the second base umpire for the no-hitter pitched by Bud Smith of the St Louis Cardinals.

Bruce Froemming umpired in a near no-hitter on July 26,1991, two days prior to Martinez's perfect game.

On June 28,2007, Bruce Froemming was at first base when Toronto Blue Jay Frank Thomas hit his 500th career home run off Minnesota Twins pitcher Carlos Silva.

Bruce Froemming was given a 10-day suspension without pay for the incident, which he accepted after making a public apology.

Bruce Froemming was fined in 1996 for going into the Los Angeles Dodgers' clubhouse before a game in New York against the Mets to get Mike Piazza's autograph.

Bruce Froemming told Piazza that catcher Johnny Bench refused to sign baseballs for him once and proceeded to go 0 for 4 that day with three strikeouts.

Bruce Froemming umpired in a record 11 official no-hitters in the major leagues:.

Bruce Froemming stopped the game, turned to the announcer and said, 'Get out.