Jerry Meals
Encyclopedia
Gerald William "Jerry" Meals (born on October 20, 1961 in Butler, Pennsylvania
) is a Major League Baseball
umpire.
Meals was part of the National League
umpire crew from 1992 to 1999, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. He worked in the 2008 NLCS
between Philadelphia
and Los Angeles
and at the 2002 MLB All-Star Game in Milwaukee
. Between 1999 and 2010, he also took part in several Division Series
.
Meals lives in Perry Township, Ohio
and graduated from Salem High School
in 1979. He is married to Robyn Meals and has five children.
and the Atlanta Braves
. While both teams have played more innings in one game, this game was the longest with respect to length of time in Pirates history. Pirates catcher Michael McKenry
received the ball and appeared to tag Braves runner Julio Lugo
three feet in front of home plate but Meals called him safe and the Braves won the game. Many writers have criticized Meals for this call and the Pirates issued a public complaint. Major League Baseball confirmed the call was incorrect shortly after Meals also himself admitted, upon video review of the play, that he made the wrong call. Following the incident, Meals and his family received death threats at their home. Meals' wife reported that their children, who ranged between 14 and 23 at the time of the incident, were also "approached".
Butler, Pennsylvania
The city of Butler is the county seat of Butler County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, situated north of Pittsburgh. The population was 15,121 at the 2000 census.- History :...
) is a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
umpire.
Meals was part of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
umpire crew from 1992 to 1999, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. He worked in the 2008 NLCS
2008 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Thursday, October 9, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDerek Lowe and Cole Hamels faced each other at Citizens Bank Park for Game 1. In the first inning, Manny Ramírez missed a home run by mere feet to center field and settled for an RBI double to give LA a 1–0 lead,...
between Philadelphia
2008 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2008 season was the 126th in the history of the franchise. The team finished with a regular season record of 92–70, first in the National League East. In the post-season, the Phillies won the World Series; this was the first major sports championship for...
and Los Angeles
2008 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers season features the Dodgers celebrating their Golden Anniversary in Southern California under new manager Joe Torre as they won the National League West for the first time since 2004, and returned to the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2007. They swept the...
and at the 2002 MLB All-Star Game in Milwaukee
Miller Park
Miller Park is a ballpark located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is home to the Milwaukee Brewers and was completed in 2001 as a replacement for Milwaukee County Stadium. The park is located just southwest of the intersection of I-94, US-41, and Miller Park Way . The title sponsor is the Miller...
. Between 1999 and 2010, he also took part in several Division Series
Division Series
In baseball, the Division Series is the official name for the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Currently, a total of four series are played in this opening round, two each for both the American League and the National League.-1981 season:...
.
Meals lives in Perry Township, Ohio
Perry Township, Columbiana County, Ohio
Perry Township is one of the eighteen townships of Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 17,049 people in the township, 4,852 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
and graduated from Salem High School
Salem High School (Ohio)
Salem High School is a public high school in Salem, Ohio, USA. It is the only high school in the Salem City School district. Since 2006 the building has also housed Salem Junior High School, for grades 7 and 8, though it is administered separately from the high school. As of the 2009–2010...
in 1979. He is married to Robyn Meals and has five children.
2011 Braves-Pirates 19th Inning Missed Call
On July 26, 2011 Meals made a controversial call in the 19th inning of a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates2011 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the Pirates' 125th season as a member of Major League Baseball and 130th season overall. The season was the first with manager Clint Hurdle, who was hired to replace the fired John Russell...
and the Atlanta Braves
2011 Atlanta Braves season
The 2011 Atlanta Braves season was the Braves' 46th season in Atlanta, and the 136th of the franchise. For the first time since the 1990 season, Bobby Cox did not manage the club, having retired following the 2010 season. He was succeeded by Fredi González, the former third-base coach for the...
. While both teams have played more innings in one game, this game was the longest with respect to length of time in Pirates history. Pirates catcher Michael McKenry
Michael McKenry
Michael Charles McKenry is an American professional baseball catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball.-Career:...
received the ball and appeared to tag Braves runner Julio Lugo
Julio Lugo
Julio Cesar Lugo is a Dominican professional baseball infielder but is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed. Lugo is the older brother of baseball pitcher Ruddy Lugo....
three feet in front of home plate but Meals called him safe and the Braves won the game. Many writers have criticized Meals for this call and the Pirates issued a public complaint. Major League Baseball confirmed the call was incorrect shortly after Meals also himself admitted, upon video review of the play, that he made the wrong call. Following the incident, Meals and his family received death threats at their home. Meals' wife reported that their children, who ranged between 14 and 23 at the time of the incident, were also "approached".