Umpire Fired for Breaching Airline Policy

MLB Umpire Fired for Profiting on Airline Tickets

Action constitutes breach of agreement

New York, June 20, 2001 -- Umpire Al Clark will no longer be calling balls and strikes -- at least not for Major League Baseball. According to the Associated Press, Clark was terminated by the commissioner's office "for improperly using plane tickets in violation of his union's contract." The 53-year-old Clark was in his 26th season, and was baseball's fifth-most senior umpire. He umpired in the World Series in 1983 and 1989 and was the plate umpire for Nolan Ryan's 300th win.

Reportedly, Sandy Alderson, Executive Vice President of baseball operations in the commissioner's office, stated "my only response is that he is no longer employed by major league baseball." John Hirschbeck, president of the World Umpires Association, said that he had "hoped and had pleaded with Sandy Alderson to take the route of a less severe punishment - whatever that might be - but obviously it didn't work."

According to the article, Clark denied, but was alleged in 1998 to be profiting from the sale of baseballs autographed by David Wells that were said to be from the pitcher's perfect game for the New York Yankees. Clark said that while he was present when Wells signed the balls, they were for a friend, Rich Gressle, who sold six baseballs to a memorabilia dealer for $300 each.

It was reported that major league umpires are given first-class tickets to travel to their assignments. While none of the officials would discuss how many times Clark allegedly misused tickets, officials did say that the commissioner's office concluded that Clark exchanged one or more tickets for economy class, which would allow him to either profit from the difference or use the difference for other travel.

This violates baseball's labor contract with its umpires, which says that tickets can be downgraded only with prior approval and if the purpose is to use the difference in fares to return home for off days between series. The contract prohibits downgrading for ‘financial or other gain, including leisure travel.' The article reports that one umpire said Clark was terminated because he improperly charged two plane tickets that weren't for his travel to a credit card paid for by the commissioner's office.

The Associated Press article cites the recent problem the NBA was having with their own referees for downgrading tickets, pocketing the difference, and then not declaring this on their taxes. It noted that recently twenty NBA officials pleaded guilty to conduct similar to this. Although most paid fines and were put on probation, several were reinstated by the NBA. As a precursor of what might happen to Clark, the article noted that for conduct similar to Clark's NBA referee Ken Mauer was convicted of three counts of tax evasion and one count of obstructing the administration of federal tax law. Mauer was sentenced in April to five months in jail, five months of home detention, three years of supervised release and 800 hours of community service.

Under Alderson's watch, Major League baseball has clamped down on its umpires. In September of 1999 twenty-two were dismissed following a failed mass resignation. [click here] Those\e umpires are still trying to regain their jobs in a federal lawsuit.

Sources:

ESPN.com
Ronald Blum, Associated Press

Matthew Roberts