| Mike Everitt | |
|---|---|
 Everitt in 2011 | |
| Born: (1964-08-22)August 22, 1964 (age 61) Gallup, New Mexico, U.S. | |
| debut | |
| June 20, 1996 | |
| Last appearance | |
| October 19, 2019 | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Special Assignments |
Mike G. Everitt (born August 22, 1964[1]) is an American formerMajor League Baseballumpire, who wore number 57. He worked in theAmerican League from 1996 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2019.
Everitt attendedAztec High School inAztec, New Mexico. He played several sports at the school and graduated in 1982. He appeared in that year'sConnie Mack World Series.[2]
Over his major league career, Everitt has worked theAll-Star Game one time2006, theWild Card Game three times (2013,2016,2019), theDivision Series nine times (2001,2004,2005,2006,2007,2009,2012,2015,2017), theLeague Championship Series 6.5 times (2002,2003,2008,2011,2013,2016, and the second half of the2019 series starting in Game 4 after Jeff Nelson was removed after injury in Game 3), and the2006 All-Star Game.[1] Everitt has also umpired theWorld Series three times (2007,[3]2009[4] and2015). Everitt was named a crew chief in February 2017.
Everitt was the first base umpire forRickey Henderson's3,000th hit on October 7, 2001; that game was alsoTony Gwynn's final MLB game.[5]
Everitt was the first base umpire on July 30, 2017, whenAdrián Beltré of theTexas Rangers got his3000th careerhit against theBaltimore Orioles.
On April 22, 2000, Everitt was the home plate umpire for a game between theDetroit Tigers andChicago White Sox which featured two bench-clearing brawls, 11 ejections and 16 player suspensions which totaled 82 games. ManagersPhil Garner of Detroit andJerry Manuel of Chicago were each suspended eight games.
Everitt worked the2003 National League Championship Series and was the left field umpire during Game 6, in whichChicago Cubs fanSteve Bartman arguably preventedCubs left fielderMoisés Alou from catching a foul pop up hit byFlorida Marlins second basemanLuis Castillo. Everitt ruled that the ball would have landed in the stands without Bartman's interference, and therefore Castillo was not out. Alou andMark Prior vehemently protested the call to no avail and the Marlins proceeded to score 8 runs to win Game 6 and later the series.
During aSan Diego Padres vs. Cubs game in Chicago, on June 16, 2007, Everitt was the plate umpire. Padres pitcherChris Young hit Cubs first basemanDerrek Lee up and in with a pitch. Rather than getting in between Lee and Young as Lee exchanged words with Young, Everitt instead was talking to Padres catcherRob Bowen about an unknown subject. Lee ended up throwing a punch at Young, who threw a punch back, starting a benches-clearing brawl. Young, Lee, and others were ejected. Cubs play-by-play announcerLen Kasper criticized and questioned Everitt for not getting in between Lee and Young to prevent a brawl.
During Game 4 of the 2009 World Series, between theNew York Yankees and thePhiladelphia Phillies,Pedro Feliz hit a two-out single withRyan Howard on second. There was a play at the plate and replay shows that Howard clearly - barely but clearly - missed home. However, the ball rolled away from Yankee catcherJorge Posada andCC Sabathia, backing up the play, threw to second to try to get Feliz going to second. It was at that point that Mike Everitt signaled Howard was safe at the plate, the correct ruling. Howard had not touched home, but had not been tagged out either: there was no call to make until Sabathia tried to make a play on Feliz, therefore losing the right to appeal that Howard missed home.
On August 20, 2013, after theBoston Red Sox lost to theSan Francisco Giants on a walk-off walk to batterMarco Scutaro, Red Sox starting pitcherJake Peavy openly criticized plate umpire Everitt, stating, "The last pitch [called ball four] was a strike...At the end of the day, for an umpire not to make the call to cost us a game, that's extremely unfortunate." Replays, however, indicate the pitch was located off the outer edge of home plate and correctly ruled a ball.[6]
On June 30, 2016, in a game versus the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, Everitt permitted the Kansas City Royals to challenge a double-play call at first base despite both teams having returned to their dugouts. Under normal MLB rules, both teams retiring to their dugouts would make the play no longer eligible for replay, but Everitt gave the Royals - as described by Everitt to Matheny - a "courtesy". St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny was immediately ejected for raising the point with Everitt.[7]
On August 27, 2016, in a game between theLos Angeles Angels andDetroit Tigers atComerica Park, Everitt made several contested strike calls against Detroit hitters, resulting in the eventual ejection of Tigers designated hitterVictor Martinez, ManagerBrad Ausmus, and Hitting CoachWally Joyner, and right fielderJ. D. Martinez in three separate incidents.[8]
