Baseball is mourning one of its most recognizable figures behind the plate.
Bruce Froemming, a Major League Baseball umpire for 37 straight seasons, has died at 86 after suffering a fall at his Wisconsin home.
According to his son, Steven, Froemming fell just after midnight Tuesday and hit his head on a hardwood floor inside his home in Mequon, a suburb of Milwaukee. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors were unable to stop the bleeding in his brain. Froemming had been on blood thinners, which complicated efforts to save him.
For nearly four decades, Froemming was a steady presence in America’s pastime. He umpired 5,163 major league games, the third-most in MLB history at the time of his retirement in 2007. Only Bill Klem and Joe West have worked more games.
Froemming’s career began humbly. A former semipro player, he started umpiring in the minor leagues in 1958 at just 18 years old. He worked his way up through the ranks before joining the National League staff in 1971. When MLB unified its umpiring crews in 2000, he transitioned to the combined major league staff and remained there until retiring.
He was part of some of baseball’s most historic moments. Froemming worked a record 11 no-hitters during his career and was behind the plate for several memorable ones, including Milt Pappas’ near-perfect outing in 1972, as well as no-hitters thrown by Ed Halicki, Nolan Ryan, and Jose Jimenez. He also worked five World Series.
In an interview shortly before retiring, Froemming reflected on his early days in the minors.
“I thought I was in heaven — on the ballfield, professional athletes, I was starting my professional career,” he told The Associated Press. “But never did you dream at the time of going to a big league ballpark, because you had so far to go.”
He often said patience was the key to being a good umpire, acknowledging that mistakes were part of the learning process.
After stepping away from on-field duties, Froemming continued to serve the game as a special assistant to MLB’s vice president of umpiring.
He is survived by his wife of nearly seven decades, Rosemarie, whom he married in 1957, along with two sons, two grandchildren, and extended family.