Michael Ryan DiMuro (born October 12, 1967) is a former
umpire in
Major League Baseball. In 1997, DiMuro briefly became the first American umpire to work in
Japanese baseball. On May 29, 2010, DiMuro was the home plate umpire for
Roy Halladay's
perfect game, the 20th perfect game recorded in MLB history.
Japanese baseball
In 1997, DiMuro umpired in the Japanese
Central League in an experiment designed to introduce American umpiring standards to Nippon Professional Baseball. However, DiMuro was stunned by the casual acceptance of abuse toward umpires; after he ejected
Chunichi Dragons hitter
Yasuaki Taiho
Yasuaki Taiho, also known by his Chinese name Chen Ta-Feng, (15 November 1963 – 18 January 2015) was a Taiwanese professional baseball player in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Hanshin Tigers and Chunichi Dragons. He was picked in the sec ...
from a game for arguing balls and strikes, players and the team's
manager swarmed him in protest and Taiho shoved him in the chest. Other than the ejection, there were no penalties assessed to Taiho, and after consulting with officials of both the Central League and the American League, DiMuro resigned and returned to the United States.
Personal life
DiMuro currently resides in
Colorado. Upon graduation from
Salpointe Catholic High School, he earned a BA in Communications from the
University of San Diego
The University of San Diego (USD) is a private Roman Catholic research university in San Diego, California. Chartered in July 1949 as the independent San Diego College for Women and San Diego University (comprising the College for Men and Schoo ...
in 1990. He is an FAA licensed commercial pilot. DiMuro co-founded an organization called "Blue For Kids" with fellow umpire
Marvin Hudson in 2004. The organization is now called
UMPS CARE Charities and is the official charity for Major League Umpires.
Mike's father
Lou was an
American League umpire from 1963 until 1982, when he died of injuries sustained from being hit by a car. His father also wore number 16 during his major league career. Mike's twin brother
Ray
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (g ...
also worked occasional games as a substitute umpire in the AL from 1996 to 1999. DiMuro retired on July 18, 2019, after a 20-year career.
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball umpires
References
External links
Major league profileUMPS CARE Charities
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimuro, Mike
1967 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball people in Japan
Commercial aviators
Major League Baseball umpires
People from Dunkirk, New York
American twins
Twin sportspeople
University of San Diego alumni