Quinn Wolcott (born June 17, 1986) is an American
umpire
An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...
in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
. He wears number 81.
Before the Major Leagues, Wolcott worked in the Northwest (2006), Midwest (2007), Carolina (2007-2008), Southern (2009-2010), and Pacific Coast Leagues (2011-2012).
Early years
At
Emerald Ridge High School
Emerald Ridge High School is a high school in the Puyallup School District of Washington, United States and is commonly referred to as ERHS or simply ER. Emerald Ridge opened in September 2000. It features green, black and silver as its primary col ...
in
Puyallup, Washington
Puyallup ( or ) is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States, located about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Tacoma and 35 miles (56 km) south of Seattle. It had a population of 42,973 at the 2020 census. The city's name comes from th ...
, Wolcott played baseball and officiated local high school football games. He also played
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
for the concert band, winning a regional solo contest for his performance. After graduating from Emerald Ridge in 2005, Wolcott initially enrolled in
Pierce College
Pierce College may refer to:
* Pierce College (Washington)
* Los Angeles Pierce College
** Pierce College station
See also
* Peirce College
* Franklin Pierce University
Franklin Pierce University is a private university in Rindge, New Hampsh ...
, but decided to attend umpiring school instead.
Career
Wolcott attended the
Jim Evans Academy for Professional Umpiring in 2006, and at the age of 19 subsequently was the youngest umpire hired to the
minor leagues
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...
that year. He made his Major League debut on May 27, 2013, working both games of a
doubleheader between the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
and
Texas Rangers.
Wolcott was hired to the full-time Major League umpire roster on July 4, 2014, to replace
Gary Darling
Gary Richard Darling (born October 9, 1957) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball. After beginning his career in the National League from to 1999, he worked throughout both major leagues from 2002 until his retirement in 2014. He wore unif ...
, who had retired. At the age of 28, Wolcott was the youngest Major League umpire on the roster.
Wolcott's first postseason assignment was the
2016 National League Wild Card Game
The 2016 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2016 postseason played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. As both teams finishe ...
between the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
and
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
.
On September 14, 2017, Wolcott initiated a minor controversy by hinting that Detroit Tigers pitcher
Buck Farmer
George Runie "Buck" Farmer (born February 20, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers.
Early life
Farmer attended Rockdale ...
and catcher
John Hicks might have conspired to hit him intentionally after a controversial call that got then manager
Brad Ausmus
Bradley David Ausmus (; born April 14, 1969) is an American former professional baseball manager and catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). In his 18-year MLB playing career, Ausmus played for the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Houston Ast ...
ejected. However, the MLB found no solid evidence to back up that claim.
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball umpires
The following is a list of major league baseball umpires. The list includes umpires who worked in any of four 19th century major leagues (American Association, National Association, Players' League, Union Association), one defunct 20th century m ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
* Career statistics and umpiring information fro
RetrosheetMLB Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolcott, Quinn
1986 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Puyallup, Washington
Major League Baseball umpires