Dave Phillips (umpire)


David Robert Phillips is a retired umpire, first with the American League from 1971-1999, then with both leagues from 2001-2002. Phillips wore uniform number 7 when the American League adopted uniform numbers for its umpires in 1980, and retained the number when the staffs merged in 2000.

Umpiring career

Phillips umpired in three American League Division Series, six American League Championship Series, four World Series and two All-Star Games.
In 1975, Phillips became one of the first three American League umpires to switch to the inside chest protector along with Don Denkinger and Merle Anthony

Notable games

Phillips served during six no-hitters, Jim Bibby, the combined no-hitter of Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers, Randy Johnson, Bret Saberhagen, and Scott Erickson ).
He was the crew chief during the 1979 Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, ordering the Chicago White Sox to forfeit the second game of a scheduled doubleheader to the visiting Detroit Tigers.
In August, Phillips ejected Seattle Mariners pitcher Gaylord Perry for throwing an illegal pitch, the first such ejection of Perry's career.
On August 18,, Phillips was one of the umpires who worked the continuation of a game between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals which originally ended when George Brett was called out for excessive pine tar on his bat. Following a successful protest by the Royals, the game was resumed to the point of Brett's home run. Phillips provided an affidavit to Yankee manager Billy Martin stating that the runners who scored on that home run touched all the bases.
On July 15,, Phillips was the plate umpire when he decided to take Albert Belle's bat and have it placed in the umpire's locker room, after Chicago White Sox manager Gene Lamont alleged that the bat was corked. As the Indians were aware that Belle's bat was corked, Cleveland pitcher Jason Grimsley managed to get into the umpire's locker room and put a different bat in place of Belle's. However, the trick did not work as the new bat had Paul Sorrento's name on it, and Belle received a seven-game suspension.

Post Career

In 2004, Phillips wrote a book with Rob Rains titled Center Field on Fire, which chronicled his over thirty year career in major and minor league baseball.