{{Short description|Canadian–American baseball umpire (born 1988)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Alex Tosi | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|03|07|mf=yes}} | birth_place = Markham, Ontario, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | image = Alex Tosi doing a foreign substances check, July 15, 2023.jpg | width = | caption = Tosi in 2023 | team = MLB | number = 66 | position = Umpire | debutleague = MLB | debutdate = May 11 | debutyear = 2019 | umpirecrew = H | crewchief = #49 Andy Fletcher | crew2 = #89 Cory Blaser | crew3 = #52 Jansen Visconti | crew4 = #66 Alex Tosi | highlights = Special assignments *Wild Card Games/Series (2023, 2024) *Division Series (2025) *Triple-A National Championship Game (2018) | hofdate = | hofvote = | hofmethod = }}
''' Alexander Vincent Tosi '''(born March 7, 1988) is a Canadian-born American Major League Baseball umpire.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alex Tosi |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/T/Ptosia901.htm |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=www.retrosheet.org}}</ref> He made his first appearance at the Major League level in 2019 and was promoted to the full-time umpiring staff for the 2023 season.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Castrovince |first=Anthony |date=2023-01-19 |title=MLB promotes 10 umpires ahead of 2023 season |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-umpiring-promotions-for-2023 |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Imber |first=Lindsay |date=2019-05-11 |title=Major League Debut of Umpire Alex Tosi (66) |url=https://www.closecallsports.com/2019/05/major-league-debut-of-umpire-alex-tosi.html?m=1 |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=Close Call Sports |language=en}}</ref>
He wears uniform number 66.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Staff |title=Dunlap graduate Alex Tosi makes his MLB umpiring debut |url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/sports/college/baseball/2019/05/11/dunlap-graduate-alex-tosi-makes/5172478007/ |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=Peoria Journal Star |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Career== Tosi began umpiring while playing high school baseball. He made his professional debut in June 2011 in State College, Pennsylvania in the short-season New York–Penn League. He made his first ejection when State College Spikes manager Leo Gómez bumped him during an argument and then tore third base out of the ground. He made his full-season debut the following season in the Midwest League.<ref name="grad" /> He also spent time in the Midwest, Florida State, Arizona Instructional, and Eastern leagues before his Triple-A advancement in 2016.<ref name=":1" /> He served as third base umpire for the 2018 Triple-A National Championship Game, and was a crew chief in the International League the following season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gameday: Redbirds 14, Bulls 4 Final Score (09/18/2018) |url=https://www.milb.com/gameday/redbirds-vs-bulls/2018/09/18/560672/final/box |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=MiLB.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
[[File:Josh Bell (14682196106) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Tosi (left) as home plate umpire during a Josh Bell plate appearance in the New York–Penn League in 2014]]
On May 11, 2019, he made his major league debut for the first game of a doubleheader between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Tosi was on first base, with Jordan Baker at second, Paul Nauert at third, and Hunter Wendelstedt as home plate umpire.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Retrosheet Boxscore: Detroit Tigers 5, Minnesota Twins 3 (1) |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2019/B05111MIN2019.htm |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=www.retrosheet.org}}</ref>
Tosi was home plate umpire for the Houston Astros combined no-hitter against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 25, 2022.<ref name=":3" />
In December 2022, he was hired as a full time MLB umpire. Upon hearing the news, Tosi’s father congratulated him on "officially [having his] first full time job".<ref name=":4" /> At the conclusion of the 2023 season, he was awarded his first postseason assignment: the 2023 American League Wild Card Series between the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2023 ML Wild-Card Game Umpiring Log for Alex Tosi |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2023/IUtosia9011052023.htm |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=www.retrosheet.org}}</ref>
The following year, Tosi was assigned to the National League Wild Card Series between the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers. He worked home plate for game one of the series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2024 ML Wild-Card Game Umpiring Log for Alex Tosi |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2024/IUtosia9011072024.htm |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=www.retrosheet.org}}</ref>
==Personal life== Tosi was raised in Peoria, Illinois, and graduated from Dunlap High School in 2006.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Eminian |first=Dave |date=2022-07-12 |title=Peoria had a connection at home plate in Houston Astros no-hitter over New York Yankees |url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/sports/mlb/2022/07/12/mlb-peoria-born-umpire-alex-tosi-calls-astros-no-hitter-vs-yankees/10030698002/ |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=Peoria Journal Star |language=en-US}}</ref> He played NCAA Division III baseball as a pitcher at Illinois Wesleyan University and was a part of the 2010 National Championship team his senior year.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2023-11-13 |title=Umpiring has big-league payoff for former Illinois Wesleyan pitcher Alex Tosi |url=https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2023-11-13/umpiring-has-big-league-payoff-for-former-illinois-wesleyan-pitcher-alex-tosi |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=WGLT |language=en}}</ref> He received a degree in finance.<ref name=":2" /> After graduation, he studied sports management at Illinois State University for one semester before enrolling at Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School.<ref name="grad">{{cite news |last1=Capie |first1=Kevin |title=Dunlap grad working as an umpire in the Midwest League |url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/sports/minors/chiefs/2012/06/23/dunlap-grad-working-as-umpire/42425429007/ |access-date=11 March 2026 |work=Peoria Journal Star |date=June 23, 2012}}</ref>
During the minor league offseason, Tosi worked in the finance department of Case New Holland’s Racine, Wisconsin, office.<ref name=":4" /> He was living in Missouri when he was hired as a full-time major league umpire, and currently resides in Arizona.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=MLB Umpire Bios |url=https://www.mlb.com/official-information/umpires/bios |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" />
==See also== {{Portal|Biography|Baseball}} * List of Major League Baseball umpires (disambiguation)
== References == <!-- Inline citations added to your article will automatically display here. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:REFB for instructions on how to add citations. --> {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tosi, Alex}} Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Peoria, Illinois Category:Major League Baseball umpires Category:Illinois Wesleyan Titans baseball players Category:Baseball people from Illinois Category:Illinois State University alumni Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States Category:Canadian referees and umpires Category:American referees and umpires Category:Baseball people from Ontario Category:Sportspeople from Markham, Ontario