{{short description|American baseball umpire (1940-2009)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} thumb|Brocklander '''Frederick Brocklander''' (March 5, 1940 – August 13, 2009)<ref name=BR>{{cite web|title=Fred Brocklander|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=brockl001fre|website=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=March 16, 2014}}</ref> was a Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire in the National League (NL) from {{baseball year|1979}} to {{baseball year|1992}}. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, he umpired in the minor leagues for ten years. He was promoted to the National League during the 1979 umpire strike.<ref name=obit>{{cite news|last=Rasmussen|first=Frederick N.|title=Frederick Brocklander, National League umpire, who called balls and strikes for nearly 30&nbsp;years, witnessed milestones in sports history|work=The Baltimore Sun|date=August 21, 2009|url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2009-08-21/news/0908200091_1_league-umpire-home-plate-umpire-minors |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091203123009/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2009-08-21/news/0908200091_1_league-umpire-home-plate-umpire-minors |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 3, 2009 |page=22}}</ref> He retired as an NL umpire in 1992. Throughout his National League career, he wore number 28.<ref>1986 NLCS live telecast, October 1986.</ref>

== Early life and education == Brocklander was born in 1940 in the Highlandtown section of Baltimore, Maryland. As a student at Calvert Hall College High School, he played baseball and soccer.<ref name=obit /> After graduating in 1958, Brocklander attended the University of Baltimore. In 1962, Brocklander joined the Kansas City Athletics organization as a minor league baseball player.

== Career as an umpire == After Brocklander finished playing baseball, he officiated amateur soccer and basketball, including Division I college basketball.<ref name=obit /> He then turned to umpiring in minor league baseball for the next ten years, working in the Carolina, Eastern, Midwest, and Pacific Coast Leagues.<ref name=Steadman>{{cite news |last=Steadman| first=John |authorlink=John Steadman (sportswriter)|title=Brocklander knows umpires can hold a grudge |work=The Baltimore Sun|date=August 8, 1999 | url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/44207851.html?dids=44207851:44207851&FMT=ABS&FMTS | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024130308/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/44207851.html?dids=44207851:44207851&FMT=ABS&FMTS | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 24, 2012 |page=4.E |accessdate=December 30, 2009}}</ref>

When major league umpires went on strike in 1979, Brocklander became an NL umpire. Baseball writer John Steadman later recalled, "Some of the veteran umpires, when the walkout was settled, ostracized him. Members of the same crew wouldn't acknowledge he was in the dressing room or on the field."<ref name=obit /><ref name=Steadman />

During his career, Brocklander was selected as an umpire for the 1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.<ref>{{cite web| title=All-time All-Star Game roster |work=Umpires| publisher=MLB.com| url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/umpires/feature.jsp?feature=all_star_game |accessdate=January 2, 2010}}</ref> On September 11, {{baseball year|1985}}, he was umpiring at second base when Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb’s all-time hits record with his 4,192nd hit, a single to left-center field off San Diego Padres pitcher Eric Show.<ref name=Welsh>{{cite news| last=Welsh| first= Sean |title=After 22-year pro career, Brocklander still has the drive |work=The Baltimore Examiner| date=May 18, 2006 }}</ref> While umpiring Game 5 of the 1986 National League Championship Series between the Astros and Mets, Brocklander made a controversial call on a play at first base with runners on first and third and one out; the out call on Craig Reynolds to turn an inning-ending double play cost the Astros a run in a game they eventually lost 2 to 1 in 12 innings. ABC broadcasters Keith Jackson and Tim McCarver, upon seeing the replay, each stated Reynolds was safe and with Jackson further adding, "That's a pretty good size miss."<ref>{{cite news |last=Blinebury |first=Fran |title=Dust off a place for Brocklander in the Hall of Shame| work=Houston Chronicle| date=October 15, 1986 |url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1986_272962 |page=Sports 6 |accessdate=December 31, 2009}}</ref>

Brocklander retired from major league umpiring due to ill health in 1992. He underwent surgery for removal of a kidney the following year.<ref name=Post>{{cite news |author1=Eberly, Tim |author2=Straus, Brian |title=One Stone Is Left Unturned in the SMAC |newspaper=The Washington Post| date=October 24, 2000 |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/62847650.html?dids=62847650:62847650&FMT=ABS&FMTS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024130351/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/62847650.html?dids=62847650:62847650&FMT=ABS&FMTS |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 24, 2012 |page=D7 |accessdate=December 31, 2009}}</ref> In 2006, reflecting on his career as a major league umpire, Brocklander said umpiring is "one of the few professions in the world where you’re supposed to be perfect and get better".<ref name=Welsh />

==Later years and death== Brocklander moved from New York City to Odenton, Maryland, in 1998. He umpired high school softball games and coached soccer at Baltimore's Mount Hebron High School. In 2000, he coached girls' soccer at South River High School when they played for the Anne Arundel County (Md.) championship.<ref name=Post />

Brocklander died in Severn, Maryland, on August 13, 2009, at age&nbsp;69 following a stroke. He was survived by his wife and three daughters.<ref name=Welsh /> He was eulogized on a Major League Baseball on Fox telecast. While broadcasting an Orioles-Texas Rangers ''Game of the Week'' from Baltimore on {{nowrap|September 5,}} Josh Lewin and Mark Grace called him a "highly regarded major league umpire of twelve years". Lewin and Grace recalled that when Brocklander was home plate umpire, he would not merely call a pitch outside the strike zone a ball, but also made it a point to announce the pitch's location, such as "ball outside".<ref>Grace, Mark and Lewin, Josh. ''Game of the Week'' (Major League Baseball on Fox live telecast), September 5, 2009.</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brocklander}} Category:1940 births Category:2009 deaths Category:Major League Baseball umpires Category:National League umpires Category:Sportspeople from Baltimore Category:People from Odenton, Maryland