{{short description|American baseball umpire (born 1955)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography | number = 27 | name = Larry Vanover | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|8|22}} | birth_place = Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stupp |first=Dann |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eCUvdnnAXckC&pg=PA122 |title=Opening Day at Great American Ball Park |date=January 2003 |publisher=Sports Publishing LLC |isbn=978-1-58261-724-4 |page=122}}</ref> | death_date = | death_place = | image = Larry Vanover, March 30, 2023 (cropped).jpg | width = 190px | caption = Vanover in 2023 | debutleague = MLB | debutyear = June 25, 1991 | highlights = Special assignments *All-Star Game (1999, 2013) *Wild Card Game (2020) *Division Series (2006, 2013, 2016) *League Championship Series (2003, 2007, 2011) *World Series (2016) *World Baseball Classic (2009, 2023) *Fort Bragg Game (2016) | hofdate = | hofvote = | hofmethod = |finalyear=September 22, 2024}} '''Larry Wayne Vanover''' (born August 22, 1955) is an American former Major League Baseball umpire. Vanover worked in the National League from 1991 to 1999 and in Major League Baseball from 2002 to 2024. Vanover has umpired two All Star Games (1999, 2013), and in the 2016 World Series. He was promoted to crew chief in 2015. Vanover wore sleeve number 28 during his National League tenure, then changed to 27 after his return to the MLB umpiring staff in 2002. Vanover was the oldest umpire in major league history at the time of his retirement.
==Career== thumb|right|Vanover in 2012 Vanover worked in several minor leagues before his major league debut in 1991. He officiated in the South Atlantic League, Midwest League, Southern League, American Association, Pacific Coast League, International League and Venezuelan League.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 13, 2007 |title=MLB Umpires Roster |url=http://www.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/umpires/bio.jsp?id=3048 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806145953/http://www.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/umpires/bio.jsp?id=3048 |archive-date=August 6, 2018 |website=MLB}}</ref>
Vanover was behind the plate when Marge Schott came on the field just prior to an April 1996 Astros–Reds doubleheader and apologized to Vanover for her Opening Day comments following the death of umpire John McSherry.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 15, 1996 |title=Schott Takes the Field To Say She's Sorry |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/15/sports/sports-people-baseball-schott-takes-the-field-to-say-she-s-sorry.html |access-date=July 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819120249/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/15/sports/sports-people-baseball-schott-takes-the-field-to-say-she-s-sorry.html |archive-date=August 19, 2016}}</ref> The Opening Day game had been postponed after McSherry collapsed on the field; he died at a local hospital. After the game was postponed, Schott had said, "I feel cheated."<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 15, 1996 |title=Talk about bad timing |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4-JRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Rm8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6683,8768393&dq=larry+vanover&hl=en |access-date=July 27, 2012 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
Vanover was one of 22 umpires who resigned during the 1999 Major League Umpires Association mass resignation. The negotiation strategy failed when baseball officials simply accepted the resignations and hired replacement umpires. After a protracted legal battle, Vanover and eight other umpires regained their major league jobs for the 2002 season.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 12, 2001 |title=Arbitrator Orders Baseball to Rehire 9 Umpires |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/sports/baseball-arbitrator-orders-baseball-to-rehire-9-umpires.html |access-date=July 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306223958/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/sports/baseball-arbitrator-orders-baseball-to-rehire-9-umpires.html |archive-date=March 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=December 15, 2001 |title=Judge Orders Rehiring of 9 Umps |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/15/sports/plus-baseball-judge-orders-rehiring-of-9-umps.html |access-date=July 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305094823/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/15/sports/plus-baseball-judge-orders-rehiring-of-9-umps.html |archive-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref>
MLB appointed Vanover to serve as crew chief for the 2014 Legend Series at Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City, Panama, on March 15–16.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lindsay |date=March 14, 2014 |title=Roster: 2014 Opening Series (Sydney, Australia) Umpires |url=https://www.closecallsports.com/2014/03/roster-2014-opening-series-sydney.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630101155/https://www.closecallsports.com/2014/03/roster-2014-opening-series-sydney.html |archive-date=June 30, 2022 |access-date=April 1, 2023 |website=Close Call Sports}}</ref> Vanover spent the 2014 season as an interim crew chief while regular crew chief Tim McClelland was on the disabled list. In September 2014, Vanover was the home plate umpire for Derek Jeter's final game.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 28, 2014 |title=New York Yankees 9, Boston Red Sox 5 |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2014/B09280BOS2014.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401063310/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2014/B09280BOS2014.htm |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |website=Retrosheet}}</ref> Vanover was officially promoted to permanent crew chief upon McClelland's retirement prior to the 2015 season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Imber |first=Gil |date=February 17, 2015 |title=Retirement of MLB Umpire Tim McClelland |url=http://www.closecallsports.com/2015/02/retirement-of-mlb-umpire-tim-mcclelland.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023144130/https://www.closecallsports.com/2015/02/retirement-of-mlb-umpire-tim-mcclelland.html |archive-date=October 23, 2021 |access-date= |website=Close Call Sports/Umpire Ejection Fantasy League}}</ref> On May 24, 2019, Vanover umpired his 3,000th MLB game.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 24, 2019 |title=Larry Vanover Officiates 3,000th MLB Game |url=https://www.closecallsports.com/2019/05/larry-vanover-officiates-3000th-mlb-game.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814092735/https://www.closecallsports.com/2019/05/larry-vanover-officiates-3000th-mlb-game.html |archive-date=August 14, 2022 |access-date=May 25, 2019 |website=Close Call Sports/Umpire Ejection Fantasy League}}</ref>
On April 12, 2023, Vanover was hit in the head by Cleveland Guardians infielder Andrés Giménez's relay throw to home attempting to throw out Oswaldo Cabrera.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=JomboyMedia |number=1646219851763941385 |title=The Guardians were trying to throw the runner out at home and instead nail the umpire Larry Vanover}}</ref> Vanover was hospitalized for his non-life-threatening injuries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Withers |first=Tom |date=April 12, 2023 |title=Umpire hospitalized after getting hit in head by relay throw |url=https://apnews.com/article/umpire-vanover-yankees-guardians-b21d7f5d66c80b0f1044e10784c9ce03 |access-date=April 13, 2023 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> He retired following the 2024 season.<ref name="c914">{{Cite web |date=2024-09-22 |title=Ump Vanover retiring after 30+ years in majors |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41381653/umpire-larry-vanover-retiring-more-30-years-majors |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press |language=en}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Biography|Baseball}} * List of Major League Baseball umpires (disambiguation)
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/V/Pvanol901.htm Retrosheet]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanover, Larry}} Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:Major League Baseball umpires Category:National League umpires Category:Sportspeople from Owensboro, Kentucky