You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons:

This IP address has been blocked from editing Wikipedia.
This does not affect your ability to read Wikipedia pages.
Most people who see this message have done nothing wrong. Some kinds of blocks restrict editing from specific service providers or telecom companies in response to recent abuse or vandalism, and can sometimes affect other users who are unrelated to that abuse. Review the information below for assistance if you do not believe that you have done anything wrong.

The IP address or range 44.195.0.0/16 has been blocked (disabled) by ‪Blablubbs‬ for the following reason(s):

The IP address that you are currently using has been blocked because it is believed to be a web host provider or colocation provider. To prevent abuse, web hosts and colocation providers may be blocked from editing Wikipedia.
You will not be able to edit Wikipedia using a web host or colocation provider because it hides your IP address, much like a proxy or VPN.
We recommend that you attempt to use another connection to edit. For example, if you use a proxy or VPN to connect to the internet, turn it off when editing Wikipedia. If you edit using a mobile connection, try using a Wi-Fi connection, and vice versa. If you are using a corporate internet connection, switch to a different Wi-Fi network. If you have a Wikipedia account, please log in.
If you do not have any other way to edit Wikipedia, you will need to request an IP block exemption.

How to appeal if you are confident that your connection does not use a colocation provider's IP address:
If you are confident that you are not using a web host, you may appeal this block by adding the following text on your talk page: ((unblock|reason=Caught by a colocation web host block but this host or IP is not a web host. My IP address is _______. Place any further information here. ~~~~)). You must fill in the blank with your IP address for this block to be investigated. Your IP address can be determined here. Alternatively, if you wish to keep your IP address private you can use the unblock ticket request system. There are several reasons you might be editing using the IP address of a web host or colocation provider (such as if you are using VPN software or a business network); please use this method of appeal only if you think your IP address is in fact not a web host or colocation provider.

Administrators: The IP block exemption user right should only be applied to allow users to edit using web host in exceptional circumstances, and requests should usually be directed to the functionaries team via email. If you intend to give the IPBE user right, a CheckUser needs to take a look at the account. This can be requested most easily at SPI Quick Checkuser Requests. Unblocking an IP or IP range with this template is highly discouraged without at least contacting the blocking administrator.

This block will expire on 09:46, 11 January 2025.

Even when blocked, you will usually still be able to edit your user talk page, as well as email administrators and other editors.

For information on how to proceed, please read the FAQ for blocked users and the guideline on block appeals. The guide to appealing blocks may also be helpful.

Other useful links: Blocking policy · Help:I have been blocked
Your IP address is in a range that has been blocked on all Wikimedia Foundation wikis. The block was made by ‪AntiCompositeNumber‬. The reason given is Open proxy/Webhost: Visit the FAQ if you are affected .
- Start of block: 13:55, 18 August 2022
- Expiry of block: 13:55, 18 January 2025
Your current IP address is 44.195.68.6. The blocked range is 44.195.0.0/16. Please include all above details in any queries you make. If you believe you were blocked by mistake, you can find additional information and instructions in the No open proxies global policy. Otherwise, to discuss the block please post a request for review on Meta-Wiki. You could also send an email to the stewards VRT queue at stewards@wikimedia.org including all above details.

You can view and copy the source of this page:

((short description|American baseball umpire (born 1961)))
((Use mdy dates|date=August 2016))
((Infobox baseball biography
| number      = 41
| name        = Jerry Meals
| birth_date  = ((Birth date and age|1961|10|20|mf=yes))
| birth_place = [[Butler, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| image       = Jerry Meals 2011.jpg
| width       =
| caption     = Meals umpiring in 2011
| debutyear   = September 14, 1992
| highlights  = Special Assignments
* [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] ([[2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2002]], [[2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2015]])
* [[Major League Baseball Wild Card Game|Wild Card Games/Series]] ([[2020 American League Wild Card Series|2020]], [[2021 American League Wild Card Game|2021]], [[2022 American League Wild Card Series|2022]])
* [[Division Series]] ([[1999 National League Division Series|1999]], [[2004 American League Division Series|2004]], [[2005 American League Division Series|2005]], [[2009 National League Division Series|2009]], [[2010 American League Division Series|2010]], [[2011 National League Division Series|2011]], [[2014 National League Division Series|2014]], [[2019 American League Division Series|2019]], [[2020 American League Division Series|2020]])
* [[League Championship Series]] ([[2008 National League Championship Series|2008]], [[2017 American League Championship Series|2017]], [[2021 National League Championship Series|2021]])
* [[World Series]] ([[2014 World Series|2014]], [[2020 World Series|2020]])
* [[World Baseball Classic]] ([[2009 World Baseball Classic|2009]])
| hofdate     = 
| hofvote     = 
| hofmethod   = 
|finalyear=October 8, 2022|debutleague=MLB))

'''Gerald William Meals''' (born October 20, 1961) is an American former [[Major League Baseball]] [[Baseball umpire|umpire]]. After serving as an NL reserve umpire from 1992 to 1997, he became a full-time umpire in 1998. Meals was promoted to crew chief in 2015, and worked the World Series in 2014 and 2020. He retired following the 2022 season.<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-12-29 |title=Sources: 10 MLB umps retiring, most since '99 |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35341465/sources-10-mlb-umps-retiring-most-99 |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=ESPN.com |language=en))</ref>

==Early life and career==
Meals was a 1979 graduate of [[Salem High School (Ohio)|Salem High School]], where he played second base and briefly competed on the wrestling team. After umpiring local baseball for four years, Meals graduated from the Joe Brinkman Umpire School in 1983. At age 21, Meals received his first minor league umpiring assignment in the Class A Appalachian League.<ref>((cite news |title=Salem's Meals Gets Assignment |newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator |date=June 12, 1983 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=swxJAAAAIBAJ&pg=5209,4018318&dq=jerry+meals+appalachian&hl=en |access-date=July 15, 2012))</ref> By 1985, Meals had moved to the South Atlantic League, where he was partnered with 20-year-old future MLB umpire [[Wally Bell]].<ref>((cite news |last=Miller |first=Mark |title=Jerry Meals, Bell Umpire in Minors |newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator |date=July 21, 1985 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=t7g_AAAAIBAJ&pg=1182,1599488&dq=jerry+meals+south+atlantic&hl=en |access-date=July 15, 2012))</ref> While working in the [[Southern League (1964–2020)|Southern League]] in 1989, Meals was featured in an ESPN documentary on minor league umpires. His family and fellow umpires [[Chris Jaksa]] and [[Fieldin Culbreth]] also appeared in the film.<ref>((cite news |title=Sports Roundup: ESPN Follows Ump |newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator |date=October 12, 1989 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=czBKAAAAIBAJ&pg=2785,6007717&dq=jerry+meals+chris+jaksa+documentary&hl=en |access-date=July 15, 2012))</ref> Meals worked in [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] baseball ([[Triple-A Alliance]] and the [[International League]]) from 1990 to 1997 before receiving a full-time promotion to the major leagues.<ref name="roster">((cite news |title=Umpires: Roster |work=MLB.com |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/umpires/bio.jsp?id=2709 |access-date=July 27, 2011))</ref> Meals spent the 2014 season as an interim crew chief while regular crew chief [[Gary Darling]] was on the Disabled List. Meals was officially promoted to permanent crew chief upon Darling's retirement.<ref>((cite news |title=Three New Umpires Hired |newspaper=MLB.com |date=February 20, 2015 |url=http://m.mlb.com/news/article/109843850/three-new-umpires-hired-tim-mcclelland-retires))</ref>

==Notable games==
In his first full-time MLB season, Meals was the home plate umpire when [[Kerry Wood]] tied a major league record with 20 strikeouts in a 1998 game.<ref name=roster /> Meals was struck in the mask by a Wood fastball on his first pitch of the game, but was not injured.<ref>((cite news |last=Hirsley |first=Michael |title=Chip Caray: Wood Had Goods From The Start |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=May 8, 1998 |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-05-08/sports/9805080057_1_chip-caray-bulls-sandy-grossman |access-date=July 19, 2012))</ref>

In Game 2 of the 2010 American League Division Series between the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays, Meals was involved in a controversial call of a checked swing by Michael Young. Replays on television appeared to show that Young had gone around on his swing, but when asked for an appeal, Meals ruled that Young had held up, and Young's at bat stayed alive. One pitch later, Young hit a 3-run home run to put Texas ahead 5–0. The Rangers won the game 6–0, and won the series 3 games to 2, ending Tampa Bay's season. Rays manager Joe Maddon came out to argue the play and was ejected from the game.

On May 7, 2011, Meals worked behind the plate for [[Justin Verlander]]'s second career no-hitter. The umpire's ball four call on [[J. P. Arencibia]] in the eighth inning prevented Verlander from achieving a perfect game. However, Verlander later said that he agreed with the call.<ref>((cite news |title=Justin Verlander tosses second career no-hitter |newspaper=The Sporting News |date=May 7, 2011 |url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2011-05-07/justin-verlander-tosses-second-career-no-no |access-date=July 19, 2012))</ref>

Meals and Major League Baseball both acknowledged that he missed a call in the 19th inning of a game between the [[2011 Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates]] and the [[2011 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] on July 26, 2011.<ref>((cite web |title=MLB acknowledges blown call |url=http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/6808357/mlb-acknowledges-jerry-meals-missed-call-pittsburgh-pirates-file-complaint-19-inning-loss |work=ESPN |access-date=July 27, 2011 |date=July 27, 2011))</ref><ref name="vindy.com">[https://vindyarchives.com/news/2011/jul/28/salem-grad-meals-says-he-missed-call/ Salem grad and umpire Meals says he missed call in Pittsburgh loss]</ref> During the play in question, a ground ball, Pirates catcher [[Michael McKenry]] received a throw and appeared to tag Braves runner [[Julio Lugo]] three feet in front of home plate but Meals called him safe and the Braves won the game. Meals received criticism for the call<ref name="Yahoo Sports">((cite web |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-passan_pirates_braves_blown_call_replay_072711 |title=MLB needs to wake up and expand replay |last=Passan |first=Jeff |date=July 27, 2011 |publisher=Yahoo! News Network |access-date=July 27, 2011))</ref> and the Pirates issued a public complaint.<ref>[http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/27/pirates-issue-statement-jerry-meals-got-this-one-wrong/ Pirates issue statement: Jerry Meals “got this one wrong”]</ref> MLB executive vice president for baseball operations [[Joe Torre]] responded to the complaint and officially acknowledged that Meals' call was an error.<ref>"[http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/6808357/mlb-acknowledges-jerry-meals-missed-call-pittsburgh-pirates-file-complaint-19-inning-loss\ MLB acknowledges blown call], The Associated Press (via ESPN.com), July 28, 2011.</ref> However, other commentators have stated that the call was not obviously incorrect<ref>((cite web |last=Moore |first=Jack |title="Obvious" |url=https://not.fangraphs.com/obvious/ |date=July 27, 2011 |access-date=April 18, 2020))</ref> and that it may not have been overturned under MLB's current instant replay rules.<ref>((cite AV media | people = Foolish Baseball | date = August 25, 2018 | title = The Worst Call in MLB History -- Why It Might Have Been Correct l Baseball Bits | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YABX_zW-6Kc))</ref>

Following the incident, Meals and his family received death threats at their home.<ref>[http://www.morningjournalnews.com/page/content.detail/id/533708/Umpire-Jerry-Meals--family-recei---.html Umpire Jerry Meals' family receives death threats over call]</ref> Meals' wife reported that their children, who ranged between 14 and 23 at the time of the incident, were also "approached" by irate and confrontational fans, as Pittsburgh is only 70 miles away from the Mealses' hometown of Salem, Ohio.<ref name="vindy.com" />

[[File:Jerry Meals umpire in April 2014.jpg|thumb|Meals in April 2014]]
On September 8, 2012, Meals incorrectly ruled [[Mark Teixeira]] of the [[New York Yankees]] out on a game-ending double play at first base against the [[Baltimore Orioles]].  If Meals had made the correct call, the game would have been tied, but instead the Orioles won and moved up a game to be even with the Yankees for first in the [[American League East|AL East]].<ref>((cite web |last=Feinsand |first=Mark |title=Jerry Meals' blown call in 9th inning dooms Yankees to 5-4 loss against Baltimore Orioles |website=[[New York Daily News]] |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/umpire-blown-call-9th-inning-dooms-yankees-5-4-loss-baltimore-orioles-camden-yards-article-1.1155141 |access-date=September 10, 2012))</ref>

On July 29, 2013, Meals incorrectly ruled [[Daniel Nava]] of the [[Boston Red Sox]] out at home plate in the 8th inning against the [[Tampa Bay Rays]] which would have tied the game. Instead, the Rays held on to win 2–1. Red Sox manager [[John Farrell (pitcher)|John Farrell]] was ejected for arguing the call, which Meals later admitted was incorrect.<ref>((Cite web|url=http://nesn.com/2013/07/jerry-meals-admits-to-blowing-call-at-home-plate-says-daniel-nava-should-have-been-safe/|title = Jerry Meals Admits to Blowing Call at Home Plate, Says Daniel Nava Should Have Been Safe|date = July 30, 2013))</ref>

On April 22, 2014, Meals was the home plate umpire when [[Albert Pujols]] of the [[Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim|Los Angeles Angels]] hit his 500th career home run against the [[Washington Nationals]].

==Personal life==
Meals lives in [[Perry Township, Columbiana County, Ohio|Perry Township]], just outside [[Salem, Ohio|Salem]] in [[Columbiana County, Ohio]]. He is married to Robyn Meals and has five children.<ref>[http://www.salemnews.net/page/content.detail/id/544613/Reaction-to-call-a-sad-reflection.html?nav=5003 Reaction to call a sad reflection]</ref>

At 5'8" tall, Meals and [[Mark Wegner]] are the shortest umpires in Major League Baseball as of 2012.<ref>((cite news|last1=Malinowski|first1=Erik|title=Better Know An Umpire: Mark Wegner|url=https://deadspin.com/5920972/better-know-an-umpire-mark-wegner|access-date=20 April 2018|work=[[Deadspin]]|date=June 28, 2012))</ref>

== See also ==
((Portal|Biography|Baseball))
* [[List of Major League Baseball umpires]]

== References ==
((Reflist|30em))

== External links ==
* [http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/umpires/bio.jsp?id=2709 Profile at MLB.com]
* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/people/umpires/profile.asp?ID=mealj901 The Baseball Cube]
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/M/Pmealj901.htm Retrosheet]

((Major League Baseball Umpires navbox|state=autocollapse))

((DEFAULTSORT:Meals, Jerry))
[[Category:Major League Baseball umpires]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:National League umpires]]
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:People from Butler, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:People from Salem, Ohio]]

Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page (help):

Jerry Meals (edit)
Template:Birth date and age (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Br separated entries (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Cite AV media (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Cite news (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite web (view source) (protected)
Template:DMCA (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Dated maintenance category (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Delink (view source) (protected)
Template:FULLROOTPAGENAME (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Hlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox baseball biography (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox baseball biography/style (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox baseball biography/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Main other (view source) (protected)
Template:Major League Baseball Umpires navbox (edit)
Template:Ns has subpages (view source) (protected)
Template:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Template:Portal (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Reflist (view source) (protected)
Template:Reflist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Template:Short description (view source) (protected)
Template:Short description/lowercasecheck (view source) (protected)
Template:Team roster navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Template other (view source) (protected)
Template:Use mdy dates (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Age (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Arguments (view source) (protected)
Module:Check for unknown parameters (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1 (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/COinS (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Date validation (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Whitelist (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:College color (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:College color/data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Date (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Delink (view source) (protected)
Module:Disambiguation/templates (view source) (protected)
Module:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Infobox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:InfoboxImage (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbar (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/configuration (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Ns has subpages (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/disambiguation (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/setindex (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/softredirect (view source) (protected)
Module:Portal (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Portal/images/b (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Portal/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Module:Separated entries (view source) (protected)
Module:Sports color (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Sports color/baseball (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:String (view source) (protected)
Module:TableTools (view source) (protected)
Module:Team roster navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Unsubst (view source) (protected)
Module:Wd (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Wd/i18n (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Wikitext Parsing (view source) (protected)
Module:Yesno (view source) (protected)

Return to Jerry Meals.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Meals"