Paul Clemons, Emil Jiménez and Alex MacKay hired as fulltime major league umpires

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Clemons, Emil Jiménez and Alex MacKay were hired Friday as fulltime major league umpires and Major League Baseball said Dan Merzel and Nate Tomlinson had been added to the staff last June 16.

Jen Pawol will again work big league spring training, among 21 minor league umpires called up for the exhibition season. Pawol last year became the first woman to umpire a big spring training game since 2007 but did not receive a regular-season call-up ump. Eight women, including Pawol, are assigned to spring training in the majors and minors.

Crew chiefs Paul Emmel, Jerry Layne and Larry Vanover are retiring and Vic Carapazza, Doug Eddings, and Andy Fletcher have been promoted to crew chiefs. Layne began his big league career in 1989 and was the senior umpire with 37 years of service.

Clemons worked his first big league game on Aug. 19, 2020, and will be on Adrian Johnson’s crew. Jiménez worked his first major league game on April 18, 2023, and will be part of Doug Eddings’ crew. Emil’s brother, Edwin, has been a call-up umpire since April 24, 2023. MacKay worked his first game on Aug. 21, 2020, and will be on Alan Porter’s crew.

Merzel worked his first game on Aug. 29, 2020, and will be on Mark Carlson’s crew. Tomlinson worked his first game on Aug. 7, 2020, and will be part of Mark Wegner’s crew.

MLB has 76 full-time staff umpires and uses fill-ins on crews for openings created by injuries and vacations.

Pawol is among a small group of women who have umpired minor league games, among them Bernice Gera (1972), Christine Wren (1975-77), Pam Postema (1977-89) and Ria Cortesio (1999-2007).

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