Bruce Froemming, a longtime Major League Baseball umpire, has died at the age of 86 following an accident at his home in Milwaukee. He served in the majors for 37 seasons, umpiring thousands of games and a record number of no-hitters. Froemming's career highlights include working multiple World Series and League Championship Series.
Bruce Froemming, a Milwaukee native and former semipro player, passed away on Wednesday at age 86, according to a report from The Associated Press. He was rushed to a hospital in Milwaukee after an accident at his home late at night this week, as detailed in coverage from the Daily Mail.
Froemming began his Major League umpiring career in 1971 at age 31 as part of the National League staff. Over 37 straight seasons until his retirement in 2007, he officiated 5,163 games, which ranked second in MLB history at the time behind Bill Klem's 5,375. Joe West later surpassed both, finishing with 5,460 games in 2021.
One of Froemming's notable achievements was being part of the umpiring crew for a record 11 no-hitters. He served as home-plate umpire for Nolan Ryan’s record fifth no-hitter in 1981 and at first base for Dennis Martinez’s perfect game in 1991. In 1972, he was behind the plate when Milt Pappas retired the first 26 Chicago Cubs batters before issuing a walk, turning a potential perfect game into a no-hitter; some of Froemming's calls in that game drew scrutiny.
Froemming worked five World Series—in 1976, 1984, 1988, 1990, and 1995—and a record 10 National League Championship Series. His final game came on September 30, 2007, at American Family Field (then Miller Park) in his hometown of Milwaukee. After retiring, he took on a role training apprentice umpires for MLB.
Froemming's contributions to the sport spanned decades, leaving a lasting legacy in baseball officiating.
