SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) – Major League Baseball umpire Tim Welke is calling it a career after 33 seasons.
Welke told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he had one knee replacement surgery in January and would have another in June.
The 58-year-old Welke worked the World Series four times and was the plate umpire for last year’s All-Star Game.
Welke handled more than 4,200 games in the regular season, almost half of them as a crew chief. For a couple of years, that crew included his brother, Bill.
Managers, players and fellow umpires often praised Welke for his even-tempered demeanor and ability to control a game without letting emotions escalate.