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Richie Garcia got his start as an MLB umpire in 1975. After a few seasons in the Florida State and Dominican Republic Baseball League, he found himself working third base for the Minnesota Twins opener.
He became a well-respected umpire, managing various All-Star Games, Division Championships, League Championships and four World Series. However, in 1999, he took part in a mass resignation alongside other umpires.
Umpires were looking to push the pedal for a new labor agreement, but it did not go as planned. Garcia and 22 other umpires had their resignations accepted, but Garcia was not going down without a fight, via South Coast Today's Tom Withers:
"They haven't even talked to me. They haven't had the decency to contact me. I haven't had any contact with the league office in this regard or any regard since April."
Garcia said that the league had not talked to him regarding the issue, and the season was starting to wind down. However, he had hopes that this tactic would pay off in the long run:
"I'm not quitting. We're not quitting. I've got in my mind that I'm going to be working Sept. 3 and if not Sept. 3, then some other time."
Both the National and American League decided to bring back some umpires who handed over their resignations. However, Richie Garcia did not make the cut and the 1999 season was his last year as an active MLB umpire.
Richie Garcia was involved in some pretty big moments throughout his career
While Richie Garcia was a well-respected umpire, he was not perfect. He had a few instances throughout his career where he made the wrong call, and it certainly changed the outcome of the game.
Many fans remember back in 1996 when Derek Jeter smoked a ball to the fence in which a young fan reached over the wall, snagging the ball. Garcia ruled it a home run, but after watching it afterward, admitted his mistake.
Another instance came in the 1998 World Series. San Diego Padres pitcher Mark Langston appeared to have struck Tino Martinez. However, Garcia ruled the pitch a ball and Martinez went on to hit a grand slam on the next pitch. The Yankees would go on to win that game 9-6 and proceeded to sweep the Padres four games to none.
