RIP Chuck Meriwether: This is one time I did not want to read your name
A chance meeting did not give me any idea of the impact an umpire would have on his profession and others
In the early 1990’s one job would not do it. At the time it was embarrassing, now it can be seen as admirable, a badge that can be worn by someone who is viewed as a hard worker. So, there I was, driving an airport shuttle after my day job, mostly from downtown Milwaukee to General Mitchell airport and back and hoping for good tip money so the monthly bills would be a little easier.
One pick up from the airport was memorable, a name that would pop up from time to time. An airport shuttle can carry multiple passengers, but for this ride Chuck Meriwether was my only passenger. As our conversation moved on, I remembered he moved to the middle of the seat so he could hear better. It was like a sign that I was not boring the heck out of him.
Meriwether was in town because he was assigned to umpire the Milwaukee Brewers game. He told me that he was a sub in the major leagues and trying to earn a full-time spot as he spent most of his time in the minor leagues. He discussed how difficult it was to work through the ranks to be part of the small fraternity of umpires that were major league umpires. He mentioned that it is not like there are a lot of new openings each year.
He didn’t talk too much about the path to get there. He was more focused on the opportunity at hand. I asked him how hard it was to travel so much, and he shrugged it off. I asked him if he was nervous, he said he wasn’t. He asked me where a good place to eat was. He asked me if the hotel was close to the stadium. He asked me what the best way to get to the stadium from the hotel.
From what I remember (it was a long time ago), that was it. The ride ended. I am sure he tipped me some, and I am sure I spent it pretty quickly. I do remember writing down his name, so I would not forget.
Meriwether is African American. It never occurred to me that I should ask him if he was blazing trails for his race. I doubt I would have asked anyway. With research and memory, it appears the ride from the airport to downtown took place probably in 1991. By 1993, he finally reached that full-time status of a Major League Umpire. At the time he was just the fifth African American in MLB history. His journey started in 1979, thus it took about 14 years to make the majors.
His journey through the major leagues included working two perfect games, two league championships and two World Series and each time he was behind the plate when the Boston Red Sox won the series. He worked two All Star games, with one being an irony that only I would recognize: In 2002, he umpired the All-Star game held in Milwaukee. I bet he knew where the hotel was and had his favorite restaurants picked out by then.
In 2010, Meriwether retired but then was named the Major League Umpire Supervisor shortly after that. From articles read, he was considered a mentor to many. It seems like he helped his race, as there were five African American umpires before him; in 2017 there were four.
In 2017, Meriwether was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame; Nashville, TN is his hometown.
I am left to wonder if he ever thought he would be a trail-blazer, a mentor, a Hall of Famer …while he went from town to town, some big towns, many small, sometimes in a bus, and sometimes in a car (I think)…and as sometimes in a plane and then an airport shuttle (this I know).
For many years after the shuttle ride, I paid special attention to the umpire lineup that is usually given at the beginning of an MLB telecast. I remember hearing his name on many occasions. When taking a look at the boxscore, I would glance down to the area that recorded the name of the umpires working the game, in very, very small font.
For many years, I had not heard or read his name. It didn’t even occur to me to look him up and see if he had retired.
Today, I heard his name again. He recently passed away at age 63. A google search shows many accolades coming his way. A tweet by his son announced there was a moment of silence for his dad before Game 4 of the World Series. It appears he really touched people and made a difference.
I can’t say our encounter made me a better person, or was inspirational. It was just an interesting ride with an interesting person, and he seemed interested in talking to me. But from that point forward, I always looked and listened for his name and my radar “went up” when I did see or hear his name.
This is the one time I wish I did not see his name. Age 63 is much too young. Rest in peace Mr. Meriwether.
References — Credits — Links — Sources
Information about career: https://www.mlb.com/news/chuck-meriwether-dies-at-63 and http://tshf.net/halloffame/9822/
Number of African American umpires: https://www.fayobserver.com/news/20170806/live-wire-how-many-major-league-baseball-umpires-are-african-american
Mentor information and new about his passing: https://sports.yahoo.com/longtime-mlb-umpire-chuck-meriwether-dead-at-63-204956110.html?fbclid=IwAR3uPy-umhQAB1vGuyInkH5c_0BYBl5TuY3IhtquzcLv6r7khxEq_rwQSdI
Twitter — from the son of Meriwether: https://twitter.com/JMmotivates/status/1188263804339138561
Photo credit: Don Watz
