Junior Valentine
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Junior Taylor Valentine (born October 21, 1987) is an American professional baseball umpire. He has been an umpire in Major League Baseball since 2020 and was promoted to the full-time umpiring staff in 2023. Valentine wears uniform number 25.[1]
| Junior Valentine | |
|---|---|
| Born: October 21, 1987 Cosby, Tennessee | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 26, 2020 | |
| Crew Information | |
| Umpiring crew | 15 |
| Crew members |
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Special Assignments | |
Search Junior Valentine on Amazon.
Early life[edit]
Valentine was born in Cosby, Tennessee and attended Maryville College,[2] graduating with a degree in history with teaching licnese.[3] He attended the Wendelstedt Umpire School in 2011, at which he is now the chief[4] instructor.[5][6]
Career[edit]
During Valentine's career as an umpire he has officiated games in the Appalachian League, Florida Instructional League, Arizona Instructional League, Carolina League, Eastern League, and Pacific Coast League, as well as the Arizona Fall League. He was part of the umpiring crew for the 2015 Futures Game in Cincinnati and the 2019 AAA All-Star Game in El Paso, Texas.[7]
Valentine made his Major League debut on August 26, 2020, in the second game of a doubleheader between the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves.[8]
On September 13, 2021, he was hit in the face with a throw by Edmundo Sosa, but remained in the game.[9]
He received praise for calling a near-perfect game on May 9, 2023, missing just one call in the matchup between the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox.[10]
On June 24, 2023, Valentine called a controversial balk on Astros pitcher Ryne Stanek which led to James Outman scoring the go-ahead run in an 8-7 Dodgers victory.[11]
Personal Life[edit]
Valentine lives in Tennessee.
References[edit]
- ↑ "MLB Umpire Bios". mlb.com. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ↑ "MLB Debut of Umpire Junior Valentine". closecallsports.com. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ↑ "MLB Umpire Bios". mlb.com. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ↑ Woronoff, Brent. "Play ball: Wendelstedt Umpire School safe at home". observerlocalnews.com. Observer Media Group Inc. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ↑ "Staff Testimonials". umpireschool.com. The Harry Wendlestedt Umpire School. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ↑ "MLB Umpire Bios". mlb.com. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ↑ "MLB Debut of Umpire Junior Valentine". closecallsports.com. Close Call Sports & Umpire Ejection Fantasy League. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ↑ Imber, Lindsay. "MLB Debut of Umpire Junior Valentine". closecallsports.com. Close Call Sports & Umpire Ejection Fantasy League. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ↑ Shapiro, Michael. "Umpire Junior Valentine Struck in Face by Errant Throw, Remains in Game". si.com. ABG-SI LLC. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ↑ Joseph, Andrew. "Umpire Junior Valentine narrowly missed out on a perfect game thanks to one bad call in the first inning". usatoday.com. Gannett. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ↑ "Astros reliever goes 'ballistic' after controversial balk call in loss to Dodgers". nypost.com. NYP Holdings, Inc. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
External Links[edit]
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