Rich Garcia

Richard Raul Garcia (born May 22, 1942) is a former Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1975 to 1999. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and playing baseball for three years, he completed MLB's Umpire Specialization Course in 1970 and progressed through minor leagues before joining the AL in 1975. He officiated in his first major league game on April 8, 1975, and later became an AL crew chief in 1985. Garcia worked in several high-profile games, including two All-Star Games, three American League Division Series, five American League Championship Series, and four World Series. He was known for officiating two perfect games: one in 1981 as home plate umpire and another in 1998 at second base.

Controversies arose during his career, including an incorrect call in Game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series and a questionable ruling in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series. Garcia resigned from MLB in 1999 as part of a mass resignation but later worked as an umpire supervisor until 2010. Outside of umpiring, he instructed at umpire schools, conducted clinics, and appeared as a first base umpire in the 1999 movie *For Love of the Game*. Garcia resides in Clearwater, Florida, with his wife Sheryl and their four children and ten grandchildren.