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SPORTSSaturday 19 March 2016
APNewsBreak: Longtime MLB umpire Tim Welke calls it a career
BEN WALKER In this Sept. 22, 2013, file photo, umpire Tim Welke turns to the Tampa Bay Rays’ dugout to ex- No surprise, as Welke spoke
AP Baseball Writer change heated words with Rays manager Joe Maddon about a call during the fifth inning of a in the concourse at Ed
SARASOTA, Florida (AP) baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Smith Stadium before Pitts-
— The first time Tim Welke burgh played Baltimore
stepped onto a base- Associated Press on Wednesday, a parade
ball field as a professional of familiar faces strolled
umpire, he was a teenager harrowing, rain-suspended more. Welke is the last umpire by to wish him well. There
hoping he wouldn’t get matchup between Tampa Welke worked nearly half to toss a manager in the was Pirates President Frank
yelled at too much. Bay and Philadelphia in his games as a crew chief. World Series, that being all- Coonelly, a clubhouse
As the years turned to de- 2008, plus a bevy of play- For a while, younger broth- time ejection leader Bobby worker and a local police
cades, sure, he got an ear- offs. He did three All-Star er Bill was on those crews. Cox in 1996. officer.
ful. All umpires do. But by Games, handling home Next year, Bill might switch But true to his nature, Wel- “I’ll miss wearing the uni-
the time he walked off at plate last year. his uniform number from 52 ke’s last ejection came in form and the guys,” he
PNC Park last October on “That was one thing I al- to 3, the one Tim wore. 2012. In 2014, however, he said. “I’m going to miss
wobbly knees that would ways wanted to do,” he Managers, players and fel- threw out a fan in Atlanta opening day.”
need surgery, he’d gotten said. “That kind of filled out low umpires often praised who was heckling Bryce Minnesota manager Paul
quite an eyeful, too. the checklist.” Welke for his even-tem- Harper in a profane man- Molitor was among those
Reggie and Yaz, Earl Weav- In all, he called 4,216 games pered demeanor and abil- ner. Welke said he enjoyed on
er and Billy Martin. Opening in the regular season — Joe ity to control a game with- “You have to treat every- the field. The admiration
day in Australia, the World West is the active leader in out letting emotions esca- body fairly, at every level,” was mutual.
Series at Yankee Stadium. the majors with about 600 late. he said. “I remember guys that al-
More than 4,200 games in ways gave me an oppor-
the big leagues, spread tunity to voice an opinion
over 33 seasons. as long as it was respectful
“It went like a snap,” he and they would recipro-
told The Associated Press cate, and he was one of
on Wednesday. those guys for me. He took
Now at 58, Welke is calling a lot of pride in his job. He
it a career. He had his left wasn’t confrontational,
knee replaced in January, and very professional,” Mo-
his right one will undergo litor said.
the same procedure in “I wish him well. And it’s
June. meaningful because you
“I know my body couldn’t just don’t expect to hear
go any farther. It’s a young that kind of compliment
person’s job,” he said. “It’s from umpires who have to
the circle of life.” step down from the game,”
Played out on a diamond, he said.
that is. Not that the future Hall of
Welke worked the World Se- Famer and umpire always
ries four times, including the agreed. q
Renaud Lavillenie attempts pole
vault record at world indoors
ANNE M. PETERSON Kendricks, the reigning out- nies at the Oregon Con- ed Canadian Shawnacy France’s Renaud Lavillenie
AP Sports Writer door national champion vention Center venue on Barber, who won the gold clears the bar in the men’s
PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) who won the U.S. indoor Thursday night. The meet medal at the world outdoor pole vault final, Thursday,
— France’s Renaud Lavil- title last week with a per- runs through Sunday. championships in Beijing March 17, 2016, at the World
lenie attempted to break sonal-best vault of 19-4 ¼ Lavillenie, who won the in- last year. Barber and Lavil- Indoor Athletics Champion-
his world record in the pole (5.90), missed at that height doors in 2012 before going lenie battled last month in ships in Portland, Ore.
vault, but settled for the and took the silver medal. on to win the gold medal France with Lavillenie com-
gold medal in the event Poland’s Piotr Lisek took at the London Olympics ing out on top. This time, Associated Press
Thursday night at the world the bronze, finishing with a that summer, passed on Barber finished in fourth.
indoor track and field vault of 18-10 ¼ (5.75). five of six heights but hit the Lavillenie earlier cleared whether Russia can com-
championships. World indoor record holder height to beat Kendricks the year’s world-best pete in the 2016 Olympics
Lavillenie beat Ameri- and reigning Olympic gold and pumped his fists. height of 19-9 ¼. in Brazil.
can Sam Kendricks for the medalist Jenn Suhr made all His second attempt at the Women’s outdoor world Australia’s Alana Boyd hurt
championship, successfully four of her vaults and easily world record sparked fears record holder Yelena Isin- her ankle during warmups
clearing 19 feet, 9 inches cleared a meet record 16-0 when he landed between bayeva, a two-time gold and was taken to a local
(6.02 meters). He then set ¾ (4.90) for the gold. Fel- the pads, but he got up medalist, was not in the hospital for X-Rays. Pre-
the bar at 20-2 ¾ (6.17) in low American Sandi Morris laughing. field because the Russian liminary tests indicated
the bid to surpass his own won the silver and Ekaterini “It’s not so often that I do federation is suspended she had a sprained left
record — indoor and out- Stefanidi of Greece won something like that. It hap- from competition because ankle.q
door — of 20-2 ½ inches the bronze. The men’s and pens,” he said afterward. of doping and corruption
(6.16), set in 2014 at an women’s pole vault was “Pole vault is very danger- allegations. The IAAF, the
event in the Ukraine. He the only competition fol- ous and intense.” sport’s governing body, is
missed all three attempts. lowing opening ceremo- The men’s field also includ- expected to decide in May
