Dave Pallone

David Michael Pallone

• Height 6' 0", Weight 190 lb.
• First Game Umpired April 6, 1979
• Last Game Umpired September 15, 1988

• Born October 5, 1951 in Waltham, MA USA

Biographical Information

Dave Pallone was a National League umpire from 1979 to 1988.

Pallone umpired his first game at the age of 19 in the New York-Penn League in May 1971. He remained in the league for the 1972 season before being promoted to the Carolina League for the 1973 season. Pallone spent half a season there before again being promoted on June 27, 1973 to the Eastern League. He would umpire in the EL through the 1975 season when he was brought up to the International League. Pallone spent the 1976 season in both the International and Eastern Leagues before being called up for good to the IL in 1977. He stayed in the league until 1979 when he was one of eight umpires hired during the Major League Baseball Umpires' Strike. At 28 he was the third-youngest umpire in Major League Baseball history.

Pallone remained in the National League for nine years and umpired in one All-Star Game and one League Championship Series. He was the home plate umpire for Nolan Ryan's 4,000th strikeout on July 11, 1985. In April of 1988 Pallone was pushed by Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose, which resulted in Rose being suspended for 30 days. In September of that year he resigned amid rumors of his involvement in an Northern New York teenage sex ring. He was "outed" in a New York Post article later in the year. Pallone later wrote a book, Behind the Mask (1990), about his experiences.

Pallone played an umpire in the 1985 movie The Slugger's Wife.

Umpiring Career

• National League: 1979 - 1988
• All-Star Games: 1983
• League Championship Series: 1987

Related Sites

• Dave Pallone on Retrosheet.org
• Sporting News umpire card