Dutch Rennert

Laurence Henry Rennert Jr.
(Dutch)

• Height 5' 9", Weight 175 lb.

• Born June 12, 1930 in Oshkosh, WI USA
• Died June 17, 2018 in St. Augustine, FL USA

Biographical Information

Dutch Rennert served a long minor league apprenticeship. He was an umpire in the Alabama-Florida League (1957), Pioneer League (1958), Three-I League (1959-1960), Southern Association (1961), Texas League (1962-1964), and Pacific Coast League (1965-1973).

Rennert was a National League umpire from 1973 to 1992. He worked a total of 2,693 games in addition to 6 League Championship Series, 3 World Series and 2 All-Star Games. He had one of the most distinctive balls and strikes call of any umpire: he would slowly turn to right if it was right-handed batter or to the left for a lefty, kneel on one knee, and loudly call the pitch while looking sideways. There was no ambiguity at all, and players respected the fact that he had one of the most consistent strike zones of any contemporary umpire.

Further Reading

• Ed Eagle: "Longtime umpire Rennert dies at 88: Fan favorite was known for distinctive strike calls", mlb.com, June 19, 2018. [1]

Related Sites

• Dutch Rennert at Retrosheet.org
• Sporting News umpire card
• mlb.com obit