Hitoshi Watarida

Hitoshi Watarida (渡田 均)

• School Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences
• High School Kansai Okura High School

• Born May 1, 1958 in Hiroshima Prefecture

Biographical Information

Hitoshi Watarida has umpired over 2,000 games in the Central League. He worked the 2009 World Baseball Classic and made a key call in the Puerto Rico-Venezuela game. Manning third base, he ruled a hit by Ramón Hernández a home run after Mark Wegner had initially called it in play and a triple. When the instant replay did not work, the umpires relied on Watarida's opinion that it had been a homer. Later replays showed Watarida was correct.