Kevin O'Connor (umpire)

Kevin O'Connor was a minor league umpire for ten years, before he became an umpire evaluator for Major League Baseball.

O'Connor was involved in a famous incident while working a Florida State League game on June 26, 1985: he ejected organist Wilbur Snapp for playing the traditional song Three Blind Mice after O'Connor was involved in a close call at first base that went against the hometown Clearwater Phillies. The incident made national news at the time.

This is far from the only time when playing the song has led to the wrath of the umpiring crew. It is considered a form of taunting the umpires and home teams should be well aware that its playing is off-limits. Once in a while someone crosses the line and gets tossed as a result, for example in 2012 an intern running the Public Address system in another Florida State League game, this one featuring the Daytona Cubs, was ejected and then fined $25 for his trespasses.

O'Connor started working minor league games in 1983 in the New York-Penn League. He moved to the FSL the next year, and moved up to the Eastern League in 1986, eventually making it to AAA at a time when it was very hard to take the final step into the majors (this is no longer the case as AAA umps are routinely called up to the majors to fill in for umpires on leave or to help out during doubleheaders). As an umpire supervisor, O'Connor's job is to attend minor league games and grade the work of members of the umpiring crew, his reports contributing greatly to who will advance to a higher level and eventually to the big leagues, and who will see his career stall and eventually end (umpires are let go if they fail to advance to the next level within a specified time frame).

Further Reading

• Adam K. Raymond: "How To Get Ejected From a Baseball Game: Be the organist. Or the DJ. Or the intern. Then play “Three Blind Mice.’", "Sports Nut", Slate.com, September 18, 2012. [1]

Related Sites

• Sporting News umpire card