Larry Gerlach

Larry Gerlach (born 1941) is one of the leading researchers on the subject of umpires and was the long-time chair of SABR's Umpires and Rules committee. He was a long-time history professor at the University of Utah from 1968 to 2013, then served as professor emeritus. His area of specialty is the American Revolution and he has published a number of books and articles on the topic.

His 1980 book The Men in Blue: Conversations with Umpires, is considered a classic study of the umpiring profession and was voted by SABR in 2021 as one of the top 50 baseball books of the past 50 years. He also edited The SABR Book of Umpires and Umpiring, which came out in 2017.

In 2024, he was selected as a recipient of the Henry Chadwick Award in honor of his outstanding contribution to baseball research.

Related Sites

• SABR tribute page