Osamu Ino

From BR Bullpen

Osamu Ino (井野 修)

Osamu Ino became a Central League umpire in 1976. He worked the NPB All-Star Game in 1986, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996 and 1998. He also worked the 1989 Japan Series, 1991 Japan Series, 1992 Japan Series, 1994 Japan Series, 1995 Japan Series, 1996 Japan Series, 1997 Japan Series, 1998 Japan Series, 1999 Japan Series, 2000 Japan Series, 2001 Japan Series and 2005 Japan Series before becoming CL Chief of Umpires. In 1996, he joined three other NPB umpires in a MLB-NPB umpire exchange program. Working the home plate on March 2 in a Pirates-Cardinals game, he won the praise of Bucs manager Jim Leyland: "I thought they (the Japanese) did a good job. And even if they didn't, you couldn't argue with them."