Who is Phil Cuzzi? MLB umpire under fire after shocking calls during Dodgers vs Twins game

There are a few umpires in Major League Baseball who are well-known to the fans by name, one of those umps is Phil Cuzzi, and over the weekend he had another incident that infuriated supporters with the way he handled a predicament.

In the Los Angeles Dodgers' 9-8 victory against the Minnesota Twins, a dubious series of decisions were made about the exact same hitter. At the plate, Alex Kirilloff observed two pitches from reliever Phil Bickford that ought to have been either outside or inside. Yet, no! Cuzzi referred to them as hits.

Welcome to the Phil Cuzzi show - cjzero

Unfortunately, a crucial incident in the eleventh inning that home plate umpire Cuzzi handled incorrectly ruined the game. The episode was briefly published on Twitter by Awful Announcing, and the Dodgers broadcasters expressed their displeasure with his dubious decisions.

I thought Phil Cuzzi owed a life debt to the Twins after the Mauer situation. Apparently not - benJones_5

Although it is acknowledged that umpires occasionally make errors, Cuzzi's blunders in this specific episode stood out for the number and size, which bothered players and spectators greatly. It serves as a reminder of how crucial it is for baseball umpiring to be precise and reliable.

MLB umpiring career of Phil Cuzzi

On June 4, 1991, Phil Cuzzi made his big league debut when officiating an 11-inning game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers at first base. Cuzzi officiated a total of 71 National League games from 1991 to 1993.

In 1993, His umpiring career was briefly put on hold. After that, Cuzzi worked as a bartender and substitute teacher. In 1996, he met NL President Len Coleman by coincidence while working at a hotel bar.

Coleman agreed to let him resume umpiring provided he would move up from the low minor levels. In 2000, he received a promotion to the full-time big league staff.