A couple of veteran MLB umpires have decided to hang up the mask and chest protector.
Umpires Phil Cuzzi and Mark Carlson announced their retirements on Friday. Cuzzi, 70, had worked in MLB since 1991, starting of as a reserve umpire. Cuzzi had received some negative attention for some terrible calls he made during a Philadelphia Phillies-San Francisco Giants game last year.
One Phillies fan called it one of the “worst performances” they had ever seen.
NEWS: Umpire Phil Cuzzi has retired, according to @AP.
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) February 20, 2026
Cuzzi, the oldest umpire in MLB, had one of the worst performances I’ve ever seen from a home plate umpire last July against the Phillies. pic.twitter.com/ZfCfRSywHf
Perhaps the combination of hitting the retirement age of 70, plus the backlash over the poor performance, led to the decision from Cuzzi.
Carlson is much younger at 56, but he began as an umpire in the National League in 1999. He worked multiple playoff series during his career, including the World Series in 2015, 2020 and 2024.
Cuzzi is also the same umpire who infamously ejected Max Scherzer during a glove check in the 2023 season.
