Another veteran MLB umpire has reportedly retired

Another umpire is joining Angel Hernandez in retirement, although he's far less controversial.

Umpire-focused retailer Ump Attire announced on social media this week that veteran umpire Paul Emmel has retired. The 56-year-old Emmel has been an MLB umpire since 1999 and a crew chief since 2017.

Emmel, who played over 2,500 MLB games in his career, appears to have retired somewhat expectedly. Thanks to leg and knee issues, he did not work at all during the 2020 and 2021 seasons and played just 37 games in the 2023 MLB season (with none this season). Emmel was also involved in a 2016 incident in which he was hit on the head by a flying bat during a game.

Like any umpire over the years, Emmel had his fair share of missed calls. However, he was generally well-regarded, kept a low profile, and did his job well. The same cannot be said of Hernandez, whose retirement announcement this week was met with widespread celebrations.