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terry tata, 1988 MLBUA #16

Player: Tata, Terry

Card: 1988 Major League Umpire’s Association #16

Position: Umpire

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Terry Anthony Tata (born April 24, 1940 in Waterbury, CT) is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire. His MLB career began when the National League purchased his contract from the Triple-A International League on March 21, 1973. He was a National League umpire for 27 seasons, from 1973 to 1999, his career ending after a contract dispute between umpires and management that resulted in the layoff of 13 umpires. He worked a total of 3,742 games in 27 seasons.

He also appeared regularly in the postseason during those years, including four World Series, seven National League Championship Series and three All-Star games. He also officiated in five no-hitters, including being the home plate umpire for two: Phil Niekro's on August 5, 1973 and Tom Seaver's on June 16, 1978. Tata wore uniform number 19 for most of his career.

Tata appeared on the Television program What's My Line on June 11, 1961, where he was presented as being the youngest umpire in "organized baseball." He was 21 years old at the time and stated that he worked in the Northern League which incorporated, he said on the program, "Minnesota, the Dakotas, Canada, and Wisconsin." The panelists were able to discern his occupation.

Away from the diamond, Tata had a taste for the high life. That caught up with him on the night of June 22, 1993, when he was drugged and robbed by a female con artist in his room at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Burlingame, California. According to published reports, hours after working second base in that evening's game between the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park, Tata invited a woman he had met in the hotel bar up to his room for a little red wine and light conversation. She slipped a tranquilizer into his glass and made off with Tata's Rolex watch, a gold bracelet, two World Series rings, and $500 in cash.

He is the stepson of fellow umpire Augie Guglielmo.

(excerpted from Baseball Almanac, BR Bullpen and Wikipedia)

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(Photo by: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Umpire Card courtesy of Retrosheet.org

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Terry is part of the Umpires Tour – Go to the Next Stop


See Terry’s baseball cards at TCDB


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2 thoughts on “Terry Tata: NL Umpire for 27 years, 4 World Series, 3 All Star Games, 7 NLCS

  1. Rick Koch says:

    Can Terry. Come to The Williams celebration to be held June 23 at 1 at Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury Connecticut.

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