Bob Davidson (umpire)
From BR Bullpen
Robert Allan Davidson
- Height 6' 0", Weight 230 lb.
- School University of Minnesota
- Born August 3, 1952 in Chicago, IL USA
Bob Davidson played college baseball at the University of Minnesota. He was a National League umpire from 1982 to 1999. He was one of several umpires who put in their retirement as part of a failed negotiation ploy, not expecting their offer to be taken seriously. He returned to the majors as an ump in 2005. He has worked the 1992 World Series and a pair of All-Star Games.
Davidson drew major controversy for his work in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. On March 12, he overruled another umpire in saying Tsuyoshi Nishioka had left third base early on a would-be sacrifice fly Akinori Iwamura; video replays did not bear this out and the call helped the US beat Japan. Four days later, he called a double for Mario Valenzuela when the replays indicated a home run.
