Ron Kulpa
From BR Bullpen
Ronald Clarence Kulpa
- School Missouri Baptist College, Florissant Valley Community College
- High School Hazelwood Central High School
- Born October 5, 1968 in St. Louis, MO USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Ron Kulpa went to umpiring school after college. He made his Organized Baseball debut in the Northwest League in 1992, then moved up to the 1993 Midwest League, 1994 Carolina League, 1995-1996 Southern League, 1997 Texas League and 1998-1999 Pacific Coast League. When there was a mass resignation of major league umpires, he got a job at that level in 1999. He has since worked the 2001 All-Star Game, Justin Verlander's 2007 no-hitter and the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
Kulpa made a controversial call in the 4th inning of Game Three of the 2011 World Series. Working first base at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, he called the St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Holliday safe at first on a relay that pulled Texas Rangers first baseman Mike Napoli off the bag in an attempt to complete a double play. Television replays showed that Napoli had in fact tagged Holliday before he reached first, and the Cardinals used the extra out to put up a 4-run inning, taking a 5-0 lead on their way to a 16-7 win.
