Don Denkinger - Career

Career

Denkinger attended Wartburg College where he was on the wrestling team. He became interested in umpiring while serving in the Army from 1957 to 1959. He began umpiring in the minor leagues in 1960, joined the AL staff in April, 1969, and became an AL crew chief in 1977. In 1975, Denkinger was one of the first American League umpires to switch from the outside chest protector to the inside chest protector, which was used in the National League for decades before finally being adopted in the AL in the late 1970s. All umpires who entered the AL starting in 1977 had to use the inside protector; AL umpires on staff prior to 1977 were grandfathered and could continue to use the outside protector. Denkinger's last game using the outside protector was Game 4 of the 1974 World Series.

He umpired in four World Series: 1974, 1980, 1985 and 1991, serving as crew chief the latter two years. Denkinger also umpired in the All-Star Game in 1971, 1976 and 1987, calling balls and strikes for the last game. He officiated in six American League Championship Series (1972, 1975, 1979, 1982, 1988, 1992), serving as crew chief in 1975, 1988 and 1992, and in the 1981 and 1995 AL Division Series. He was the home plate umpire for the one-game playoff that decided the AL's Eastern Division champion in 1978; the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox.

He is one of seven umpires who have worked in two perfect games; he was the second-base umpire for Len Barker's perfect game on May 15, 1981, and the first-base umpire for Kenny Rogers' perfect game on July 28, 1994. He was also the home plate umpire for Nolan Ryan's sixth no-hitter on June 11, 1990.