Longtime Canadian-born Major League Baseball umpire JIM McKEAN (1973-2001), who also played in parts of three seasons in the Canadian Football League and was on a Grey Cup winning championship team in 1966, died on Thursday 24 January 2019 in Florida.

He was 73 and died overnight in his sleep in St. Petersburg, his hometown since the early 1980s.

McKean had contracted an infection after being treated for a kidney issue last fall however his passing was unexpected.

Jamie McKean, one of his two sons, said McKean died in his sleep early Thursday at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, near his home.

McKean had suffered from kidney issues and while at St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Petersburg around 2018 Thanksgiving developed an MRSA infection. He had appeared to have recovered from the infection but remained weakened

A Montreal native, McKean played baseball, football and basketball at Monklands High School, then played professionally in the Canadian Football League. 

Initially, he was a punter and backup quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes in 1964-1965, then was traded to Saskatchewan and was a punter for the Roughriders who won the Grey Cup in 1966.

McKean's career path changed after he attended a Montreal Expos game at Jarry Park in Montreal with a friend, most likely in the team's first season in 1969.

" His friend was a little drunk and yelled down at one of the umpires on the field, BILLY WILLIAMS, ' Hey, my friend wants to be an umpire,'" Jamie McKean recalled. " And so, he said, ' OK, well, if he's serious, come down the locker room after the game.' And so my dad went home and changed like it was an interview and came back and he said he gave him information for the umpire school in Gulfport, Florida, down here in St. Pete, and the rest is history."

McKean umpired in the minor leagues from 1970-1973, joined the American League staff in 1973 and made his big league debut that September. 

He worked three All-Star games, three division series, five league championship series, three World Series in 1979, 1985, 1995, and was named MLB Umpire of the Year in 1988.

McKean next became supervisor of umpires in the office of the Commissioner of Baseball in 2002, spending seven years in the role. 

His 10 no-hitters tied the Major League Baseball record shared by umpires SILK O'LOUGHLIN and PAUL PRYOR, a mark later broken when BRUCE FROEMMING worked his 11th no-hitter with BUD SMITH of the St. Louis Cardinals on the mound in September 2001.

All of McKean's no-hitters were as a base umpire. 

However, he was behind the plate when ROY HALLADAY, pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays, was hitless through 8 2/3 innings against the Detroit Tigers on 27 September 1998, then allowed a home run to BOBBY HIGGINSON, in what was only the second big league appearance for Halladay, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, on Tuesday 22 January 2019.

McKean was the third-base umpire when Cleveland Indians pitcher LEN BARKER threw a perfect game against the Toronto Blue Jays on 15 May 1981 at Cleveland Stadium.

" Major League Baseball sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jim McKean, an accomplished Major League Umpire and later an umpire supervisor for the Office of the Commissioner. Jim was a highly respected figure in the sport, and we are particularly grateful that he represented our game so well in his native Canada," Major League Baseball said in a statement.

Looked upon as one of the better umpires during his long MLB career, Jim McKean was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004.

“ RIP Jim McKean. Everyone in the game loved him,” longtime baseball writer and broadcaster KEN ROSENTHAL said on Twitter. 

– REMEMBRANCE –

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_McKean

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mckean001jim

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/M/Pmckej901.htm

https://www.mlb.com/news/former-mlb-umpire-jim-mckean-dies-at-73/c-303106668

https://nationalpost.com/pmn/sports-pmn/baseball-sports-pmn/montreal-native-jim-mckean-a-longtime-umpire-and-grey-cup-champion-dies-at-73

https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/longtime-mlb-umpire-grey-cup-champion-jim-mckean-dies-73/

https://www.courant.com/sports/baseball/hc-sp-baseball-jim-mckean-umpire-dead-20190124-20190124-v6bpumzqknc5biu5tl2z7hvpj4-story.html

www.ndgbaseball.org/Jim_mckean.html – MANY PHOTOS WITH STORY –

In the above photo, DEAN PALMER of the Detroit Tigers, left, continues to argue with home plate umpire JIM McKEAN, right, as manager LARRY PARRISH holds Palmer back in the second inning of their game against Kansas City, in Detroit. McKean, who umpired 10 no-hitters and three World Series during a big league career from 1973-1999, has died. He was 73. Jamie McKean, one of his sons, said McKean died in his sleep early Thursday 24 January 2019, at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. ( Photo - 22 July 1999 )

TORONTO, ONTARIO – FRIDAY 24 JANUARY 2019