The home plate umpire during a game between the Hornell Steamers and the Olean Oilers took a ball off of his chest protector ...

Jerry Neudecker, the last major-league umpire to wear an outside “balloon” chest protector, has died of cancer at 66. Neudecker, a native of Marine, Ill., died Saturday. He was an American ...

Old American League umpire’s chest protector. Q. When I was a young man, umpires behind the plate used to wear big heavy shields in front of them that they had to hold up with both hands.

The 91-year-old former Marine went from borrowing a mask at an Okinawa hospital to umpiring in the Negro League, where he made calls against legends like Satchel Paige, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.