The Reds and Major League Baseball Tuesday observed the one-year anniversary of John McSherry's sudden death behind the Cinergy Field plate when the club dedicated the umpire room in his memory.
Calling him ''an umpire's umpire,'' the Rev. Michael Leshney of Moeller High School led a short memorial before the opener in which Reds Managing Executive John Allen and umpires' union boss Richie Phillips unveiled the plaque that is to hang in the room.
McSherry's death inadvertently began Reds CEO Marge Schott's journey to a two-year suspension and Allen's appointment as day-to-day chief of the club.
Last year, MLB officials were furious at her desire for the opener to continue despite McSherry's collapse of heart failure. Before Tuesday's game, Schott briefly spoke to the umpires as they came on the field.
''I don't want to revisit the comments of Marge Schott from last year,'' Phillips said. ''I appreciate John and the Cincinnati Reds' organization taking this time to memorialize John McSherry.
''I don't think I ought to denigrate this organization because of some comments that were made a year ago at this time. I think the organization is doing the right thing and has taken a big step here today as far as John is concerned and that people in all of baseball have appreciation of John.''
In response to McSherry's death, umpires have been put on notice about their health. Phillips said NL ump Eric Gregg, who left the game for four months after McSherry's death, said he is a ''slim, trim 295 pounds,'' after dropping 100.
Phillips said all umpires will undergo physical exams before and in the middle of the season, consisting of CAT scans of the heart, liver, kidney and every type of blood test. ''The works,'' he said.
The umpires are working with Duke University's famed diet and conditioning clinic. National League veteran Harry Wendelstedt is there now.
''He had some concerns about blood pressure,'' Phillips said. ''He'll be back soon. If any problems come up in the physicals, then they can go to Duke and get checked.''
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