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A Major League Baseball umpire’s work trip to Philadelphia was one to forget, and it wasn’t because of what happened on the diamond.
Brock Ballou, an MLB umpire since 2022, was allegedly robbed and assaulted in Center City by a suspect police believe is a teenager a day before a Philadelphia Phillies series.
According to CBS News Philadelphia, Ballou had his phone stolen and then chased the suspect. The two “became involved in a physical altercation” nearby.
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MLB home plate umpire Brock Ballou umpires during the first inning between the Houston Astros and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on July 3, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
Capt. Jason Smith told the outlet that the two “ended up on the ground, at which point the victim hit his head causing injury. The man continued his assault and violently beat him.”
Ballou’s phone was returned to him by a bystander. The incident with Ballou was 30 minutes after a separate incident believed to have been started by the same suspect.
MLB umpire Brock Ballou officiates during a spring training game between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch-Glendale in Phoenix, Arizona on March 2, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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Ballou was behind home plate for the Phillies’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks two days after the attack. He had been in Texas behind the plate the day before he was assaulted.
The umpire stepped behind the plate for the first time on June 10, 2022 for a game between the Minnesota Twins and the Tampa Bay Rays. He called 23 games from home plate last season, including three in Philly.
Ballou has caught 94.1% of the balls and is hitting correctly this season, according to Ump Scorecards. He has been challenged four times and all have been knocked down.
Home plate umpire Brock Ballou talks with Tampa Bay Rays catcher Alex Jackson during the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California on August 21, 2024. (Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports)
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He has 58 games under his belt behind home plate.
