Umpire Tim McClelland retires, MLB hires 3 umps full time

NEW YORK (AP) Longtime umpire Tim McClelland has retired, and Major League Baseball has hired three umps full time for the upcoming season.

MLB announced the moves Friday.

The 63-year-old McClelland was perhaps best known for being the plate umpire who called out George Brett in the ''Pine Tar Game'' in 1983, prompting the eventual Hall of Famer to run out of the Kansas City dugout in a rage to argue.

McClelland worked in the majors for more than 32 years, was a crew chief and handled the World Series four times. He was noted for the exceptionally slow manner in which he called strikes.

McClelland worked more than 4,200 games, including 94 in the postseason. He was second among umpires in experience, behind only 37-year vet Joe West.

Will Little, Tripp Gibson and Mark Ripperger were promoted full time to the MLB umpiring staff. They have all worked 174 games or more in the majors.