The umpiring crew for the 2016 World Series will feature some faces familiar to baseball fans, but more than half of the men making the calls will be newcomers to the game's biggest stage.
While crew chief John Hirschbeck and longtime MLB fixture Joe West have plenty of October experience, four of the seven umpires working the Cubs-Indians showdown will be making their first World Series appearance.
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That doesn't mean they're rookies. The home plate umpire for Game 1 Tuesday night, Larry Vanover, is in his 24th year in the majors and has worked six postseason series, but this will be his first World Series. The rest of the crew consists of Chris Guccione, Marvin Hudson, Tony Randazzo and Sam Holbrook.
Holbrook will serve as the replay umpire for Games 1 and 2, and will head to the field for the rest of the series with Vanover going to the replay booth. Todd Tichenor will assist in the replay booth for the entire series.
Hirschbeck, 62, is working his fifth World Series and West his sixth. Those two and Vanover are crew chiefs during the regular season.
All seven umpires saw action in the Division Series earlier this month.
