Fairchild thriving as MLB umpire

Coming "home" had become fairly routine. But even Chad Fairchild knew he was in a unique moment. The 1989 Western Reserve graduate had been on the field as a Major League Baseball umpire for several games in Cleveland. He always looks forward to the chance to be 45 miles away from his hometown family and friends. Fairchild had even worked up the left field line for a Houston-Cleveland postseason game in the 2018 American League Division Series at Progressive Field. However, the moment Oct. 12, 2024, hit different. Not only did Fairchild's crew draw the assignment for the first-ever postseason series between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians — whose history dates back 125 years — but the ALDS reached a sudden death Game 5. And with the way the umpires rotate each position from game to game, it meant Fairchild was calling balls and strikes behind home plate for the sixth sudden death postseason game played in the city. "Anytime you work a game like that, it's really cool," Fairchild said. "Was it much more so being near my hometown? Absolutely. It also added a layer of pressure. "If I were doing Arizona against San Diego, I wouldn't have had that pressure that I had having grown up 45 minutes west of the stadium. But yeah, it's special." Fairchild was calling a typical win-or-go-home postseason game as far as intensity. The game was deadlocked at 1-1 in the fifth inning. Then, it happened. The Guardians loaded the bases with one out on three singles off Detroit ace Tarik Skubal. Lane Thomas then smoked the first pitch he saw for a grand slam home run to the left field bleachers as 34,105 in attendance shook the stadium. The swing was shocking in the eventual 7-3 win that sent Cleveland to the AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees. Skubal, who won the Cy Young and is again the favorite to do so in 2025, had not allowed a run in 28 consecutive innings, and had not given up a home run in 32 innings. And there was Fairchild making sure all four baserunners touched home plate as the crowd roared. "I have to say, that grand slam... you're long past having a rooting interest," he said. "But that was about as loud as anything I've ever heard in all my 15 years of doing this." And though he never looks at the popular Umpire Scorecards on social media, Fairchild was nearly flawless in his eighth division series. He graded out at 96 percent accuracy, including 99 percent accuracy from the edge of the strike zone. "No, I never take a peek at those scorecards," Fairchild said. "I know it exists, and some people believe what they see against what I'm going to tell them. They also believe the (strike zone) box on TV is always accurate, and it's not. "We get the "real" scores, but no, I don't ever look at the ump scorecards." A long road The journey to become an umpire in the MLB is a very long road. "It was 13 years in the minor leagues, which were probably some of the best years of my life," Fairchild said. "Going through the minors and forming these relationships and friendships that last forever were important in developing me as a person, too. And that was 13 years." When Fairchild was hired as an MLB umpire, it felt like winning a lottery ticket. But it was his background at Western Reserve and growing up around his late father, Chet, that helped develop his desire. "When his playing days were over, my dad was a local official and did a lot of different sports in the area," Fairchild said. "I went to a lot of games, especially near Cleveland. "I enjoyed watching the camaraderie he had with the other officials on the road. He stayed involved through officiating, and he would always take me around with him as a kid — and that definitely played a role." Fairchild said he didn't know all the names of umpires when he was growing up, but he did watch them closely throughout the games. That included the "catcalls" that are constant throughout a game from the fans in attendance. "You definitely have to have a certain personality to do this job," Fairchild said. "It's definitely not for everyone. I don't think a lot of people say, 'I want to be an MLB umpire when I grow up.' That just doesn't happen. "But it's one of those things where I was always involved with athletics through my dad and was a decent athlete growing up in Huron County." Fairchild can remember the time he went to a game in Cleveland when he was a young teenager with his dad. He thought even at that age he could do the job, without knowing how difficult it was or how long it takes to get remotely close to that level in the profession. "I was still an athlete in high school at Western in Mrs. (Brenda) Toney's class, giving a speech in front of the class about what we wanted to do in life. I said I wanted to be an MLB umpire, still not knowing what all went into it. "It was just one of those things where I was in sports year-round, and there is a personality you have to have to do this job. I think that weeds out a lot of people that don't possess pretty strong personalities and thick skin." Accomplished career Fairchild, 54, joined the MLB ranks full-time in 2010, after he worked spring training games and as a "call-up" umpire for six years. That came after working in the minors across eight different leagues. He broke into the business in 1997. Fairchild was an ump in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006. In the postseason, Fairchild worked the 2019 AL Wild Card game and has done the National League Division Series in 2012, 2015, and 2022 and the ALDS in 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2024. Fairchild has also been on the crews in the ALCS in 2017 (Houston over New York) and the NLCS in 2019 (Washington over St. Louis). Prior to that, he was also in right field for the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York. That game is remembered for the final All-Star appearance for legendary Yankees closer Mariano Rivera in his home city. But the peak for Fairchild came just last October, and in 2018, when he worked the World Series twice. Both times, Fairchild was on the field for matchups between iconic franchises. The Red Sox beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles to win the World Series in 2018. Fairchild was able to call balls and strikes in that series and was at first base for the record 18-inning Game 3 at Dodger Stadium. Then last season, Fairchild was on the crew for the World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees. The Dodgers also won that series in five games, culminating at Yankee Stadium. "It's huge. I was very fortunate, and that's about as big as it gets as far as marquee names for a championship," Fairchild said. "It's definitely humbling, but it again adds that extra layer of pressure. "But just to say you've been there and earned that assignment is definitely a feather in your cap. Being able to share that with your family and closest people around you is definitely a big deal." Rewarding experience While he's certainly made his share of ejections in his career, Fairchild said a bad call always sticks with him and his fellow umpires. Especially in the days of instant replay. "It's crushing to miss a call or have it overturned," he said. "That happened to me just in this last postseason, and it's still with me today. I think about it every single day. "We all tell ourselves it will happen, get over it and move on. But it's excruciatingly tough to do it." As far as the best part of his job, Fairchild often goes back to the travel. He's seen the entire country through the minors and pro levels. "From the small to the medium-sized and biggest cities, I've seen them all," he said. "The biggest thing I tell everyone is getting to meet so many different people from different walks of life has been huge. "Seeing how they handle themselves, people who are bigger than this job but are so down to earth, yet are so happy to be there and hang out and talk … it's been my favorite and biggest learning experience I've had in this profession." Back home, Fairchild grew up with parents Chet and Pam. He has two brothers (Shane and Tylor) and two sisters (Meggan and Brooke). His family, especially his father's love for all things Western Reserve sports, but especially basketball, has kept him in touch with his alma mater. "It means a lot to me because I have a lot of people from back home who root for me," Fairchild said. "Ed Timmons was my varsity baseball coach. Jeff Todd was my pony league coach, and the current basketball staff with Chris Sheldon and Ryan Falknor are always very supportive if I ever come back to town and attend a game." One of the first games he ever umpired in Cleveland, Fairchild saw one of his Western Reserve teachers with a sign that said he was the "World's best umpire." "It's always nice to see those people, and I appreciate how they take care of one of their own when I come home," Fairchild said. "And they keep me up on Western Reserve gear. So people like that, I always like to thank them when I can." Fairchild resides in Florida with his wife, Daria, daughter, Angelina, and son, Tanner. His crew opened the second half of the current season at Dodger Stadium for the Milwaukee Brewers and host Los Angeles. He was behind the plate for the series finale July 20. The next night, he was in Arlington, Texas for a series between the host Rangers and the Athletics. "There is definitely a lot of sacrifice that goes into the job for being away from home for long periods of time," he said. "Being in the big leagues is different from being in the minors. "Opening Day happens, and then you don't come back home again until the season is basically over in late October. We get some vacation time and are able to go home over the All-Star break, and you can bring your family out on the road. It's been an amazing run for sure."