By BRIAN DULIK Staff Writer No sport embraces its rich history more than Major League Baseball. Legendary games, championship battles and magical plays are a large part of what makes America’s pastime so special. Few people understand that better than Greg Kosc, who was a part of many classic moments. The longtime Medina resident spent 26 seasons as an American League umpire, playing a supporting role in some of the most star-studded events the sport has ever seen.

Kosc will be rewarded for his contributions to the game by being inducted into the Medina County Sports Hall of Fame on June 19 at The Galaxy Restaurant in Wadsworth.

 “You have to love what you’re doing or you can forget about umpiring,” said Kosc, whose 3,256 career games rank 55th in MLB history. “It’s a thankless job in a lot of ways because people only notice you when they’re mad about something, but I loved everything about it.” The Connecticut native was one of the best-known and most-talented umpires in the business while wearing the black mask from 1976-2001. He was rewarded for a job well done by being selected to work two World Series (1987, 1997), four American League Championship Series (1979, 1984, 1988, 1993), two AL Division Series (1996, 1997), two All-Star Games (1981, 1992), and a one-game AL West playoff in 1995. The imposing 6-foot-1, 275-pounder was also behind the plate for two perfect games, two no-hitters and the three most historically significant nights of Cal Ripken Jr.’s legendary career. Indeed, it’s been quite a ride for the former Texas-El Paso shot put and hammer thrower who began umpiring youth games for $5 while in college.

“Knowing that a kid from Stratford, Conn., got to meet five presidents (Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush) and spent time in the Rose Garden with President Reagan makes me very proud,” Kosc said. “Sometimes, I still can’t believe it’s happened to me, but I’m very grateful for everything that went on.”

The breakdown

By the numbers, Kosc called 3,256 regular-season games (815 at home plate, 813 at first base, 802 at second base and 826 at third base), according to research done by retrosheet.org. Those figures don’t include his work in the minors with the Pacific Coast League, Southern League, Carolina League, Western Carolina League, Florida Instructional League or the Puerto Rican Winter League. He made his MLB debut on April 10, 1976 at Cleveland Stadium at the age of 26. Among his fellow umpires was the legendary Nestor Chylock, which was a good thing considering it was opening day between the Indians and Detroit Tigers — and there were 58,478 people in attendance. “I remember telling him there were more people here than in my entire hometown,” Kosc said. “I will never forget that day.” At the time, there were only 24 AL and 24 National League umpires, already putting Kosc among the best in the world at his profession.

“There were probably more than 24 brain surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic back then, so I felt good,” he quipped. “Now, they don’t want me doing brain surgery on anybody, but I don’t think many surgeons can call a game as well as I can, either.”

Home sweet home

Though Kosc’s wife Charlene was living in Parma at the time, the two met while he was working winter league games in Puerto Rico in 1975. They married on Oct. 31, 1976 and moved to Medina at the start of the new year. “I remember when you’d drive south past Route 303 and there would be nothing to see — that’s how long I’ve lived in Medina County,” he said, laughing. “You can hardly recognize the city or the area from back then, but it’s still a great place to live.

“I couldn’t imagine not walking four miles a day with my dog on the trails in Hinckley. There are just so many things to enjoy about this area.”

Twice in a lifetime

Kosc was working first base when Len Barker of the Indians threw a perfect game against Toronto on May 15, 1981 at Cleveland Stadium, as well as when California’s Mike Witt tossed a perfecto against Texas on Sept. 30, 1984. Making the Witt gem even more memorable, Kosc was the home plate umpire at Arlington Stadium. “I knew from looking at the scoreboard that Witt hadn’t allowed a hit, but until Angels manager John McNamara told me, ‘Congratulations, you just worked a perfect game,’ I had no idea,” he said. “Once I realized that, I asked Mike Witt and (catcher) Bob Boone for an autographed ball that I still have today.” Kosc also saw a pair of no-hitters from the second-base umpiring position: Chicago’s Joe Cowley against California on Sept. 19, 1986 and Dwight Gooden of the Yankees against Seattle on May 14, 1996.

“Some people go 30-40 years in the game and never see a no-hitter,” he said. “I got to work two perfect games and two no-hitters, which is pretty amazing to me.”

Ironman experiences

While Kosc’s postseason experiences are a permanent part of sports history, his legacy lies with baseball iron man Ripken. He was part of the umpiring crew when Ripken tied, then broke Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games on September 5-6, 1995 at Baltimore’s Camden Yards. Kosc was at second base for the equalizer and first base for the record breaker. It was symbolically fitting, then, when Kosc was behind the plate on Sept. 20, 1988 — the day Ripken voluntarily took the day off after playing in 2,632 straight games.

“I remember getting the lineup card from (Orioles manager) Ray Miller and it didn’t have Cal’s name on it,” he said. “At about the same time, they were announcing the starting lineups to the crowd. When they said, ‘At third base, Ryan Minor,’ the place went dead silent. Everyone was shocked this was the day it was going to end, including me.”

Face to face

The downside of being a high-profile umpire includes the confrontations with managers and players over disputed calls, many of whom prefer to throw their biggest on-field tantrums against familiar faces. Billy Martin and Earl Weaver were among Kosc’s most ardent early agitators, while Tony LaRussa, Tom Kelly and Mike Hargrove frequently sparred with him as his career wound down. “It was never fun when it happened because everyone thinks you screwed up, but you’re just being a cop out there, so to speak,” said Kosc, who was responsible for 83 ejections. “You have to stand your ground and so do they, but they have to know if they step over the line, they’re gonna get ‘juiced.’”

Contrary to popular belief, Kosc said profanities aren’t the so-called magic words that get managers and players ejected.

“Anything that gets personal will generally do it,” he said. “Everything else is fair game.”

Nobody’s perfect

Though Kosc was universally considered one of the best umpires in the business, everyone makes mistakes at work. It doesn’t mean you have to accept them, though, and he did not. “You’re going to make a mistake over 162 games, but I’ll be honest, it bothered me because you want to do your best every day,” he said. “When you screw up, you have to put salt and pepper on it and eat it.” Getting over a blown call quickly, however, is imperative when your next game is usually less than 24 hours away.

“That’s why they put erasers on pencils,” he said. “As an umpire, you have to learn to never get too high or too low because the sun will come up tomorrow and give you a new day.”

Gone to the dogs

While many baseball fans and aspiring umpires immediately recognize Kosc when he is out and about, so do a good number of nursing home residents. To the latter group, he isn’t a former big-league umpire, but the guy who brings Reni, a 5-year-old therapy dog, to visit them. “Fame is fleeting, I guess,” he said, laughing. “That’s fine with me, though, because I love visiting those people every Tuesday. All my years in baseball, I never had a dog, so to have one and be able to share the joy that she brings me is special.” It’s so special to Kosc that their visits to skilled nursing units are the only thing he marks down on his calendar each week. After spending a quarter-century living out of a suitcase, taking the time to smell the roses — even just planting them — is sweeter than the swing of any bat.

“I truly enjoy doing everything that I couldn’t do while I was working in baseball,” he said. “Spending time with my wife, our dog, and just doing day-to-day things are the best. Basically, I’m retired and I’m loving it.”

Dulik may be reached at brisports@hotmail.com or 330-721-4059.