John Kibler

John William Kibler

• Height 6' 0", Weight 200 lb.

• Born January 9, 1928 in Piseco, NY USA
• Died February 18, 2010 in Palo Alto, CA USA

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Biographical Information

John Kibler was a long time National League umpire who worked four World Series.

Kibler served in the Navy during the Korean War and was a member of the New York State Police before becoming an umpire. He worked in the minors for six seasons in the Georgia-Florida League (1958), Pioneer League (1959), South Atlantic League (1960-1961), American Association (1962), and International League (1963).

He was then a National League umpire for more than a quarter century, from September 1963 to 1989. He worked the World Series on four occasions, most notably in the 1986 match-up between the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox. In Game 6, he was at first base when the Mets won on Mookie Wilson's grounder that rolled between first baseman Bill Buckner's legs. He was then behind home plate in the next game, in which the Mets clinched the championship.

Related Sites

• John Kibler on Retrosheet.org
• Sporting News umpire card
• San Jose Mercury News obit
• New York Times obit