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A Major League Baseball umpire’s work trip to Philadelphia was unforgettable, and it wasn’t because of what happened on the diamond.
Brock Ballou, an MLB umpire since 2022, was allegedly robbed and assaulted in Center City by a suspect police believe to be a teenager a day before a Philadelphia Phillies series.
According to CBS News Philadelphia, Ballou had his phone stolen and then chased after the suspect. The two then “engaged in a physical altercation” nearby.
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MLB home plate umpire Brock Ballou officiates during the first inning between the Houston Astros and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, on July 3, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Image Images)
Captain Jason Smith told the outlet that the two “ended up on the ground, at which point the victim hit his head, causing injuries. The man continued his assault, violently punching him.”
A passerby handed the phone back to Ballou. The incident with Ballou occurred 30 minutes after another believed to have been initiated by the same suspect.
MLB umpire Brock Ballou officiates during a spring training game between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch-Glendale in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 2, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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Ballou was behind the plate in the Phillies’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks two days after the attack. He had been in Texas behind home plate the day before he was attacked.
The umpire stepped behind home plate for the first time on June 10, 2022, for a game between the Minnesota Twins and the Tampa Bay Rays. He called 23 games from the plate last season, including three in Philadelphia.
Ballou has hit 94.1% of balls and strikes this season, according to Ump Scorecards. It has been challenged four times and all have been annulled.
Home plate umpire Brock Ballou speaks with Tampa Bay Rays catcher Alex Jackson during the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California, on August 21, 2024. (Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports)
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He has 58 games under his belt behind the plate.
