Retired MLB Umpires Demand $5 Million in Unpaid Pension Benefits

Retired Major League Baseball umpires Joe West, Tom Hallion, Gerry Davis, Larry Vanover, and Jerry Layne are seeking more than $5 million in unpaid pension benefits. The five men filed a lawsuit on September 29 in federal court in New York. They are suing the American Leagues and National Leagues of Professional Baseball Clubs Retirement Income Plan for Umpires and its retirement committee.

Attorney Paul B. Holmes stated that the group is owed additional money under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The lawsuit argues that the retirement plan failed to correctly calculate the officials' benefits. Holmes described the plan's offers during settlement talks as not very competitive. He noted that in several instances, the calculations clearly favored the plan over the umpires.

West, who retired after the 2021 season, said he was offered a relatively small sum when he raised the issue with the committee. He said MLB senior vice president and chief employment counsel Steven Gonzalez told him, “If you don't like the number, sue us.” West reacted by asking if Gonzalez was unaware of his history with litigation. West worked a record 5,460 regular-season games between 1976 and 2021.

The other plaintiffs retired at different times. Hallion retired after the 2022 season, while Layne and Vanover stepped down at the end of 2024. West previously won $500,000 in damages in a 2021 defamation suit against former All-Star catcher Paul LoDuca. The Major League Baseball Umpires Association is not a party to this case. Holmes explained that the union wanted to stay out of the matter because it is small and lacks pension expertise.

MLB declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing its pending status. The suit was first reported by USA Today. U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams has scheduled a pretrial conference for December 11.