Joliet native Mark Carlson leads umpire crew at World Series

Joliet native Mark Carlson will be the crew chief for the umpiring crew at the World Series that starts Friday night in Los Angeles.

This will be the third World Series for Carlson, who is in his 25th year as an umpire in Major League Baseball.

News that Carlson was named crew chief came out Thursday afternoon.

Carlson, who lives in the Joliet area, was on a plane for Los Angeles and could not be immediately reached for comments on his prominent role in the series between the Dodgers and New York Yankees.

Carlson will umpire at first base Friday night, according to a report from the Associated Press.

A crew chief, in addition to regular umpiring duties, has a supervisory role over the umpires at the game, meaning the appointment reflects some respect for the umpire’s experience, skill and knowledge.

Carlson was an umpire in the 2015 and 2020 World Series and has worked several post-season playoff series during his career.

Crew chiefs, among other things, lead discussions on certain game situations, meaning if there is a controversy in the World Series fans and viewers will likely seek Carlson in the thick of it.

Carlson is a gradate of Joliet West High School, where he was a catcher for the Tigers.

He remains a familiar figure for Joliet-area sports fans and has been a speaker at banquets for the Old Timers Baseball Association of Will County.

This is a developing story. Check for updates.