Lee Weyer

In a 1987 Sports Illustrated poll of NL catchers, Weyer was rated the best at calling balls and strikes. The 6 ‘6″ umpire was behind the plate on September 11, 1985, in Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium when Pete Rose singled off San Diego’s Eric Show to break Ty Cobb‘s career hit record. Weyer, who had done national television commercials for Miller Beer and Coca Cola, was diagnosed in 1980 as having Guillan-Barre syndrome, a potentially life-threatening disorder that affects muscle control and can cause blindness. He rebounded and also returned from a bout with diabetes in 1982. He died during the season in 1988.