Mark Wegner
Episode 358
15 DEC 2025
SPECIAL EPISODE – An exclusive interview upon his decision to publicly share his story, this conversation contains tears as well as (caution) mention of suicide.
He just finished season number 27 as a Major League Baseball umpire, including having been the crew chief for the Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series, for which he was the home plate umpire for Game 3. As a youth he had played baseball and was on his high school’s team, including winning back-to-back state championships. He umpired in the minor leagues for seven years before being hired full-time in MLB. He has umpired three World Series, five Wild Card series, ten Division Series, five League Championship Series, three World Baseball Classics, and two All-Star Games, including having been the home plate umpire and crew chief of the 2018 All-Star Game. Listen for his amazing testimony about a trip to Lourdes!
Notable guest quotes:
“Cradle Catholic, Mass every Sunday, and we actually, as far back as I can remember, would say a rosary every night as a family.”
“I played baseball my entire life, played in high school. In eighth and ninth grade I hurt my elbow really bad, it was probably the beginning of eighth grade, and I wasn’t able to play baseball, and it was actually … the Tommy John situation… I just threw way too much.”
“I went to Cretin-Derham (Catholic) High School, which has a pretty prolific baseball program. Paul Molitor went there. Joe Mauer went there after me.”
“I get asked a lot, like at umpire clinics or things like that … do you love your job? And I think about that. And I like my job. I’ve always liked it. I’m very blessed in a lot of ways, especially at making a career out of it. But I always wanted to be a dad. (But) I save that word, love, for those kind of things, not my job.”
“I just told God I said, I think this is the right thing to do… And if that wasn’t the right thing to do, to please let me know.”
“I’m not a spotlight guy. So, I might have chosen the wrong profession in that regard. Although we’re best when we stay out of the spotlight. So, I go do the best I can. I feel very blessed to have the job that I have… But you know, when I walk into the stadium, I really don’t feel like I’m any more important than… people that are going to sell food that day, concessions and janitors and things like that. And I just, I certainly try to be very respectful to them.”
“That year, if I thought somebody would pray, I asked them to pray for (my son). And I’m certainly always willing to pray for other people, but man, I just, I asked everybody and anybody that would pray… And ironically, when I would step on the field, I really think it was an answer to prayers, but it was the only time that my mind had to focus on something else because the other 22 or 21 hours of the day was spent trying to figure out how to help him.”
“They used to have a Friday prayer call… And we got on the phone and said a prayer together, which was awesome. And I made it through the game.”
“I remember feeling like this is an invitation. I just had just no doubt in my heart when we were done talking that … this is where God wanted us to go. And I really believe Mary was inviting us that day.”
“I do have a rosary in my pocket (out on the ball field). It is not a good luck charm. I do say it, but it is nice sometimes to reach back when I need and just feel that in my hands. And just as a reminder of who I’m doing this for.”