Five Retired MLB Umpires Sue Over Alleged Pension Shortfalls

The Sept. 29 ERISA complaint asks a federal court to order extra pension payments, with a ruling that could force plan administrators to recalculate benefits for other retirees.

Overview

Joe West, Tom Hallion, Gerry Davis, Larry Vanover and Jerry Layne filed a 44-page suit on Sept. 29 in the Southern District of New York alleging their Umpires’ Retirement Income Plan benefits were miscalculated.
The plaintiffs say the plan and its retirement committee violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by using incorrect formulas and failing to apply actuarial increases for umpires who delayed retirement.
Lawyers and outlets give different estimates of what is owed, with one report saying about $2 million and plaintiffs’ counsel saying the shortfall exceeds $5 million.
U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams set a pretrial conference for Dec. 11, the Major League Baseball Umpires Association is not a party, and MLB has declined to comment because the case is pending.
Plaintiffs say the issue began in November 2021 and could affect many more former umpires, so a court ruling could change benefit payments and prompt more claims from retirees.