About Russ Goetz
Lived 1930 – 2017 (aged 86). Russ Goetz was an American baseball umpire, baseball player and umpire (baseball).
Russell Louis Goetz (May 31, 1930 – March 15, 2017) was an American professional baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1968 to 1983. Goetz umpired 2,384 major league games in his 16-year career. He umpired in two World Series (1973 and 1979), two All-Star Games (1970 and 1975) and four American League Championship Series (1970, 1974, 1977, and 1981).
Goetz wore uniform number 5 when the American League adopted numbers in 1980.
He was one of the last five umpires using the outside chest protector when he retired.
He enlisted in the United States Navy, serving during the Korean War era from October 1950 through November 1954.
Goetz died March 15, 2017, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Russ Goetz's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Russ Goetz?
baseball umpire (1930-2017)
When was Russ Goetz born?
Russ Goetz was born on 31 May 1930 in McKeesport.
When did Russ Goetz die?
Russ Goetz died on 15 March 2017 in McKeesport.
What was Russ Goetz's occupation?
Russ Goetz was a baseball umpire, baseball player and umpire (baseball).
What nationality was Russ Goetz?
Russ Goetz was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Russ Goetz. https://biography.guide/russ-goetz/
MLA: "Russ Goetz." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/russ-goetz/.
Chicago: "Russ Goetz." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/russ-goetz/.
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