Malachi Moore remains unfazed by the pressure of officiating major-league games in front of a packed stadium and millions more viewers scrutinizing every call. The intensity of the pitch clock and online critiques won’t disrupt his focus, as he feels that after making life-altering decisions, nothing can truly unsettle him.
Moore shared with the Los Angeles Times that at age 15, he faced an unimaginable situation when he and his mother, Neva, had to make the heart-wrenching decision to remove his older brother Nehemiah from life support after he was fatally injured in a drive-by shooting in Compton. Nehemiah passed away the following day.
Reflecting on that traumatic experience before a recent spring training game in Arizona, Moore described the emotional turmoil as surreal and overwhelming. “It was the most challenging experience I’ve ever faced,” Moore recounted. “That day changed my life completely.”
This perspective helps Moore view the pressures of umpiring at Yankee Stadium with indifference. “When I think about umpiring under the spotlight, like with a full count on Aaron Judge in the ninth inning, I’m numb to it all. Having gone through what I did, everything else seems manageable,” he explained.
Having officiated 156 major league games over the past three years, Moore was promoted to a full-time role in January. At 30, he is one of the youngest umpires in MLB, earning a $150,000 salary. He is also the 10th Black umpire in MLB history and the first from any of MLB’s 11 U.S. youth academies to reach the majors.
Despite his success, Moore’s only regret is that his brother Nehemiah, who was killed in 2006, isn’t here to witness his achievements. “He was a victim of gang violence,” Moore said. “I’m sure he’d be incredibly proud and would support me at every game.”