2005 Murray State alumnus Hal Harrison Gibson III, better known as Tripp, has come a long way since his days growing up and playing baseball in Graves County, Kentucky. He, his wife and their two sons now call the Pacific Northwest home. However, from the first of March through the end of October each year, his stretches there are few and far between. After serving as an umpire in the Major Leagues for nearly 10 years, this year's call of duty was extended even later into the fall when Gibson got the call this October to, for the first time, officiate the World Series.
From umping Murray State Racer baseball games while still a student himself, to working his way up through the minors, and finally launching a storied career in the MLB, Tripp talks to us about what it is like to take his turn on baseball's biggest stage. We'll learn what it takes to get there, the special skills required to make an MLB umpire one of the best, how one handles the pressure of calling balls and strikes during a World Series no-hitter and how he was able to use his national platform to direct the country's attention and resources toward Mayfield, Kentucky, after the deadly tornado destroyed his beloved hometown in December of 2021.
Sponsored by the Murray State University Alumni Association and hosted by Murray State Director of Alumni Relations Carrie McGinnis and 2019 Murray State graduate Jordan Lowe, The Racer Alumni Podcast: Stories from the Finest Place We Know gives you the chance to connect with your alma mater and others within our global alumni family. Racers are 80,000-strong. New episodes drop on the 1st and 15th of each month. Subscribe today and spread the word! Not a member of the Alumni Association? Membership makes this podcast possible. Join today at murraystate.edu/alumni!
This podcast was produced with the help of Jim Ray Consulting Services. Jim is a 1992 Murray State graduate. He can help you with the concept development, implementation, production and distribution of your own podcast, just as he has done for the MSUAA.
The views and opinions expressed during the Racer Alumni Podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Murray State University, its administration or the faculty at large. The episodes are designed to be inspiring and entertaining.
You Might Like
