Within the niche pocket of baseball fans who consider themselves enthusiasts of the art of umpiring, Pat Hoberg has a well-established nickname.
“They call him ‘Perfect Pat,’” said Lindsay Imber, the founder of Close Call Sports, an online community filled with the sort of people who actually go to the ballpark to watch the umps. “That’s how good his numbers are.”
The denizens of Imber’s website idolize Hoberg. While acres of social-media real estate are dedicated to the perplexing rulings, bizarre confrontations and baffling judgments from umpires across the major leagues every night, only the die-hards know Hoberg’s name. That’s because by every available metric, he is stunningly good at his job.
