Brian Keith O'Nora (born February 7, 1963) is an American umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). He joined the major league staff in 2000, after previously umpiring for the American League (AL) from 1992 to 1999 (wearing sleeve number 41 during his AL tenure) and wears sleeve number 7.
On June 24, 2008, during a game between the Colorado Rockies and the Kansas City Royals, O'Nora was accidentally struck in the head by a fragment from Miguel Olivo's broken bat. O'Nora sustained a mild concussion and a laceration on his forehead, and he was hospitalized until the next day.[1][2]
In April 2013, O'Nora suffered an intestinal tear and had to leave a game between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies.[3] On September 1, 2013, O'Nora departed during another game, this time involving the Rockies and the Cincinnati Reds, because he was experiencing illness.[4]
On September 7, 2018, O'Nora was struck in the mask by a foul ball while working the plate as the Boston Red Sox hosted the Houston Astros; he finished the half-inning and then left the game.[5]
On June 15, 2019, O'Nora was struck in the groin by a foul ball while behind the plate during a game between the New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals. O'Nora remained in the game for a few more pitches and then left through the Mets dugout due to continued discomfort.[6]
In 2011, O'Nora was one of two MLB umpires (the other being Scott Barry) who were selected to officiate the MLB-All Stars Taiwan series; Barry and O'Nora were joined by two Taiwanese umpires for the games.[8]
O'Nora was the home plate umpire in a game between the Yankees and Red Sox on August 18, 2013. Alex Rodriguez appeared in his first at bat of the game against Ryan Dempster with Rodriguez getting booed Red Sox fans when he came up to bat. Dempster threw his first pitch behind Rodriguez before eventually hitting him on a 3-0 count which appeared to be intentional. O'Nora warned both teams but allowed Dempster to stay in the game which caused Yankees manager Joe Girardi to become irate at O'Nora arguing that Dempster should be ejected before Girardi was thrown out of the game. Yankees would win the game 9-6.[9]
During Spring training in 2014, O'Nora served as the replay umpire for the first use of expanded replay in a Major League Baseball game. After Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons elected to challenge a safe call made by first base umpire Fieldin Culbreth, O'Nora upheld the ruling following a video review that lasted 2 minutes and 34 seconds.[10]
In December 2020, he was arrested and charged with solicitation and possessing criminal tools in connection with a human trafficking sting in Liberty Township, Ohio.[12]
