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Columbus Day Parade 43 ANNUAL RD
COLUMBUS DAY PARADE October 12, 2025
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OCTOBER 2025
VOL. 36 NO. 20
Umpire enjoying historic career
By Joe Ragozzino Sports Editor To be a baseball umpire, one has to love the game. Phil Cuzzi certainly has a passion for the game. After all, he’s been an umpire at the highest level for close to three decades. The Nutley resident and Belleville native reflected on his long and now historic umpiring career in the major leagues. On his 70th birthday on Aug. 29, Cuzzi, in his 27th year, became the first Major League Baseball umpire to ever umpire a game at age 70, during the game between Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. His love of the game goes back to when he used to play baseball with his friends while growing up in Belleville. “I always had a love for baseball,” Cuzzi said in a phone interview on Sept. 10, when he was in Cleveland as part of the Guardians versus Kansas City Royals series. “From the time I was a kid, whatever season it was, that’s when we played on the street or the playground. “My best friends to this day are guys that I went to junior high school with and high school with. I still see them to this day. The girl I married, I met her in junior high as well.” Cuzzi first started umpiring when he was a student at Belleville High School, working Belleville Little League games. Back then, he would umpire two games a day and got paid for $15 per game. Making that much money was pretty sweet for Cuzzi. “As a high school kid in 1972 or ‘73, to walk away with $30, that was great,” Cuzzi said. Cuzzi lettered in baseball and football at Belleville High School. After graduating in 1973, he attended Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), where he continued his baseball career. Unfortunately, he blew out his shoulder. Baseball See CUZZI, Page 2
Photo Courtesy Phil Cuzzi
Phil Cuzzi, left, with his wife, Gilda, and former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre at a charity dinner to benefit the Robert Luongo ALS fund. The fund was named in honor of a Belleville High School classmate.
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