Immigrant of the Day: Alfonso Marquez

Alfonso Marquez (born April 12, 1972 in Zacatecas, Mexico) has been a Major League Baseball umpire since 1999. He has "umped" the 2006 World Series, the 2003 American League Championship Series, and four Division Series (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006), as well as the 2006 All-Star Game.

The first Mexican-born umpire in major league history, Marquez resides in Gilbert, Arizona. Marquez wears the uniform number 72. For Marquez's official MLB biography, see here. 

Marquez is from the small town (1,800 people) of La Encarnacion, Zacatecas, in central Mexico. Twenty-seven years ago, Marquez at age 7 left the farm fields of Zacatecas and followed his mother through a small hole in a chain-link fence separating Mexico from the United States.

Marquez is involved in many charity efforts. For a L.A. Times story about his work, click here.

KJ