Person familiar with picks: 4 umpires join World Series crew for 1st time, replay scores help

FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2014, file photo, home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt, center, calls Kansas City Royals' Lorenzo Cain, right, safe at home after Cain scored against Texas Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos during a baseball game in Arlington, Texas. A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press that the seven-man umpire crew for the World Series will include a rare four first-timers, one of them Wendelstedt. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2014, file photo, Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw, left, talks with home plate umpire Eric Cooper during Game 4 of baseball's NL Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis. A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press that the seven-man umpire crew for the World Series will include a rare four first-timers, one of them Cooper. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File) (The Associated Press)

NEW YORK – A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press that the seven-man umpire crew for the World Series will include a rare four first-timers.

In several instances, the newcomers were boosted by their strong results on replay challenges this season.

The person spoke under condition of anonymity because Major League Baseball hadn't yet announced the umpires.

Hunter Wendelstedt, Eric Cooper, Jim Reynolds and Jerry Meals will work their first World Series. Wendelstedt had just two of his calls reversed on video reviews this year, and Cooper only three.

Jeff Kellogg will be the crew chief and call his fifth World Series, starting Tuesday night when Kansas City hosts San Francisco. Ted Barrett and Jeff Nelson will work for the third time.