He was also the home plate umpire for the infamous Jeffrey Maier game in the 1996 American League Championship Series, but did not have anything to do with the controversy.

He also umpired in a record 7 American League Championship Series (1972, 1976, 1979, 1982, 1986, 1991, 1996), and in 4 All-Star games (1973, 1980, 1988, 1997), calling balls and strikes for the last contest.

[3] Gowdy had reportedly been given the correct interpretation of the rule—that interference can be called only if a batter intentionally gets in the way of a fielder—by NBC Radio Producer Jay Scott (who was a Triple-A fill-in umpire at the time as well), but did not use it.

Specifically, Major League Baseball has interpreted Rule 7.09(l) as saying "a catcher trying to field a batted ball that remains in the immediate vicinity of the plate cannot be protected because of the right of the batter-runner to begin his advance to first.

Barring an intentional action on the part of either player, contact in this instance is incidental, and is not interference..." (Jaksa/Roder Umpires' Manual, 1997 Edition.