He continued to wear the number when umpires were combined into a single staff under the supervision of Major League Baseball in 2000.

Reilly and Palermo came to the junior circuit in 1977, the year the AL mandated all new umpires on staff would have to use the inside chest protector, which had been in use in the National League for decades.

He is a member of the Board of Directors for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and works with the Food Bank South Central Michigan.

He was elected to St. Philip Catholic Central Hall of Fame in 1999 and is recognized by American Amateur Baseball as a consultant.

His proudest moment as a major league umpire was working his first World Series (1984) in his home state.