NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Knight has retired as a major league umpire because of injuries and was replaced on the major league staff Friday by Charlie Ramos.
Knight, 50, made his major league debut on May 7, 2001, as the third base umpire for Texas' home game against the Chicago White Sox and was promoted to the major league staff in 2011. He worked the 2023 World Series and the 2006 and ‘23 World Baseball Classics. Knight was the plate umpire for Jon Lester’s no-hitter against Kansas City at Boston's Fenway Park on May 19, 2008.
Knight worked his last game on the field when Seattle played at Tampa Bay on June 26, 2024.
Ramos, 37, made his big league debut as the second base umpire for Boston's game at Toronto on Aug. 25, 2020, and has had 529 major league assignments as a call-up from the minors, including as a replay official.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
This story has been corrected to show that Knight made his debut in 2001, not 2011.
FILE - Umpire Charlie Ramos walks to the Philadelphia Phillies dugout during a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
FILE - Umpire Brian Knight works during a spring training baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants in Oakland, Calif., Monday, March 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
KOHALA, Hawai‘i--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--
Kuleana Rum Works, the Hawai‘i-based distillery known for its additive-free, award-winning rums, today announced the release of “An Open Letter on Additive-Free Rum,” written by Founder & CEO Steve Jefferson, addressing why rum is now facing the same scrutiny and market shift that reshaped tequila a decade ago.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107792953/en/
Consumers across spirits are demanding more honesty about how products are made. Additive-free labeling has already transformed tequila and is reshaping whiskey and RTDs. Drinkers now expect producers to protect natural flavor instead of masking it, and bartenders increasingly use transparency as a measure of quality. The letter positions rum as the next category entering this accountability cycle, as more consumers begin to question undisclosed sweeteners, flavorings and added color.
Tequila provides the clearest precedent. Producers who embraced additive-free methods helped premiumize the category, while brands relying on undisclosed additives now face growing skepticism. According to the letter, rum is approaching the same turning point. Jefferson explains that Kuleana Rum Works was founded on additive-free principles: growing heirloom Hawaiian kō (sugarcane), fermenting and distilling fresh juice at lower proof to preserve natural character, adding nothing after distillation and holding all blending partners to the same standards. Every rum — whether distilled in Hawai‘i or sourced — is verified additive-free through independent lab testing and supplier documentation.
“Consumer expectations are changing fast across spirits,” said Steve Jefferson, Founder and CEO of Kuleana Rum Works. “People want honesty in what they drink, and they’re rewarding producers who protect natural flavor rather than covering it up. Additive-free isn’t a trend — it’s becoming the standard, and rum is now facing that shift head-on.”
Additional detail in the letter underscores how production choices such as fresh juice fermentation, low-proof distillation and a strict no-additives policy create transparency and flavor integrity that align with what the market is valuing.
About Kuleana Rum Works
Founded on the island of Hawai‘i in 2013, Kuleana Rum Works crafts award-winning, additive-free rums — led by its signature Hawaiian Rum Agricole® — from fresh kō (heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane) grown on its regenerative Kohala farm. Now available in 17 states and Japan, Kuleana Rum Works champions excellence, transparency and community stewardship. Visit kuleanarum.com to learn more.
https://kuleanarum.com/additive-free/
