Jerry Neudecker graduated from Highland High School in 1948. In 1950, he left the Highland area to attend an umpiring school in Kissimmee, Florida. That school was operated by legendary minor league umpire Harry “Steamboat” Johnson. The school folded after only a year, but Neudecker was hooked and on his way.

He umpired for 15 years in the minor leagues beginning with the Georgia-Alabama League in 1950. He left in 1951 for the Evangeline League and umpired there for five years. In 1956 he was promoted to the Southern Atlantic League (called the Sally League). That stint lasted just one year before he found himself in the newly formed Georgia-Florida League. He came back to the Sally League the next season. After three seasons he was hired by the Southern League were he called balls and strikes until 1965. His big break came in the spring of 1966 when he was hired as an American League umpire. He would call more than 3000 big league games over the next 20 years including more than 750 behind the plate. He called three All Star games (1966, 1972, 1976) and two World Series (1973, 1979). He was the home plate umpire in Game 7 of the 1979 World Series, which saw the Pittsburgh Pirates, led by Hall of Fame player Willie Stargell, come from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Baltimore Orioles. Neudecker worked in four no-hit games, including being behind the plate for Catfish Hunter’s perfect game on May 8, 1968 against the Minnesota Twins. He was also behind the plate when Joel Horlen fired a no-hitter on September 10, 1967 against the Detroit Tigers. In 1980, the American League began issuing numbers to its umpires. Neudecker chose number 6, no doubt, in honor of his boyhood idol Stan Musial. Neudecker is best remembered for being the last umpire to use a balloon (outside) chest protector. That chest protector currently sits in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

After his umpiring career ended, Neudecker became the assistant Supervisor to American League umpires working with longtime, Major League umpire Marty Springstead. Neudecker was working in the Baseball Umpire Development Program at the time of his death. He died of cancer at the age of 66 on January 11, 1997.