Book Tour/Giveaway - The Umpire Was Blind by Jonathan Weeks

The Umpire Was Blind! by Jonathan Weeks

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GENRE: Sports history/biography

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BLURB:

In the words of former American League umpire Nestor Chylak, umpires are expected to “be perfect on the first day of the season and then get better every day.” Forced to deal with sullen managers and explosive players, they often take the blame for the failures of both. But let’s face it—umpires are only human.

For well over a century, the fortunes of Major League teams—and the fabric of baseball history itself—have been dramatically affected by the flawed decisions of officials. While the use of video replay in recent decades has reduced the number of bitter disputes, many situations remain exempt from review and are subject to swirling controversy. In the heat of the moment mistakes are often made, sometimes with monumental consequences.
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UMPIRING IN THE DIM AND DISTANT PAST

            Baseball in the nineteenth century had little in common with the game of today. For starters, stadiums were much smaller and constructed of wood, making them vulnerable to fire. During the latter half of the 1800s, at least four big league ballparks were consumed by flames. In the earliest days of baseball, stadiums were lacking the most basic amenities, such as dugouts and clubhouses. Players and umpires alike were left unguarded against insults and projectiles hurled by disgruntled fans.

            Strategies were far different in the days of old. Baseball guru Bill James once described nineteenth century tactics as “violent” and “criminal.” Umpires often worked alone and were charged with the daunting task of covering the entire field by themselves. As can only be expected, players got away with murder. Before rules were developed to prohibit specific forms of negligent behavior, infielders were known to trip base runners or grab their belts to restrain them from advancing. If an umpire’s attention was drawn to a play in the outfield, runners were known to cut directly across the diamond toward home instead of rounding third base. 

            Umpiring could be extremely hazardous during the first century of major league play. In addition to frequent streams of verbal abuse, the men in blue were routinely assaulted by players and fans alike. At the end of his career, umpire Joe Rue asserted: “I’ve been hit by mud-balls and whiskey bottles and had everything from fruits and vegetables thrown at me. I’ve probably experienced more violence than any other umpire who ever lived.” Baseball historian John Thorn remarked of the early days: “In the late-1800s, a player who had a pugilistic background might be better equipped to handle a rowdy player than a banker or a doctor or a dentist.” It should come as no surprise then that Billy Mclean, the game’s first professional umpire, was a skilled boxer.

            Player protests often led to assorted unpleasantries. According to Thorn, the familiar cry of ‘Kill the Umpire!’ was a very tangible threat. “Home team fans typically claimed that the umpire was in the fix. Kicking dirt on an umpire’s suit took on a kind of symbolism. The idea is, by kicking dirt, you attack the institution, you attack the partiality of the umpire.”

            In a compelling anecdote from baseball’s Deadball Era, umpires Bob Emslie and Frank Dwyer had their hands full in a game between the Boston Beaneaters and Brooklyn Superbas at Washington Park in New York. When the game ended in favor of the visitors on a controversial call at home plate, nearly half of the spectators (numbering around 6,000) rushed onto the field. Surrounded by hostile fans, Dwyer was jostled roughly while Emslie was punched repeatedly. Both were peppered with dirt and stones before Boston players—some armed with bats—came to their aid. Police eventually escorted the arbiters to their train platform, where more fans had assembled to greet the officials with assorted insults and epithets. Dwyer lasted just two more seasons before retiring. Emslie—ever the warrior—continued as an umpire into the 1920s.

            Over time, fans learned how to behave and umpiring became a more civilized profession. Recognizing the need to properly instruct suitable candidates, NL arbiter George Barr opened the first training school in 1935. Barr’s American League counterpart, Bill McGowan, opened a second academy for umpires a few years later. The schools dramatically improved the quality of the game. Not only were graduates more cognizant of the rules, but they were taught to be impartial and professional as well. Umpires with fiery temperaments were gradually rooted out of baseball.

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Excerpt:

JOE DiMAGGIO’S 56-GAME HITTING STREAK

…“The Streak” was in serious jeopardy on multiple occasions. In fact, DiMaggio extended it during his final plate appearance nearly a dozen times. But never was he more in danger of losing it than on June 10 at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. After a pair of groundouts and an infield pop-up, the Yankee icon came to bat in the seventh inning against right-hander Johnny Rigney, who was one of Chicago’s top hurlers in those days. DiMaggio smashed a sizzling grounder to third, where the sure-handed Dario Lodigiani was stationed. “Lodi” could only block it with his body, but he recovered in time to nail the Yankee centerfielder at first by a quarter of a step. Fortunately for DiMaggio, first base umpire Steve Basil saw things differently, making a “safe” call on the play.

Basil, who had turned to umpiring after his playing career stalled out at the Class-D level, was in his sixth year of major league service. Though generally even-tempered, he was not afraid to assert his authority when his calls were held in question. Never was this more apparent than in June of 1938, when he tossed three members of the St. Louis Browns out of a game for arguing balls and strikes.

According to AL arbiter Joe Rue, Basil was a bit of a tattletale who was constantly trying to curry favor with MLB officials. In particular, he had established intimate relationships with umpire supervisor Tommy Connolly and AL president William Harridge. “Basil was always playing up to Connolly,” Rue asserted bitterly. “And he’d run to Connolly and Harridge with everything.”

There was no need to seek the counsel of league officials on the date in question. In fact, the White Sox hardly protested at all as DiMaggio’s streak was extended to twenty-five games. Basil’s call proved to be of monumental importance when Joe D. grounded into a double play in his final at-bat of the day. Had Basil made the correct decision, “The Streak” would have been divided into two roughly equal halves—impressive, for sure, but not exactly the stuff that legends are made of.

The events of July 17, 1941, have attained an almost mythical quality. DiMaggio had pushed his streak to fifty-six games and was on his way to Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium in a cab when the driver, recognizing the iconic outfielder and his teammate Lefty Gomez, said ominously: “I got a feeling if you don’t get a hit in your first at-bat today, they’re going to stop you.” (Several versions of the quote exist) Flabbergasted, Gomez snapped: “Who the hell are you? What’re you trying to do—jinx him?”

…Gomez might have been on to something.

The jinx appeared in the form of Indians third baseman Ken Keltner, who made a pair of spectacular stops to rob DiMaggio. “The Streak” ended that day and “Joltin’ Joe” hit safely in his next 16 games. Many years after the fact, he claimed to have had an encounter with the mysterious Cleveland cab driver. “Now this is thirty years later,” DiMaggio asserted. “He apologized and was serious. I felt awful. He might have been spending his whole life thinking he had jinxed me, but I told him he hadn’t. My number was up.”


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Weeks spent most of his life in the Capital District region of New York State. He earned a degree in psychology from SUNY Albany. In 2004, he migrated to Malone, NY. He continues to gripe about the frigid winter temperatures to the present day. He has published several books on the topic of baseball. He would have loved to play professionally, but lacked the talent. He still can't hit a curve ball or lay off the high heat. In the winter months, he moonlights as a hockey fan.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5862273.Jonathan_Weeks
http://jonathanweeks.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/commerce/products/3119884844752624/?rt=9&referral_code=page_shop_tab&ref=page_shop_tab
https://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Weeks/e/B00DXL3JM4%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

Jonathan Weeks will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway