Player and Ump

[Brian McKenna]

I became the official hangman for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. A diligent and respected worker, my services were highly sought by surrounding counties, as well.

[Honus Wagner]

the list of ballplayers becoming umps is pretty small
does ump = umpire?
Monte Cross and Sherry Magee were umpires, but were from Philly, not Pittsburgh

"Serpent Tongue" Greenfield Jimmy Smith was popular in many counties running booze, but was never an umpire

[Utter Chaos]

How about Ed Swartwood (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=35760).

[Brian McKenna]

Oh yeah, I remember that one - Swartwood it is

[soberdennis]

How about Eddie Rommel and Bill Dineen. They both became umpires after their playing days were over.
Of course Cal Hubbard played football before becoming an umpire.

[Hue]

Didn't Ron Luciano play football before becoming an American League Umpire?

[Brian McKenna]

Ron Luciano
Comic umpire Ron Luciano, a former Syracuse fullback, sat on injured reserve for the Detroit Lions from 1959-60 but never did play in the NFL. He was drafted in 1959.

There are hundreds of men who both played and umpired in the majors. Can you name the only HOFer to umpire in three different major leagues?

[Honus Wagner]

The number of players who became umpires is small. Players did umpire games, but were not official umpires.
Here is the official list per Baseball Almanac

Umpires Who Were Major League Players

Player / Umpire Player Debut Umpire Years of Service
Charles Berry 06-15-1925 1942 - 1962
William "Kitty" Bransfield 08-22-1898 1917 - 1917
William "Ken" Burkhart 04-21-1945 1957 - 1973
Bob Caruthers 09-07-1884 1902 - 1903
James "Harry" Colliflower 07-21-1899 1910 - 1910
John "Jocko" Conlan 07-06-1934 1941 - 1964 HOF as umpire
Thomas Corcoran 04-19-1890 1915 - 1915
Montford Cross 09-27-1892 1914 - 1914
Bill Dinneen 04-22-1898 1909 - 1937
John Doyle 07-26-1882 1911 - 1911
J. Francis "Frank" Dwyer 09-20-1888 1901 - 1901, 1904 - 1904
Bob Emslie 07-25-1883 1891 - 1924
Charles Ferguson 09-20-1901 1913 - 1913
William Friel 05-03-1901 1920 - 1920
Thomas Gorman 09-14-1939 1951 - 1976
Robert Groom 04-13-1909 1914 - 1914
Walter "Butch" Henline 04-13-1921 1945 - 1948
George Hildebrand 04-17-1902 1912 - 1934
Howard "Ducky" Holmes 04-18-1906 1923 - 1924
Harry Howell 10-10-1898 1915 - 1915
Arthur Irwin 05-01-1880 1902 - 1902
William Kunkel 04-15-1961 1968 - 1984
Sherwood "Sherry" Magee 06-29-1904 1928 - 1928
Frederick "Firpo" Marberry 08-11-1923 1935 - 1935
William "Barry" McCormick 09-25-1895 1917 - 1917, 1919 - 1929
Charles Moran 04-29-1903 1918 - 1939
George Moriarty 09-27-1903 1917 - 1926, 1929 - 1940
Hank O'Day 05-02-1884 1895, 1897-1911, 1913 - 1927
Al Orth 08-15-1895 1912 - 1917
Ralph "Babe" Pinelli 08-03-1918 1935 - 1956
George Pipgras 06-09-1923 1938 - 1946
Edwin Rommel 04-19-1920 1938 - 1959
James Scott 04-25-1909 1930 - 1931
Frank Secory 04-28-1940 1952 - 1970
William "Spike" Shannon 04-15-1904 1914 - 1915
Vincent Smith 09-10-1941 1957 - 1965
Bobby Wallace 09-15-1894 1915-1916 HOF as player
Edward Walsh 05-07-1904 1922 - 1922
Lonnie Warneke 04-18-1930 1949 - 1955

[Brian McKenna]

The number of players who became umpires is small. Players did umpire games, but were not official umpires.


True, but they were still umpires, official, homogenized or otherwise, at least for that day or so. See the umpire roster in Total Baseball.

[soberdennis]

the list of ballplayers becoming umps is pretty small
does ump = umpire?
Monte Cross and Sherry Magee were umpires, but were from Philly, not Pittsburgh

"Serpent Tongue" Greenfield Jimmy Smith was popular in many counties running booze, but was never an umpire
In terms of relationship to the total number of players and the total number of umps, you are right. But the list above seems pretty substantial even when you eliminate the one game wonders.