HOF umpires

[jalbright]

What makes an umpire a HOFer? Longevity, or something else? I'm not against putting them there, but what are the standards? Maybe if we discuss some of the guys who are in or should be, we can clarify this.

Jim Albright

[Fuzzy Bear]

I am opposed to the induction of umpires as members of the HOF, with plaques, etc.

Umpires should have been honored with an exhibit, and with mention in that exhibit, as should have baseball executives. This bell, unfortunately, has been rung, and now it can't be un-rung, so hopefully, it will ring infrequently.

[Brad Harris]

While I am opposed with inducting umpires, as we do players, managers, et al as eligible individuals per se, I cannot fathom not allowing the Hall to honor non-players or "contributors" and leaving Bill Klem out. I remain skeptical that any other umpire had nearly the influence or respect that Klem did both on his peers and on history.

[jalbright]

Coop,

Klem is in. See this from Cooperstown's website for confirmation: http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/Klem_Bill.htm

Other than the difficulty of defining what makes one worthy of the HOF as an umpire, what issues do you see with inducting umps?

Jim Albright

[Brad Harris]

I wouldn't induct any more umpires. Personally, I'd like to see them (as a group) honored like the writers and broadcasters are honored. A "career achievement" honor, but not a plaque.

[KCGHOST]

I am opposed to the induction of umpires as members of the HOF, with plaques, etc.

Umpires should have been honored with an exhibit, and with mention in that exhibit, as should have baseball executives. This bell, unfortunately, has been rung, and now it can't be un-rung, so hopefully, it will ring infrequently.


My sentiments exactly. And, please, expand it to managers, owners, executives, etc.

[Brian McKenna]

MLB is a lot more than hitting, pitching and fielding. Umpires, managers, owners and other executives effect the action and quality of such on the field. Of course, they should have a place in the Hall.

The media on the other hand just report and other spokesmen of the game like Buck O'Neill contribute in other ways which do not directly effect the product on the field. Awards and recognitions seem appropriate for these individuals.

[Brian McKenna]

MLB is making umpires it a cookie-cutter mold. Individualism is minimalized and as such umpires will no longer stand out as they did before. Hence, I no longer see an umpire gaining HOF recognition, even if he does work 5000 games.

But then again, all that matters is having a few friends on the Veteran's Committee.

[Paul Wendt]

In 1946 the Permanent Committee, a.k.a. Old-Timers Committee, elected 11 umpires to the Honor Rolls of Baseball. The Veterans Committee later elected three of them (italics) to the Hall of Fame, beginning with Connolly and Klem in 1953.

1946 Honor Roll - Umpires
Tom Connolly
Bill Dineen
Bob Emslie
Billy Evans
John H. Gaffney
Tim Hurst
Bill Klem
John O. Kelly
Thomas J. Lynch
Silk O'Loughlin
Jack Sheridan

See "Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1946" at wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_Hall_of_Fame_balloting,_1946), "Old-Timers Committee" section, for marvelous coverage of both the controversial election of 11 players and the Rolls of Honor.

Wikipedia has entries, some much too short, for all but two of the eleven honored umpires. (Tim Hurst and Tom Lynch. Lynch also served as NL president 1910-1913.)

Gaffney, Hurst, Kelly, and Lynch worked mainly or wholly in the 19th century; Emslie and Sheridan importantly in both centuries; Connolly, O'Loughlin, Klem, Evans, and Dineen mainly or wholly in the 20th century. Dineen was hired by the AL in 1909, earlier than several of the honored executives, managers, and writers began the work for which they were recognized.

[Paul Wendt]

Today someone asked anew about umpires.
This month others have asked how good umpires can be identified, perhaps by outsiders like us, or opined that umpire membership in the Hall of Fame should be limited essentially to pioneering umpires.*

1. Pioneering
Cy Rigler is the other umpire on the Veterans Committee ballot with Doug Harvey every year. He is the one commonly credited with introducing hand signals to mark balls and strikes in 1905. (Not player Dummy Hoy, whose teams used some hand signals to coach him, as did other teams with deaf players.) There may be a consensus that he is the one who introduced hand signals successfully.

Two other umpires credited with innovations around the turn of the century are Silk O'Loughlin, working from 1890s, and John Sheridan, from 1880s.

O'Loughlin tried to call the pitches and plays aloud for the fans to hear (no doubt appreciated by many around the infield, including writers and club officials, but impractical as a general solution). He also worked on gestures.
Silk O'Loughlin at wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_O%27Loughlin)

John Sheridan, who introduced a chest protector and the crouch behind the catcher (presumably interrelated innovations and two aspects of focusing more sharply on balls and strikes as the number one priority).
Sheridan at the Conlon Collection (http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/conlon/umpires/photo2.html)

2. Excellence
One entirely different approach to identifying the greatest umpires is by their World Series records. The 1905 W.S. agreement specifies that each league appoints one umpire, revised to two a couple years later. Al Spink, The National Game (2nd, 1911) treats it as matter of fact that the W.S. umpires are considered the best in the game. I don't know how long the system worked mainly or largely that way. Anyway, under that presumption the biographical blurb of a major league umpire from 100 years ago should get around to listing his World Series pretty quickly. And, lo, at wikipedia the second sentence says O'Loughlin "umpired in the World Series in 1906, 1909, 1912, 1915 and 1917, serving as crew chief for the last Series."

--
*It's a broader recurring theme that beside players, or players and field managers, or players and managers and GMs, Hall of Fame membership should be both limited to pioneering something and expanded to pioneering something.
The latter is, expanded beyond the activities of high officials; or officials and club owners or presidents; or officials, presidents, and GMs; or officials, presidents, GMs, and field managers. Reinterpret the practically retired "Pioneer" category to cover important pioneering of any kind.