They are known by a variety of names, many of them unprintable. Like the big league players, they are the very best in their profession and spend years honing their craft, yet some fans pretend to believe they are incompetent boobs. They are the men in blue on the baseball diamond, major league umpires.
In this work, nineteen umps provide their unique insight on some of the most important and pivotal moments in baseball history. Don Denkinger recounts his call that turned the 1985 World Series. “Red” Flaherty and Bill Kinnamon recall the excitement of Roger Maris’ 61st homer. From these men and Bill Jackowski, Bill Haller, John Rice, Dutch Rennert, John Kibler, Bill Valentine, Terry Cooney, Andy Olsen, Marty Springstead, Doug Harvey, Ken Burkhart, Ed Runge, Hank Morgenweck, Art Frantz, Jerry Neudecker, and Steamboat Johnson, we get a different view of the game and a new appreciation for the job the umpires do on a daily basis.

John C. Skipper, a political reporter for the Mason City (Iowa) Globe Gazette, has written numerous books on politics and baseball, including a history of the The Iowa Caucuses and acclaimed biographies of Grover Cleveland Alexander, Dazzy Vance and Charlie Gehringer.

John C. Skipper
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 190
Bibliographic Info: photos, appendices, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 1997
pISBN: 978-0-7864-0364-6
eISBN: 978-0-7864-6268-1
Imprint: McFarland

“includes Red Flaherty and Bill Kinnamon’s memories of Roger Maris’s 61st home run, Ed Runge’s account of Don Larson’s perfect game and more. Most large collections should have this”—Library Journal; “loaded with humor and interesting anecdotes”—Yankees Magazine; “the stories will delight any dyed in the wool baseball fan! It’s a good one!”—Brooklyn Spectator.