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Induction
Information
Elected to Hall of Fame by Veterans Committee in 1953, Umpire
Born: December 31, 1870, in Manchester, England
Died: April 28, 1961, in Natick, Massachusetts
Bio
An umpire for 34 years during the roughest era in baseball history,
Englishman Tom Connolly gained players' respect as an impartial and
fair-minded arbiter. Connolly umpired in the National League for
three years before switching in 1901 to the new American League,
where he would stay for 31 years. In contrast to the abrasive Bill
Klem, Connolly was a calm and dignified disciplinarian who once went
10 consecutive seasons without ejecting a player. He umpired in the
first modern World Series in 1903 and in eight overall.
Quote
"Soft-spoken, a master of the rules, he was a firm disciplinarian
who managed nevertheless to go ten consecutive years of rambunctious
games and arguments without ejecting a single player."
— J. Astor, Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary Book
Did You Know... that Tom Connolly umpired the first game
played at such famed baseball stadiums as Fenway Park, Comiskey
Park, Shibe Park and Yankee Stadium? |