Hank Soar
Encyclopedia
Albert Henry Soar was an American football
running back
and defensive back
in the National Football League
who went on to have a long career as an umpire
in Major League Baseball
. Soar played nine seasons for the New York Giants
(1937–1944, 1946), and caught the game-winning touchdown
pass in the 1938 NFL Championship Game
against the Green Bay Packers
at the Polo Grounds
.
Born in Alton, Rhode Island
, Soar later moved to Pawtucket
, attending Pawtucket High School and Providence College
. After being named to the Little All-American team, he left college to play semi-pro baseball and pro football, playing for the Boston Shamrocks
in 1936. He served in the Army
during World War II
, and his officiating in a baseball game drew the attention of Philadelphia Athletics
manager Connie Mack
, who recommended him for an umpiring career. After the war, Soar coached the Providence Steamrollers
in the Basketball Association of America (now the NBA) in 1947, but the team achieved only a 2-17 record before he was replaced by Nat Hickey
. He then became backfield coach for the football team at Rhode Island State College
from 1947 to 1949.
After working in the New England League
from 1947 to 1949 and the American Association
in 1949, Soar became an American League
umpire from 1950 to 1971, and as a league supervisor continued to work occasional games as a substitute through 1975 and in 1977-78. He worked in five World Series
(1953
, 1956
, 1962
, 1964
and 1969
), serving as crew chief for the '69 Series between the New York Mets
and the Baltimore Orioles
, one of the most famous of all-time.
Soar was also the first base umpire when Don Larsen
of the New York Yankees
pitched a perfect game
in Game 5 of the 1956 Series, and was again at first base on June 1, 1975 when Nolan Ryan
of the California Angels
pitched his fourth no-hitter
to tie Sandy Koufax
's major league record. Soar also officiated in four All-Star Games
(1952, 1955, second 1959
game, 1963), calling balls and strikes for the last contest, as well as the 1971 American League Championship Series
, when he again served as crew chief.
In , Soar made a bit of history as one of the first two players ever to be fined by the NFL's league office when commissioner Elmer Layden
in August assessed $25 fines on Soar and Green Bay Packers
quarterback
Larry Craig for fighting.
Soar died at age 87 at a family home in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
, and was buried in Swan Point Cemetery in Providence. He has a memorial marker at Slater Park
in Pawtucket next to the tennis courts. The athletic complex on Prospect Street in Pawtucket is named after him.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
who went on to have a long career as an umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Soar played nine seasons for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1937–1944, 1946), and caught the game-winning touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass in the 1938 NFL Championship Game
1938 NFL Championship Game
The 1938 NFL Championship Game was the 6th championship game played in the history of the National Football League. The game was on December 11, 1938, at Polo Grounds in New York City...
against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
.
Born in Alton, Rhode Island
Alton, Rhode Island
Alton is a small village of about 250 residents within the town of Richmond, Rhode Island. It is located about one hour south of Providence, the state's capital. The village is primarily residential, with no retail stores...
, Soar later moved to Pawtucket
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
, attending Pawtucket High School and Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
. After being named to the Little All-American team, he left college to play semi-pro baseball and pro football, playing for the Boston Shamrocks
Boston Shamrocks (AFL)
The Boston Shamrocks were a professional American football team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The team played in the second American Football League from 1936 to 1937, followed by at least one year as an independent in 1938...
in 1936. He served in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and his officiating in a baseball game drew the attention of Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
manager Connie Mack
Connie Mack (baseball)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
, who recommended him for an umpiring career. After the war, Soar coached the Providence Steamrollers
Providence Steamrollers
The Providence Steamrollers were a National Basketball Association team based in Providence, Rhode Island. As of November 2011, the Steamrollers remain the last pro sports franchise from one of the Big Four leagues to be based in Rhode Island....
in the Basketball Association of America (now the NBA) in 1947, but the team achieved only a 2-17 record before he was replaced by Nat Hickey
Nat Hickey
Matthew "Nat" Hickey was an American professional basketball player and coach.A 5'11" guard/forward, Hickey played during the 1920s through 1940s as a member of multiple professional teams, including the Cleveland Rosenblums of the American Basketball League and the Pittsburgh Raiders,...
. He then became backfield coach for the football team at Rhode Island State College
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
from 1947 to 1949.
After working in the New England League
New England League
The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification...
from 1947 to 1949 and the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
in 1949, Soar became an American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
umpire from 1950 to 1971, and as a league supervisor continued to work occasional games as a substitute through 1975 and in 1977-78. He worked in five World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
(1953
1953 World Series
The 1953 World Series matched the four-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a rematch of the 1952 Series. The Yankees won in six games for their fifth straight title—a mark which has not been equalled—and their sixteenth overall...
, 1956
1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers during the month of October 1956. The Series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series...
, 1962
1962 World Series
The 1962 World Series matched the defending American League and World Series champions New York Yankees against the National League champion San Francisco Giants, who had won their first NL pennant since 1954 and first since moving from New York in 1958, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a...
, 1964
1964 World Series
The 1964 World Series pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees, with the Cardinals prevailing in seven games. St...
and 1969
1969 World Series
The 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
), serving as crew chief for the '69 Series between the New York Mets
1969 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the eighth season for the Mets franchise, which played its home games at Shea Stadium. Managed by Gil Hodges, the team went 100-62, finishing first in the newly-established National League East by eight games over the Chicago Cubs...
and the Baltimore Orioles
1969 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1969 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. In the first season after the American League was split into two divisions, the Orioles won the first-ever American League East title, finishing first with a record of 109 wins and 53 losses, 19 games ahead of the runner-up...
, one of the most famous of all-time.
Soar was also the first base umpire when Don Larsen
Don Larsen
Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...
of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
pitched a perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
in Game 5 of the 1956 Series, and was again at first base on June 1, 1975 when Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
of the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
pitched his fourth no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
to tie Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
's major league record. Soar also officiated in four All-Star Games
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
(1952, 1955, second 1959
1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)
The 1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 27th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on August 3, 1959 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles,...
game, 1963), calling balls and strikes for the last contest, as well as the 1971 American League Championship Series
1971 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 3, 1971 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandDave McNally, a 20-game winner for the fourth season in a row, survived a rocky start to win the opener. He trailed, 3–0, after four innings pitched, giving up three doubles and a triple. The A's had McNally tottering in the...
, when he again served as crew chief.
In , Soar made a bit of history as one of the first two players ever to be fined by the NFL's league office when commissioner Elmer Layden
Elmer Layden
Elmer Francis Layden was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive. He played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he starred at fullback as a member of the legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield...
in August assessed $25 fines on Soar and Green Bay Packers
1941 Green Bay Packers season
The 1941 Green Bay Packers season was their 21st season in the National Football League. The club posted a 10-1 record under coach Curly Lambeau, earning a tie for first place in the Western Conference with the Chicago Bears. The Packers and Bears played a one-game playoff in Chicago to determine...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Larry Craig for fighting.
Soar died at age 87 at a family home in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
, and was buried in Swan Point Cemetery in Providence. He has a memorial marker at Slater Park
Slater Park
Slater Park is the oldest and largest public park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The park is named after Samuel Slater, a famous American industrialist who constructed America's first water-powered mill in Pawtucket. The park lies on the banks of the beautiful Ten Mile River and features the 1685...
in Pawtucket next to the tennis courts. The athletic complex on Prospect Street in Pawtucket is named after him.