Mike Walsh (umpire)
Encyclopedia
Michael John "Mike" Walsh (April 29, 1850 – February 2, 1929) was an Irish
-American
umpire
and manager
in Major League Baseball
who umpired 304 games from to in three different leagues: the National Association, the National League
, and the American Association
.
officiating more games, but he departed at the end of July before returning to work two games at the end of the season, then several games in and and much of the second half of the season. He moved to the American Association for the – campaigns when that league was established, and after one season as a manager he resumed his officiating work in and ; he also called a single game each in the and 1888 seasons. Among the highlights of his 11-year career were his games officiating three no-hitter
s, the first coming on September 11, 1882 by Tony Mullane
. The second came a mere eight days later on September 19 when Guy Hecker
tossed one; these were the first two no-hitters in the American Association, then in its first season. The third no-hitter occurred on July 24, 1886 when Adonis Terry
threw the first of his two career no-hitters.
Mullane's no-hitter for the Louisville Eclipse
was nearly derailed in the ninth inning, however; with two out, Pop Snyder
of the Cincinnati Red Stockings
lofted a fly ball to center field, but John Reccius
mishandled what should have been an easy catch. Snyder, now on first base, complained to Walsh that Mullane was bringing his arm above his shoulder when pitching
, which was not permitted at the time. Walsh overruled the complaint, however, and Mullane got Dan "Ecky" Stearns to ground out to end the game. The game was also notable for another incident in the eighth inning; the American Association's rules at that time permitted a substitute to run for a batter who was injured, as long as both teams' captains consented, with the substitute standing behind home plate and prepared to run if the hitter made contact. Pete Browning
, who had a pulled leg muscle and had not reached base in the game, batted what appeared to be a single into right field, but forgot the presence of the substitute (Hecker) and ran to first base as Hecker stopped in surprise. Snyder, the Cincinnati catcher, had pitcher Will White
throw the ball to Stearns at first base, and Walsh immediately signaled an out, ruling that Hecker was the correct runner and had not reached first. The lost hit eventually resulted in Browning's final career batting average
being .341 rather than .342; the higher average would have tied him with Dan Brouthers
for the highest mark among players of the era before , when the pitching distance was extended from 50 to 60'6".
Walsh also had his share of lowlights in the rough-and-tumble world of umpiring in the late 19th century. On July 13, 1882, during the 4th inning of the game between the Cincinnati Red Stockings
and the Baltimore Orioles
‚ angry spectators encircled him after he made a controversial call, and he was forced to take refuge in the Baltimore clubhouse for 15 minutes. On September 14, he was assaulted by some young fans after a game in Brooklyn‚ but he escaped serious injury.
wrote: "At one time Macmillan listed Joe Gerhardt
as Louisville's manager for part of the 1883 season and the first half of the 1884 season. Now both Macmillan and Total Baseball credit Gerhardt with managing Louisville during all of the 1883 season, but say Mike Walsh ran the club in 1884. That would be news to Pete Browning, Guy Hecker and everyone else from those days still keeping up on the game. Gerhardt ran the team on the field in 1884 until August, when he was replaced as captain. The local papers all made a big to-do of his being canned. Perhaps Walsh, a club official and ex-umpire, was the one who decided to axe Gerhardt and take on the job himself, but until it was a fait accompli the team was under Gerhardt's wing. Macmillan had it right originally."
at the age of 78, and is interred in that city's St. Louis Cemetery.
History of Ireland (1801–1922)
The whole island of Ireland formed a constituent part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1801 to 1922. For almost all of this period, Ireland was governed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in London through its Dublin Castle administration in Ireland. Ireland faced...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
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...
who umpired 304 games from to in three different leagues: the National Association, the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, and the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
.
Umpiring career
As was customary in his era, Walsh was the sole umpire in every game he called. After debuting in the National Association in September 1875, he umpired in the NL's first season in , with only Charles F. DanielsCharles F. Daniels
Charles F. Daniels , was an American umpire in Major League Baseball for 25 seasons, 12 seasons at the "major league" level from to , if you count the National Association as a major league...
officiating more games, but he departed at the end of July before returning to work two games at the end of the season, then several games in and and much of the second half of the season. He moved to the American Association for the – campaigns when that league was established, and after one season as a manager he resumed his officiating work in and ; he also called a single game each in the and 1888 seasons. Among the highlights of his 11-year career were his games officiating three 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"...
s, the first coming on September 11, 1882 by Tony Mullane
Tony Mullane
Anthony John "Tony" Mullane , nickamed "Count" and "The Apollo of the Box", was an Irish Major League Baseball player who pitched for seven teams during his 13-season career...
. The second came a mere eight days later on September 19 when Guy Hecker
Guy Hecker
Guy Jackson Hecker was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was born in Youngsville, Pennsylvania. His debut game took place on May 2, 1882. His final game took place on September 30, 1890. During his career he played for the Louisville Eclipse and Pittsburgh Pirates...
tossed one; these were the first two no-hitters in the American Association, then in its first season. The third no-hitter occurred on July 24, 1886 when Adonis Terry
Adonis Terry
William H. "Adonis" Terry was an American Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from his debut with the Brooklyn Atlantics in , to the Chicago Colts in . In his 14 seasons, he compiled a 197-196 win–loss record, winning 20 or more games in a season four different times...
threw the first of his two career no-hitters.
Mullane's no-hitter for the Louisville Eclipse
Louisville Colonels
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
was nearly derailed in the ninth inning, however; with two out, Pop Snyder
Pop Snyder
Charles N. "Pop" Snyder was an American catcher, manager, and umpire in Major League Baseball. His 18 season playing career began in 1873 for the Washington Blue Legs of the National Association, and ended with the 1891 Washington Statesmen...
of the Cincinnati Red Stockings
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
lofted a fly ball to center field, but John Reccius
John Reccius
John Reccius was an American Major League Baseball player from Louisville, Kentucky who pitched and played in center field during his two seasons for the Louisville Eclipse of the American Association....
mishandled what should have been an easy catch. Snyder, now on first base, complained to Walsh that Mullane was bringing his arm above his shoulder when pitching
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
, which was not permitted at the time. Walsh overruled the complaint, however, and Mullane got Dan "Ecky" Stearns to ground out to end the game. The game was also notable for another incident in the eighth inning; the American Association's rules at that time permitted a substitute to run for a batter who was injured, as long as both teams' captains consented, with the substitute standing behind home plate and prepared to run if the hitter made contact. Pete Browning
Pete Browning
Louis Rogers "Pete" Browning was an American center and left fielder in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1894 who played primarily for the Louisville Eclipse/Colonels, becoming one of the sport's most accomplished batters of the 1880s...
, who had a pulled leg muscle and had not reached base in the game, batted what appeared to be a single into right field, but forgot the presence of the substitute (Hecker) and ran to first base as Hecker stopped in surprise. Snyder, the Cincinnati catcher, had pitcher Will White
Will White
William Henry "Whoop-La" White was an American Major League Baseball pitcher.White made his debut on July 20, 1877 with the Boston Red Caps at the age of 23...
throw the ball to Stearns at first base, and Walsh immediately signaled an out, ruling that Hecker was the correct runner and had not reached first. The lost hit eventually resulted in Browning's final career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
being .341 rather than .342; the higher average would have tied him with Dan Brouthers
Dan Brouthers
Dennis Joseph "Dan" Brouthers was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball whose career spanned the period from to , with a brief return in...
for the highest mark among players of the era before , when the pitching distance was extended from 50 to 60'6".
Walsh also had his share of lowlights in the rough-and-tumble world of umpiring in the late 19th century. On July 13, 1882, during the 4th inning of the game between the Cincinnati Red Stockings
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (19th century)
The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
‚ angry spectators encircled him after he made a controversial call, and he was forced to take refuge in the Baltimore clubhouse for 15 minutes. On September 14, he was assaulted by some young fans after a game in Brooklyn‚ but he escaped serious injury.
Managerial career
Walsh is currently credited with a managerial career which lasted one season, when he took the reins of the Louisville Eclipse for the season. He led the team to a 68-40 record and finished 3rd in the American Association standings. Although current reference works generally list him as the manager of the 1884 club, there has been some dispute as to the historical accuracy of that attribution; in 1997, historian David NemecDavid Nemec
David Nemec is an American baseball historian, novelist and playwright.Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Nemec spent most of his adolescence in Bay Village, Ohio. He played outfield and first base for Ohio State University while earning a BA in English...
wrote: "At one time Macmillan listed Joe Gerhardt
Joe Gerhardt
John Joseph "Joe" Gerhardt , also known as "Move Up Joe", was an American Major League Baseball player from Washington, D.C. who played mainly as a second baseman over a 15 season career that spanned from 1873 to 1891...
as Louisville's manager for part of the 1883 season and the first half of the 1884 season. Now both Macmillan and Total Baseball credit Gerhardt with managing Louisville during all of the 1883 season, but say Mike Walsh ran the club in 1884. That would be news to Pete Browning, Guy Hecker and everyone else from those days still keeping up on the game. Gerhardt ran the team on the field in 1884 until August, when he was replaced as captain. The local papers all made a big to-do of his being canned. Perhaps Walsh, a club official and ex-umpire, was the one who decided to axe Gerhardt and take on the job himself, but until it was a fait accompli the team was under Gerhardt's wing. Macmillan had it right originally."
Post-career
Walsh died in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
at the age of 78, and is interred in that city's St. Louis Cemetery.