Books and articles about Tom Connolly

Born in England, Tom Connolly didn't want to play baseball; when his family settled in Natick, MA, and he learned about the game, Connolly wanted to be an umpire. The 5'7" 135-lb Connolly worked local games until he was spotted by Tim Hurst, a legendary National League umpire. Hurst recommended Connolly to sportswriter Tim Murnane, who was running the Class B New England League. Murnane hired Connolly in 1894, and in 1898 Connolly moved up to the National League. When the NL failed to support him in a showdown with a player, Connolly resigned midway through the 1900 campaign. Although Connie Mack had never seen Connolly umpire, he had heard enough about him to recommend Ban Johnson hire him for the new American League. Three of the inaugural 1901 season's openers were rained out, so when the lone game was played between Chicago and Cleveland, with Connolly its sole umpire, he could claim the distinction of having umpired the first AL game. He also umpired the first World Series in 1903.

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Connolly earned a reputation for fearlessly ejecting hometown heroes when circumstances required. In his first AL season, he was challenged by Baltimore pitcher Joe McGinnity, who spit in his face. The league backed Connolly and suspended McGinnity. However, when Connolly failed to respond sufficiently after St. Louis outfielder Jesse Burkett punched a rival manager in the nose, he was reprimanded by Ban Johnson. Taking the hint, Connolly bounced ten players in his maiden season. After that, his reputation was enough to quell disturbances before they got out of hand. Ty Cobb said later that he learned to stop arguing when Tom's neck turned red. The last player Connolly tossed was Babe Ruth, in 1922. It was the last time Ruth was ejected. Ruth grew incensed by the taunts of a spectator, and started to climb into the stands. Connolly, nearly 100 pounds lighter and seven inches shorter than Ruth, blocked the Babe's path and scolded, "You should be ashamed of yourself," while escorting him off the field.

Connolly continued as an active umpire until 1931 when, at age 60, he became the chief of staff of American League umpires. He traveled the circuit evaluating and advising arbiters until he was 83. After retiring as Umpire-in-Chief, he served for many years on the Rules Committee. In 1953 Connolly and Bill Klem, his counterpart in the NL, became the first umpires named to the Hall of Fame. (JK)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 2, 1901: Under overcast skies at Chicago, the Tigers score five runs in the top of the 9th to take a 7-5 lead over the Sox. Clark Griffith then decides to stall, hoping that rain will wash out the last inning out and the score will revert to the eight inning total. Umpire Tom Connolly is in no mood for the slowdown tactics and forfeits the game to Detroit, the first forfeit in the AL. Detroit will win a forfeit against Baltimore on May 31st. » August 21, 1901: In Baltimore, Orioles pitcher Joe McGinnity is tossed for spitting in the face of umpire Tom Connolly. When Detroit's Kid Elberfeld intervenes, he is decked by Baltimore's Mike Donlin. Bill Keister also gets involved, as do some fans, and the police, who arrest the players and a fan. Judge Harry Goldman, a part-owner of the O's, releases the players and fines the fan a $100. » August 8, 1903: Furious when an old black ball is put into play when Cleveland is at bat in the last of the 11th and his objections are ignored by umpire Tommy Connolly, Blues manager Nap Lajoie hurls the ball over the grandstand, suffering the loss of the game to Detroit by forfeit. Detroit was leading 6-5. » September 30, 1907: An overflow crowd lines the OF at Philadelphia's Columbia Park for the showdown Monday doubleheader between the A's and Tigers. In the first game, the home team gets off to a 7-1 lead against 25-game winner Bill Donovan. But Rube Waddell, who relieves in the 2nd, fails to hold the lead. A 2-run home run by Ty Cobb ties it 8-8 in the 9th. Both teams score once in the 11th; an umpire's ruling costs Philadelphia the game in the 14th: Harry Davis hits a long fly into the crowd in left CF, ordinarily a ground-rule double. As Tiger CF Sam Crawford goes to the crowd's edge, a policeman stands up and moves, either to interfere or to get out of the way. Home plate umpire Silk O'Loughlin says there is no interference, then reverses his ruling when base umpire Tom Connolly offers a different opinion. When play resumes, the Athletics' Danny Murphy hits a long single that would have scored Davis. The game is called because of darkness in the 17th, a 9-9 tie. The 2nd game is never played. The Tigers, in first place, leave for Washington where they will win 4. They will finish one 1/2 games in front. » October 20, 1910: The A's dispose of Ed Reulbach in two innings, then pin the loss on reliever Harry McIntire, who lasts a third of a inning. Coombs coasts on one day's rest, 12–5, and helps himself with three hits. Cubs manager Frank Chance becomes the first player ejected from a World Series game when umpire Tom Connolly chases him for protesting a Danny Murphy home run drive against a sign over the RF bleachers. Chance opines too loudly that it should be a ground-rule double. » September 11, 1912: In a tumultuous game featuring an attack on an umpire and three ejections, Eddie Collins swipes six bases to pace the A's to a 9–7 win over the Tigers. In the 3rd inning, Ty Cobb foils an intentional walk when he steps across the plate to slap a single. To the dismay of the home crowd, Ump Tommy Connolly calls a foul strike, and manager Hugh Jennings gets tossed for protesting. Collins swipes his 6th base in the 8th inning and, on the front end of a double steal, crosses the plate, but Frank Baker is thrown out at 2B. Baker will reprise his record on the 22nd. » July 15, 1914: At Fenway, Dutch Leonard shuts out the Cleveland Naps, 4–0. Ump Tommy Connolly, tiring of the taunting from the Sox bench, ejects eight Boston players. » August 28, 1918: Tris Speaker is suspended for the remainder of the season because of his assault on umpire Tom Connolly following a dispute at home plate in a game in Philadelphia. » July 23, 1922: When umpires Brick Owens and Tom Connolly miss a train, the Detroit and St. Louis trainers, Bits Bierhalter and Howley, are pressed into service. » June 17, 1931: Tom Connolly, who had umpired the first AL game in 1901, retires as an active arbiter to become supervisor of AL umpires. » May 15, 1951: At Fenway Park, the Red Sox celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first American League game in Boston. On hand are 29 old-timers who played, managed, or umpired in the AL in that first year including Connie Mack, Dummy Hoy, Cy Young, Hugh Duffy, Clark Griffith, Tom Connolly, Billy Sullivan, Wid Conroy, Bill Bradley, and Ollie Pickering. Eight of the 29 participated in the first AL game, played in Chicago on April 24, 1901. » July 27, 1953: Dizzy Dean and Al Simmons are inducted into the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown. Along with them, the veterans committee enshrines Chief Bender, Bobby Wallace, 19th-century manager Harry Wright, executive Ed Barrow, and umpires Bill Klem and Tom Connolly. » May 18, 1999: In Boston, Joseph Schnabel pleads guilty to stealing wills signed by baseball Hall of Famers George Wright and 1920s umpire Tom Connolly and selling them for more than $15,000. The discovery of the missing documents led authorities in other parts of the country to realize they had experienced similar thefts.