Books and articles about Bill Klem

Generally regarded as the greatest umpire in the game's history, Klem umpired exclusively behind the plate his first 16 years because of his acknowledged superiority in calling balls and strikes. As a plate umpire, he pioneered the inside chest protector. Until Klem, all plate umpires wore the outside protector, commonly called the "balloon." Klem said the inside protector gave him a better look at the pitch because he could move in closer behind the catcher. He took a catcher's protector, added shoulder pads, and wore it under his shirt instead of outside. Since he was the dean of NL umpires, the senior circuit adopted the inside protector years before the AL.

RELATED LINKS Photos » Photo: Setting the Ground Rules from The American League

Klem worked a record 18 WS, a total of 104 games, including five straight assignments from 1911 to 1915. His first WS was 1908 (Cubs-Tigers) and his last 1940 (Reds-Tigers). Klem also umpired the first All-Star Game in 1933. In 36 years, he was behind the plate for five no-hitters, the last being Paul Dean's over Brooklyn (9/21/34). He even officiated a race around the bases between Hans Lobert and a horse in 1914 at Oxnard, California. He declared the horse the winner by a nose.

Among the many memorable games Klem umpired was Opening Day at the Polo Grounds in 1907. A winter storm left piles of snow around the field. In the eighth inning, with New York leading the Phillies 3-0, spectators began bombarding the visting Phillies, umpires, and each other with snowballs. Klem forfeited'c-(((the game to Philadelphia because it was up to the home team to keep order.

He could be stubborn. He reportedly once started to call a runner out at the plate, then signaled safe when a ball rolled loose. The catcher showed him he still held the ball; the loose ball had apparently fallen from one of Klem's pockets. He refused to change his call.

He adored the nickname The Old Arbitrator but despised being called Catfish. In Lawrence Ritter's The Glory of Their Times, Chief Meyers said, "All you had to do was call him Catfish and out of the game you'd go. Maybe it was because he had rather prominent lips, and when he'd call a ball or a strike he'd let fly a rather fine spray from his mouth. Sort of gave the general impression of a catfish, you know."

Early in Klem's career, Giants manager John McGraw threatened to get him fired. Klem replied: "Mr. Manager, if it's possible for you to take my job away from me, I don't want it." His integrity helped secure the reputation of umpires as honest and impartial. He brought dignity to the game, along with competence and pride. Shortly before he died, he described the last game he ever worked. "I walked away from the beefing ballplayer, saying to myself, `I'm almost certain Herman tagged him.' Then it came to me and I almost wept. For the first time in my career, I only `thought' a man was tagged." cd x x Klem retired that afternoon.

He always maintained, "I never called one wrong," though in later years he would place his hand over his heart and add, "from here." After his retirement, he served as Chief of NL Umpires until his death. Klem was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1953. (RTM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 19, 1905: The Pirates pull to within five games of New York by overcoming a 5-2 deficit and beating the Giants, 8-5. Bill Klem provokes a barrage of garbage from the New York fans by tossing Dan McGann and Mike Donlin out of the game for abusive behavior. » August 9, 1905: In Pittsburgh, Bill Klem narrowly escapes a beating at the hands of gamblers. The heavily favored Pirates are down 5–2 in the 9th inning against Boston when a number of Pirates start mocking Klem's flamboyant calls. The rookie umpire chases them down and fines each $10, thereby incurring the wrath of the gamblers, who go looking for Klem. He wisely hides in the ladies' room. » June 4, 1906: Unable to shake the effects of diphtheria contracted in the spring, a frustrated Christy Mathewson throws a rare tantrum after giving up four runs to the Phils on two hits and six walks in the first inning, and umpire Bill Klem in turn throws him out of the game. Hooks Wiltse relieves and picks up a victory as New York rallies to win, 9-6. » June 9, 1906: Under threatening skies, the host Phillies take the field in the 8th inning holding a 1-0 lead over the Pirates. As the Pirates rally the Phils stop trying for outs, hoping that umpire Bill Klem will call the game and declare them 1-0 winners. But after seven runs cross the plate, Klem declares a forfeit and the fans erupt. In two weeks the NL will instruct all clubs to provide dressing areas for visiting teams, so they do not have to change in their hotel. » April 11, 1907: On a cold day in New York, the Giants open against the Phillies before 16,000. A late snowstorm had to be cleared, but there are large piles of snow surrounding the field. In the 8th inning, with Frank Corridon pitching a one-hit 3-0 shutout over the Giants when fans, who have been pelting the players with snowballs, begin jumping from the stands and running around the outfield. There are no police on duty at the park, as required by the league, so umpire Bill Klem, in his ML debut, forfeits the game to the Phils. Seymour has the only hit for New York. New York C Roger Bresnahan appears wearing shin guards for the first time in a ML game, although the Phils' Red Dooin had worn papier-mâché guards under his stockings in 1906 while catching and at bat. It will be a few years before detachable guards are adopted by all catchers. » September 22, 1907: The Reds' Bob Spade makes his pitching debut in a 1-0 shutout over the Giants. He outduels Joe McGinnity, allowing just four hits. New York's Roger Bresnahan is tossed by Bill Klem and will need the consent of the league president to next play. » September 23, 1907: At the start of the Giants match in Pittsburgh, John McGraw hands Bill Klem the lineup card with Roger Bresnahan's name in the lineup. The two argue about whether the catcher can play after yesterday's ejection and then when Klem turns away he is hit in the face with a glass of water. No culprit comes forward but Klem gets his revenge in the 6th by ejecting McGraw and Art Devlin for arguing a call. The Pirates win, 2-1. » September 24, 1907: Christy Mathewson shuts out the Pirates, 2-0, while Bill Klem continues his battle with the Giants by tossing four more, including John McGraw. » October 10, 1908: In the World Series Opener, Ed Reulbach, coasting with a 5–1 lead, tires in the 7th. Brown is unable to stop the Tigers from taking a 6–5 lead in the last of the 8th. But the Cubs jump on reliever Ed Summers, a 24-game winner, for six straight hits and five runs in the 9th, and Brown gets the win 10–6. For umpire Bill Klem, it is the first of 15 World Series he will officiate. Detroit's Ira Thomas, batting for Charley O'Leary, hits the first World Series pinch hit when he singles in the 9th. There had been 12 previous pinch-hit attempts in World Series play, including the batter before Thomas. » April 23, 1909: In the 6th inning of the Reds-Pirates game in Pittsburgh, Honus Wagner steps across the plate to the other batter's box as Reds P Harry Gaspar delivers the ball. Umpire Bill Klem refuses to call him out. The Pirates win 2-1, but Reds manager Clark Griffith protests and acting NL president John Heydler backs Klem. But the league will override Heydler and Klem and order the game replayed September 20th. The Pirates will win again, by a score of 4-3. » August 16, 1909: New York and Pittsburgh play to a 2-2 tie, stopped after eight innings because of a drenching downpour. Off Christy Mathewson, Ham Hyatt hits his 3rd pinch triple of the year, a record that won't be matched till 1970. Outfielder Red Murray prevents a loss for Matty with one of the greatest catches ever seen at Forbes Field. With two outs and two on, Dots Miller belts a long line drive off Matty into the growing darkness. With everyone straining to follow the ball, a bolt of lightening flashes and Murray is seen making a bare-handed grab on the dead run to end the inning. Bill Klem then calls the game. » April 15, 1911: Grover Cleveland Alexander makes his ML debut, but an unearned run in the 9th by Boston gives the Phils rookie a 5–4 loss. Bill Klem makes the call behind the plate. » June 10, 1911: At Pittsburgh, the Bucs Bobby Byrne steals 2B, 3B, and home in the same inning against Brooklyn. His swipe of 2B is on the back end of a double steal with Fred Clarke scoring on a contested play. When Brooklyn C Bill Bergen argues the call with Bill Klem, Byrne sneaks to 3B. After Dots Miller walks, the two pull of a double steal. Up 8–0 in the 8th, Pittsburgh tries a triple steal, and scores a run on a throwing error. But (as noted by Retrosheet) no steals are handed out on the play. » June 24, 1911: In a Reds win in Cincinnati, Cards player-manager Roger Bresnahan is called out on strikes by Bill Klem to end the game. When Roger argues too long over the call, Klem belts him. An embarrassed NL president Lynch will fine the arbiter $50 for the punch. » May 3, 1912: Despite a triple steal, the Giants lose to the Phils, 8-6, in 10 innings. New York overcomes a 5–0 deficit to tie, but reliever Christy Mathewson is drilled for three doubles and the loss, while Pete Alexander gets the win. Bill Klem sets a season high mark when he tosses four players, including John McGraw, out of the game. » April 25, 1913: The Superbas win the first of two at Brooklyn when Casey Stengel belts a two-run homer to lead Brooklyn to a 5–3 win over the Giants. In the 10th inning of the nitecap, Giants pinch-hitting specialist Moose McCormick is called upon to get a hit twice in one at bat. With the winning run on base, he singles to win the game. But umpire Bill Klem says his back was turned and he didn't see it, so McCormick has to try again. This time Moose hits into a double play. Darkness ends the scoreless game after 11 innings. » June 17, 1913: Chicago beats the first-place Phillies again, 4–0. In the 3rd, Chicago's Heinie Zimmerman is ejected for the third time in five days, this time by Bill Klem, who doesn't like his hollaring. Malcom Easton thumbed him on the 13th, William Brennan on the 15th. It is Zim's 5th thumbing since May 19th and it will prompt a fan to send half a $100 bill to Zimmerman, and half to Klem. Zim will win the other half of the "split century" on July 2nd by not getting thrown out of a game for two weeks. » October 1, 1914: In the Braves' 7–6 win over the second-place Giants, umpire Bill Klem provides most of the fireworks. He tires of the name-calling in the 6th inning and clears the entire Giants bench -- 24 players, including many rookies, who march in step to the clubhouse. » October 5, 1922: Bob Shawkey (20–12) goes the route, with the Giants scoring three in the first and the Yanks getting single tallies in the first, fourth, and eighth. A near-riot erupts among the 36,514 fans when umpire George Hildebrand, acting on umpire Bill Klem’s advice, calls the game, a 3–3 tie, due to darkness after 10 innings. The fans think there’s light enough to continue. It takes a police escort to get Judge Landis out of the park and away from the unruly mob. That night he bends over backwards to negate the public’s opinion that the game might have been called to provide an extra day’s gate by donating the $120,554 receipts to charities. Half will go to New York charities, and half to disabled soldiers. » September 27, 1928: With the Giants just a half game behind the Cardinals, New York loses the 1st game of a doubleheader to the Cubs 3–2. On a controversial play at the plate in the 6th inning, New York's Shanty Hogan hits a ball back to P Art Nehf who throws to third to get the runner. But the runner Andy Reese was off with the crack of the bat and bowls over C Gabby Hartnett. Hartnett grabs the runner to keep from falling. and as Hartnett holds him, Reese is tagged out by the Cubs 3B. The Giants bench erupts, but umpire Bill Klem rules Reese is out. The subsequent protest will be disallowed, despite a photo clearly showing Hartnett up the line holding Reese. The Giants win the nitecap 2–0, but a loss tomorrow clinches the pennant for St. Louis. » July 2, 1934: The Cardinals protest a game with the Cubs in a dispute over a delayed call on an infield fly by veteran umpire Bill Klem. » July 12, 1937: The Phillies score six runs in the seventh inning to beat Hal Schumacher and the Giants 6-3. With the bases loaded in the first, Giants OF Mel Ott starts an unusual 9-2­5 triple play. But the highlight of the game comes when umpire Bill Klem ejects Giants manager Bill Terry for the first time in Terry's 15-year career. » May 10, 1939: Bill Klem, behind the plate at the Reds game in Cincinnati, celebrates his 35th anniversary as a National League umpire. He then calls the 10–5 Reds loss to Brooklyn. » December 10, 1940: Umpire Bill Klem retires and is appointed National League chief of staff. » 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.