Books and articles about John McSherry

The 300-pound McSherry once called Pete Rose out on strikes. "That ball was low," insisted Pete. "You missed it. If it had been a hamburger, you wouldn't have missed it!" Despite cracks about his size, McSherry earned respect for his expert knowledge of the rules. He has served as an umpiring school instructor and as the executive director of the New York School of Umpiring. (RTM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 1, 1996: At Riverfront Stadium, umpire John McSherry calls time from behind the plate and collapses on the field with a massive heart attack and dies. The popular McSherry, a veteran of 21 seasons, had been suffering from a series of medical problems, aggravated by his weight of 328 pounds. The game, just seven pitches old between the Reds and Expos, is called, though owner Marge Schott feels otherwise: "Snow this morning and now this. I don't believe it. I feel cheated. This isn't supposed to happen to us, not in Cincinnati. This is our history, our tradition, our team. Nobody feels worse than me." Schott, who will later apologize, says it with flowers instead. But the Dayton Daily News will report on the 28th that the flowers she sends were given to her by television station covering the Reds. » April 14, 1996: Minutes before the start of the 2nd game with the Astros at Cincinnati, Reds' owner Marge Schott walks on the field to apologize to Larry Vandover and the umpiring crew for her remarks following the death of John McSherry. Crew chief Harry Wendelstedt is mystified, saying, "I had no idea what she was doing out there." The Reds take the 2nd game 9–8 after winning the opener, 5–3.