RELATED LINKS Photos » Photo: Early Action, 1903 from The American League: The Early Years

Legendary O' Loughlin holds the umpires' record for calling the most no-hitters with seven. He often answered arguing batters with the following: "I have never missed one in my life and it's too late to start now. The Pope for religion, O'Loughlin for baseball. Both infallible." (RTM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » August 8, 1904: In Cleveland, with the Blues ahead of New York, 7–1 in the 4th, Dave Fultz and manager Griffith argue a strike call with umpire Silk O'Loughlin. When the refuse to go the bench, Silk orders a policeman to escort them off the field. Tomorrow, Silk will throw out pitcher Jack Powell and have the police escort Jimmy Williams off the field. Griffith and Williams will receive suspensions from the American League, and (according to The Year They Called Off the World Series) Highlander owner Frank Farrell vows O'Loughlin will not be allowed to enter Hilltop Park. He will, however. » November 8, 1904: Umpire Silk O'Loughlin runs for a state assembly seat as a Democrat and loses. » September 3, 1906: Kid Elberfeld, the hot-headed Tabasco Kid, assaults umpire Silk O'Loughlin and is forcibly removed by police in the first game of New York's 4-3 win over the Athletics. In the 2nd game, New York base runner Willie Keeler collides with SS Lave Cross trying to field a ground ball, and two runs score. O'Loughlin sees no interference, a call so hotly disputed by A's captain Harry Davis that, after eight minutes of arguing, the umpire forfeits the game to New York. For New York, it is a major-league record 5th straight doubleheader sweep in consecutive days. » 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. » August 5, 1908: The Nationals' Otis Clymer and Jim Delahanty draw indefinite suspensions for abusing umpire Silk O'Loughlin in Cleveland. Delahanty, a Cleveland native, is later fined $50 and barred from the Cleveland ballpark for one year for his unbecoming conduct. » June 29, 1912: At Fenway, the Red Sox sweep two from the Yankees, winning 13–6 and 6–0. Smoky Joe Wood wins the nitecap, his 2nd shutout in a row, allowing just one hit, in winning 6–0 in seven innings. Dutch Sterrett's single is the lone hit. In the nitecap, Hick Cady makes two hits in one at bat. His single scores Jake Stahl from 3B, but umpire Silk O'Loughlin rules that Stahl was balked home. In Cady's 2nd chance, he doubles. » June 4, 1915: Ty Cobb steals home in the 9th inning of 3–0 Detroit win, the only steal of home that late in a game in his career. Yankee pitcher Ray Caldwell is so angry at the safe call he throws his mitt in the air and is promptly ejected by umpire Silk O'Loughlin. It is Cobb's 2nd steal of home while Caldwell is on the mound (the first was on May 12, 1911).