Umpires- By John C. Skipper

[Majordave]

This was another book containing interviews with older, retired MLB umpires. It was similar to The Men in Blue by Gerlach but instead of being written in first person so it reads as if the umpire being interviewed is telling the story, it was in third person with a lot of he said, he did...... Not as easy or enjoyable to read but still full of very interesting and informative stories. The umpires interviewed in this particular book were not all fat and happy and loved Major League Baseball. Some of them were let go for attempted union organizing, injured too greatly to continue, fired without explanation. It came across a bit more truthful and the facts were more raw and unpolished.

I have noticed throughout my life that people tend to be more nostalgic about days gone by and wax poetic about "the good ole days" a lot. But, in reality, it seems to me that people and times were just as ruthless as it sometimes seems now but the manners and the tendency of the press and the general way of doing things required a certain level of restraint. Bad news and awful things just were not talked about publicly. Just my impression as I age and compare the news and writings of the first half century or so of the 1900's compared to now.

I do recommend the book. It is a quick read and the end of every chapter contains box scores from the more historic and eventful games each of the umpires interviewed for the book had worked.

Umpires interviewed were: John "Red" Flaherty, Bill Kinnamon (also in "The Men in Blue"), Bill Jackowski, John Rice, Dutch Rennert, John Kibler, Bill Valentine, Don Denkinger, Terry Cooney, Andy Olsen, Marty Springstead, Doug Harvey, Ken Burkhart, Bill Haller, Ed Runge, Hank Morganweck, Art Frantz, Jerry Neudecker, and a special chapter discussing Steamboat Johnson. There is also an appendix listing all of the umpires who also played in MLB, a chronology of major league umpiring and a roster of all MLB umpires from 1876 to the publication of the book in 1997.