Hank O'Day

Hank O'Day
Pitcher / Umpire / Manager
Born: (1859-07-08)July 8, 1859
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died: July 2, 1935(1935-07-02) (aged 75)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Batted: Unknown
Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 2, 1884, for the Toledo Blue Stockings
Last MLB appearance
October 3, 1890, for the New York Giants (PL)
MLB statistics
Win–loss record73–110
Earned run average3.74
Strikeouts663
Managerial record153–154
Winning percentage.498
Teams
As player

As manager

Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction2013
Vote93.8%
Election methodPre-Integration Era Committee[1]

Henry M. O'Day (July 8, 1859[2] – July 2, 1935), nicknamed "The Reverend", was an American right-handed pitcher and later an umpire and manager in Major League Baseball. After a seven-year major league playing career, he worked as a National League (NL) umpire for 30 seasons between 1895 and 1927.

O'Day umpired in ten World Series – second only to Bill Klem's total of 18 – including five of the first seven played, and was behind the plate for the first modern World Series game in 1903. Retiring at age 68 years, 2 months, he remains the oldest umpire in major league history – a fact which was not known until recently, as he routinely shaved five to seven years from his true age throughout his career. His 3,986 total games as an umpire ranked third in major league history when he retired, and his 2,710 games as the plate umpire still rank second in major league history to Klem's total of 3,544. He is largely known for his controversial decision in a pivotal 1908 game, a ruling that still causes debate today. O'Day interrupted his umpiring career twice for single seasons as a manager, leading the Cincinnati Reds in 1912 and the Chicago Cubs in 1914. He remains the only person ever to serve full seasons in the NL as a player, manager and umpire. O'Day was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in July 2013.

  1. ^ National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: "Hank O'Day, Jacob Ruppert, Deacon White Elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame by Pre-Integration Committee", December 3, 2012 [1] Retrieved June 24, 2013
  2. ^ Many sources have traditionally given O'Day's birth year as 1862; O'Day himself regularly reported his birth year as 1864 or later, and his actual public birth record was lost in the Chicago Fire. However, he is listed in the 1860 Census as a 1-year-old. (The family name was entered in both the 1860 and 1870 censuses as "Day".) Eighth Census of the United States, United States census, 1860; 10th Ward, Chicago, Cook, Illinois; roll M653 168, page 266, line 14.

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