Dolly Stark (umpire)
| Dolly Stark | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
November 4, 1897 New York City |
| Died | August 24, 1968 (aged 70) New York City |
| Occupation | National League Umpire |
| Years active | 1928–1935, 1937–1940 |
| Employer | National League |
| Height | 5' 10 |
| Weight | 150 lb (68 kg). |
Albert D. "Dolly" Stark (November 4, 1897 – August 24, 1968) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1928–1935 and 1937–1940. Stark was the first Jewish umpire in modern baseball.
Stark was born to a lower-class Jewish family in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Stark's father died when he was young and his mother became blind, and Stark was taken into a home for homeless children after being found sleeping on the street by a policeman. After leaving the home, Stark attempted to earn money for his family through playing baseball, and was nicknamed "Dolly" in a reference to Monroe "Dolly" Stark, an unrelated player for the Brooklyn Superbas. He was childhood friends with future Major League player Al Schacht.
Stark played second base for several semipro and minor league teams, including the Newark Bears, Kitchener Beavers, Dallas Submarines and Jersey City Skeeters. He attended tryouts for the New York Yankees and Washington Senators, but failed both, in part due to his weight of only 115 pounds.
At one point, a friend asked Stark to umpire a college baseball game in Vermont. He did such an outstanding job that he was asked to continue umpiring in college games. By 1927, Stark was umpiring in the Eastern League, but his performance was noticed and he was quickly promoted to the National League to succeed Hank O'Day.
...
Wikipedia