Eddie Hurley
| Eddie (Ed) Hurley | |
|---|---|
Ed Hurley
|
|
| Born |
Edwin Henry Hurley September 20, 1908 Holyoke, Massachusetts |
| Died | November 12, 1969 (aged 61) Boston, Massachusetts |
| Occupation | Umpire |
| Years active | 1947–1965 |
| Employer | American League |
| Known for | Strict Rule Enforcement, Frequent Ejections |
| Home town | Holyoke, Massachusetts |
Edwin Henry "Eddie" Hurley (September 20, 1908 – November 12, 1969) was a professional baseball umpire who worked in the American League (AL) from 1947 to 1965.
Ed Hurley was a prominent baseball umpire and basketball referee in the Western Massachusetts area during his early career at the amateur and semi-pro levels. He had a relatively quick ascension into the majors, serving for just four years as an umpire in the minor leagues before being promoted to the American League. Hurley began his professional umpiring career in 1942 in the Canadian-American League. He then worked in the Eastern League from 1942-1944 before joining the American Association where he served from 1945-1946.
Hurley umpired 2,826 major league games in his nearly 20 years in the majors, with 743 games officiated behind home plate; 742 at 1st base; 614 at second base; 726 at third base; and once each in left and right fields. He umpired in four World Series (1949, 1953, 1959 and 1965) and three All-Star Games (1951, 1956 and 1962). Hurley's first game umpired was on April 14, 1947, and his last game was the 1965 World Series.
Ed Hurley's career as an American League umpire was punctuated by a number of noteworthy events and incidents in baseball history. One of the most memorable was when Hurley was behind the plate in 1951, and St. Louis Browns' owner, Bill Veeck, sent Eddie Gaedel, a 65-pound player of very small stature (3' 7"), to the plate as a pinch hitter. His number was "1/8". According to a New York Times report, Hurley exclaimed "what the hell" as Gaedel approached. Since the Browns' manager, Zack Taylor, was able to produce a recently signed contract between Gaedel and the Browns, Hurley allowed him to bat. He walked on 4 pitches thrown by Tigers' pitcher, Bob Cain. According to Veeck, Gaedel's strike zone was just one and a half inches.
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