Eugene Francis "Bob" Hart (November 22, 1879 – May 10, 1937) was an
umpire
An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...
in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
.
Early life and career
Born in
Kensington, Connecticut
Kensington is a census-designated place (CDP) and section of the town of Berlin in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The Berlin town offices are located in Kensington. The population was 8,459 at the 2010 census.
The Henry Hooker House ...
, Hart was the son of Mary (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Hannon) and John Hart. Around the turn of the century, Hart entered the National
Roller Polo League and won two pennants for the
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, It is one of two traditional seats of Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, it was the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts as of ...
team.
He then played outfield for various
Minor League Baseball teams in the early 1900s.
Umpiring career
Hart began his career as an umpire in the
Maine State League
The Maine State League was a Class D level minor league baseball league that played in the 1897, 1907 and 1908 seasons. The eight–team Maine State League consisted of teams based in Maine and New Hampshire. The Maine State League permanently ...
.
Hart began umpiring in the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
on April 11, , and worked in the AL until June .
He then worked in the
International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
and
American Association American Association may refer to:
Baseball
* American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891
* American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997
* American Association of Profe ...
before being named a
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
umpire in , where he worked until his retirement in .
Hart umpired all six games of the
1923 World Series.
He officiated in the May 1, 1920 game in which
Leon Cadore
Leon Joseph "Caddy" Cadore (November 20, 1891 – March 16, 1958) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1924.
Early life
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Cadore was orphaned at 13 and went to live with his uncle, ...
and
Joe Oeschger
Joseph Carl Oeschger (May 24, 1892 – July 28, 1986) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants, Boston Braves, and Brooklyn Robins from 1914 to 1925. Oeschger is best known for ho ...
pitched all 26 innings for their teams. The game was called a tie due to darkness.
Later life
Hart later became active in town politics; he served three years as Lowell town assessor in the 1930s, and was a member of the Lowell Council. He died of a heart attack at his home on May 10, 1937.
He was buried at St. Patrick Cemetery in Lowell.
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball umpires
The following is a list of major league baseball umpires. The list includes umpires who worked in any of four 19th century major leagues (American Association, National Association, Players' League, Union Association), one defunct 20th century m ...
References
1879 births
1937 deaths
Major League Baseball umpires
People from Kensington, Connecticut
{{US-baseball-umpire-stub