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Henry M. O'Day (July 8, 1859 – July 2, 1935), nicknamed "The Reverend", was an American right-handed
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
and later 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 , , and , : (as evidenced in cricke ...
and
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
. After a seven-year major league playing career, he worked as a
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
(NL) umpire for 30 seasons between 1895 and 1927. O'Day umpired in ten
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
– 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 remained the oldest umpire in major league history for 97 years – 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 This is the longest year in either the Julian or Gregorian calendars, having a duration of 31622401.38 seconds of Terrestrial Time (or ephemeris time), measured according to the definition of mean solar time. Events January * January ...
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 The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
in
1912 This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15. In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...
and the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
in
1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as the First World War, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip ...
. 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 The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United St ...
in July 2013.


Early life

O'Day was born in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, the son of
railroad engineer A train driver is a person who operates a train, railcar, or other rail transport vehicle. The driver is in charge of and is responsible for the mechanical operation of the train, train speed, and all of the train handling (also known as bra ...
James O'Day ( – 1885) and his wife MargaretThe name of O'Day's mother has been reported in many biographies as Mary, with the number of children in the family given as six; these inaccuracies likely originated from reports in O'Day's obituaries, based on information given by survivors who had limited knowledge of the family prior to 1900. ( – 1895), who were immigrants from
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
and were both deaf. The couple had at least seven children: Daniel ( – 1898), James Jr. ( – before 1895James Jr. and Margaret were not listed as survivors in their mother's death notice.), Catherine ( – 1901), Henry, Margaret ( – before 1895), Mary McNamara ( – 1924), and Joseph (1870–1885). The O'Days originally settled in
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
; by the mid-1850s, they had moved to
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, and they relocated to Chicago around 1858. Henry was born in the vicinity of Ewing Street (later renamed Cabrini Street) and Jefferson Street, which was just one block north of the starting point of the Chicago Fire in 1871. By 1870, the family had moved about two miles west to 1022 W. Jackson Street (renumbered in 1909 as 2433 W. Jackson Boulevard), which remained the family residence until the early 20th century. O'Day worked as a steam fitter in Chicago before entering organized baseball.


Playing career

O'Day played minor league baseball with the Bay City club and the
Toledo Blue Stockings The Toledo Blue Stockings formed as a minor league baseball team in Toledo, Ohio, in 1883. They won the Northwestern League championship in 1883. Their home ballpark was League Park. The following year, they joined the major league American As ...
of the
Northwestern League The Northwestern League was a sports league that operated in the Central United States during the early years of professional baseball for six seasons: 1879, 1883–1884, 1886–1887, and 1891. After the 1887 season, the league was replaced by t ...
in 1883, and he reached the major leagues when Toledo joined the American Association (AA) the following year. With Toledo, he played alongside Fleet Walker, the first African American to play in the major leagues. O'Day made his major league debut on May 2, 1884, and served as the team's second pitcher behind
Tony Mullane Anthony John Mullane (January 30, 1859 – April 25, 1944), nicknamed "Count" and "the Apollo of the Box", was an Irish professional baseball player who pitched for seven major-league teams during 1881–1894. He is best known as a switch pitch ...
. In 41
games pitched In baseball statistics, games pitched (denoted by Games G in tables of only pitching statistics) is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher. The statistic is also referred to as appearances, especially to refer to the number of ...
for the Blue Stockings, he had 9 wins, 28 losses, a 3.75
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA), and 163
strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...
s; he is also one of three pitchers who have been retroactively credited with a save in the AA that season. In addition to pitching, O'Day appeared in 23 games as a position player that season, primarily in
left field In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering syst ...
; he also made appearances at the other outfield positions, as well as at
first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
and
third base A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
. However, he made only 13 other non-pitching appearances in the field in later years, including eight games at
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...
in 1887–88. In 1885, he split playing time with the
Pittsburgh Alleghenys The following is a history of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. Franchise beginnings (1870s–1899) Early baseball in Pittsburgh and the American Association An early mention of "base ball" in the region is found in an issue of t ...
of the AA and the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
of the Eastern League. O'Day had a record of 5–7 for the Alleghenys; his playing time was limited because he was caring for his sick father. He made only five starts after May 11 and left the team for the last time after his July 6 start. His father died on July 9 at age 61. In the meantime, the Chicago White Stockings had opened
West Side Park West Side Park was the name used for two different ballparks that formerly stood in Chicago, Illinois. They were both home fields of the team now known as the Chicago Cubs of the National League (baseball), National League. Both ballparks hoste ...
on June 6, less than a mile and a half from the O'Day residence. In 15 games with Washington in the Eastern League, he had a record of 13–2 and a 0.74 ERA. On September 5 of that year, his younger brother Joseph died at age 15 from injuries he had suffered two days earlier after falling from the front car of a
roller coaster A roller coaster is a type of list of amusement rides, amusement ride employing a form of elevated Railway track, railroad track that carries passengers on a roller coaster train, train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements, usua ...
. At the end of the season, the Nationals folded, and O'Day joined a Louisville ball club; no record exists of him having played any games for them. O'Day spent most of 1886 with the Savannah team in the
Southern Association The Southern Association (SA) was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class B (1902-19 ...
, and during his time there he was considered a favorite among other players. In 39 games with Savannah, O'Day won 26 games, lost 11, and had an ERA of 1.03. Late in the year, he joined the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
, where he posted a 2–2 record in six games. O'Day became a full-time starter for the Nationals in 1887 and pitched the second-most games behind Jim Whitney. In 30 games, he won 8 games, lost 20, and had a 4.17 ERA and 109 walks, the fifth-most walks in the league. In 1888, O'Day became the Nationals' workhorse, starting 46 games. His ERA and win totals improved to 3.10 and 16, but he led the NL in losses with 29 and was second in walks with 117 in 403
innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...
. He also played eight games at shortstop in 1887 and 1888. O'Day's high loss total was noted by '' Sporting Life'' as due to ineffective hitting by the Nationals rather than as a result of his pitching. In 13 games for Washington in 1889, O'Day had a 2–10 record and a 4.33 ERA. On July 26, he was purchased by the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
; his first game with the Giants was against his former team, a game which he lost. O'Day then went on to win his next nine starts to finish the year with a 9–1 record for the Giants. He earned two strong wins in the 1889 World Series, including a 2–1 11-inning victory on October 25, to give the Giants the National League title; the Giants' midseason purchase of O'Day was considered to be the reason they won. In 1890, O'Day jumped ship to the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
of the newly established
Players' League The Players' National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, popularly known as the Players' League (PL), was a short-lived but star-studded American professional baseball league of the 19th century. The PL was formed by the Brotherhood of Pr ...
. With them, he enjoyed his best season by going 22–13 with a 4.21 ERA for the Giants, pitching 329 innings in 43 games, and he has since been credited with tying for the league lead with 3 saves. However, he developed arm trouble as a result of so many innings pitched, and he spent three more years in the minor leagues with the Lincoln Rustlers of the
Western Association The Western Association was the name of five different leagues formed in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries. The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Wester ...
(1891), the Columbus Reds of the Western League (1892) and the Erie Blackbirds of the Eastern League (1893) before retiring as a player. In 201 career games and 1,651 1/3 innings pitched, O'Day posted a record of 73–110 with an ERA of 3.74 and 663 strikeouts. At various points throughout his career, O'Day played all nine positions.


Umpiring career

After O'Day finished his playing career, he worked as a clerk for the Chicago city recorder's office. While attending a Chicago baseball game as a spectator one Sunday in 1894, O'Day was recruited from the stands to substitute for umpire Thomas Lynch, who was unable to make it to the game due to a train service cancellation. O'Day performed so well that he was recruited into full-time service as a National League umpire the following year. On July 8, 1901, O'Day made a ruling in a game at St. Louis which proved pivotal in a 7–5 Brooklyn victory; the fans were so infuriated that they rushed the field after the game, and O'Day suffered a split lip before being rescued by players and police. In July 1906, O'Day was fined $50 (USD), equal to $ today, by NL president
Harry Pulliam Harry Clay Pulliam (February 9, 1869 – July 29, 1909) was an American baseball executive who served as the sixth President of the National League (baseball), National League. He served from 1903 until his death in 1909. He was president during ...
in connection with a fight that broke out between Giants pitcher Joe McGinnity and Pirates catcher Heinie Peitz during a game. O'Day was cited as being negligent for failing to prevent the fight; he appealed the fine, but Pulliam would not relent. When Pulliam did not withdraw the fine, O'Day submitted his resignation on July 31. Pulliam refused to accept the resignation, but O'Day pledged not to work until the fine was withdrawn. O'Day did not report for his scheduled game at the
Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 to 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the ...
that day. He was rumored to be seeking an umpiring position in the
Tri-State League The Tri-State League was the name of six different circuits in American minor league baseball. History The first league of that name played for four years (1887–1890) and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. The second league ...
, but he returned to the field for National League games by August 10.


Merkle's Boner

On September 23, 1908, O'Day was involved in one of the most controversial field decisions in major league history. He was working as the plate umpire in the game between the Cubs and the Giants, which ended when Al Bridwell's apparent walk-off single drove in the apparent winning run. However, baserunner
Fred Merkle Carl Frederick Rudolf Merkle (also sometimes documented as Frederick Charles Merkle; December 20, 1888 – March 2, 1956), nicknamed "Bonehead", was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball from 1907 to 1926. Although he had a lengthy ...
never advanced from first base to second, in keeping with the common practice of the era. When the Cubs produced a ball – not necessarily the game ball, which had been thrown into the crowd of fans walking across the field to exit the ballpark – and claimed a force play at second base, which would negate the run, the debate erupted. Bob Emslie, who as base umpire had been watching the play at first base to verify that the batter had reached base, had not seen the play at second. O'Day ruled that the force play had been valid and that the run did not count, causing the game to end in a tie. At that time, Emslie and O'Day ranked as the two longest-serving umpires in major league history. O'Day's letter to Pulliam follows (spelling and punctuation as in the original): President Pulliam upheld O'Day's decision, the game was ruled a tie, and a makeup game was scheduled. The Cubs defeated New York in that makeup game to win the pennant by a single game. ''The Milwaukee Journal'' later reported that O'Day and the Chicago team had been attuned to the play because of their involvement in a similar situation a few weeks earlier on September 4. During a mid-season game between Chicago and Pittsburgh, Cubs second baseman
Johnny Evers John Joseph Evers (July 21, 1881 – March 28, 1947) was an American professional baseball second baseman and manager (baseball), manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1902 through 1917 for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves (baseba ...
tried to call O'Day's attention to the fact that a Pittsburgh player had not made it to second base on the game-winning play. Not seeing the runner miss the base, O'Day told Evers, "Go home and take a bath, Johnny. The game's over." The newspaper noted that "Chicago got the pennant by being given the derisive hoot a few weeks before."


Managerial career

O'Day was connected with major league managing jobs as early as 1905. At that time, he said that he liked umpiring and that he was unsure whether he would accept a managing position even if an offer came to him. "I am not the least bit sure that I could better myself by giving up umpiring for a managerial job", O'Day said. Several years later, O'Day interrupted his umpiring career to manage major league clubs during two separate seasons. In 1912, he agreed to become the manager of the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
. This move surprised the baseball world, as O'Day had not been mentioned as a possibility to take the job. The team started off the year winning 20 of its first 25 games, creating the possibility that the Reds would win the World Series under their new manager. The Reds did not hold on to their early hot streak, however, and finished the season with a 75–78 record under O'Day. He resigned after the season, as the team was negotiating a trade for
Joe Tinker Joseph Bert Tinker (July 27, 1880 – July 27, 1948) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played from 1902 through 1916 for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Chicago Whales of th ...
and rumors surfaced that Tinker might become manager. In late 1912, O'Day was reported as saying that he would not return to umpiring, but he changed his mind by April and signed with the National League again. After umpiring in 1913, he managed for another year, taking over the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
ballclub after
player-manager A player–coach (also playing coach, captain–coach, or player–manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. Player–coaches may be head coaches or assistant coaches, and they may make chang ...
Johnny Evers John Joseph Evers (July 21, 1881 – March 28, 1947) was an American professional baseball second baseman and manager (baseball), manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1902 through 1917 for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves (baseba ...
was traded despite a third-place finish by the Cubs the previous year. O'Day led the Cubs to a 78–76 record and a fourth-place finish. He led teams to fourth-place finishes in both of his seasons as a manager. In December, the Cubs signed
Roger Bresnahan Roger Philip Bresnahan (June 11, 1879 – December 4, 1944), nicknamed "the Duke of Tralee", was an American baseball player and manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Bresnahan competed in MLB for the Washingto ...
to be their manager, replacing O'Day, who returned to being an umpire.


Return to umpiring

O'Day umpired in 10
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
: 1903,
1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...
,
1907 Events January * January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Moment magnitude scale, Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000. February * February 9 – The "Mud March (suffragists), Mud March", the ...
,
1908 This is the longest year in either the Julian or Gregorian calendars, having a duration of 31622401.38 seconds of Terrestrial Time (or ephemeris time), measured according to the definition of mean solar time. Events January * January ...
,
1910 Events January * January 6 – Abé people in the French West Africa colony of Côte d'Ivoire rise against the colonial administration; the rebellion is brutally suppressed by the military. * January 8 – By the Treaty of Punakha, t ...
,
1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Empire, British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that has been stored ...
,
1918 The ceasefire that effectively ended the World War I, First World War took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of this year. Also in this year, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people wor ...
,
1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...
,
1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...
and
1926 In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...
. Only Bill Klem, whose hiring was recommended by O'Day, worked more. O'Day's World Series appearances include four of the first five played. In his first three World Series, a two-umpire system was used, with the two alternating between working home plate and the bases. In his next three Series, four umpires were assigned, but they worked in two-man crews that officiated alternating games; not until the 1918 Series did all four work every game. During the 1920 World Series, O'Day was the base umpire when
Bill Wambsganss Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak P ...
executed the only
unassisted triple play In baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes triple play, all three outs by himself in one continuous play, without his teammates making any Assist (baseball), assists. Neal Ball was the first to achieve this in Majo ...
in Series history. Although it was not known at the time, O'Day became the oldest umpire in history at age 65 years, 9 months when he began the 1925 season; it was long believed that Emslie still held the mark, having retired at the end of the 1924 season at age 65 years, 8 months. At the end of his career, O'Day's total of 3,986 games as an umpire placed him behind only Tommy Connolly (4,337) and Emslie (4,228) in major league history. O'Day was the home plate umpire for no-hitters in four decades, a distinction that has been matched only by Harry Wendelstedt; he was behind the plate when Ted Breitenstein (April 22, 1898), Johnny Lush (May 1, 1906), Hod Eller (May 11, 1919) and
Jesse Haines Jesse Joseph Haines (July 22, 1893 – August 5, 1978), nicknamed "Pop", was an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). After a lengthy stint in minor league basebal ...
(July 17, 1924) each accomplished the feat. O'Day served for many years on the major league rules committee and became known for its many heated debates over rule changes and applications. In 1920, the committee was considering the issue of game-winning hits in the bottom of the last inning; O'Day argued that batters should only be credited with as many bases as were necessary to score the winning run, even if the ball was hit over the fence for an apparent
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
, saying, "you can't score runs after a game is over", while sportswriter Fred Lieb counter-argued that a fair ball hit over the fence must be counted as a home run regardless of the situation. Lieb's position was adopted by the committee, with O'Day complaining that Lieb was simply trying to accumulate more home runs for his friend
Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...
; O'Day did, however, succeed in preventing the rule from being applied retroactively. O'Day began his career in an era during which only one umpire worked in most games, and he spent the remainder in a time when only two were used. In 1908, O'Day was quoted as saying that he preferred the single-man system and that he had run into more trouble in games with two umpires. In ''The National League Story'' (1961), Lee Allen described O'Day as "a crusty old pitcher who had umpired in the league as early as 1888 and had the scars to prove it." O'Day maintained an intensely private life. He did, however, develop a lasting friendship with fellow umpire Emslie, one of his pitching opponents in the 1880s, after both had been in the league for a number of years. He also enjoyed long friendships with
John Heydler John Arnold Heydler (July 10, 1869 – April 18, 1956) was an American executive in Major League Baseball. After working as a National League (NL) umpire, he was the secretary to the NL president and then became the secretary-treasurer of the NL b ...
, who had been a fellow umpire in the 1890s and later became O'Day's supervisor as NL president, and
Connie Mack Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. Mack holds records for the most wins (3,731), losses (3,948), ties (76), and ga ...
, who was O'Day's catcher for three years in Washington.


Later life, death, and Hall of Fame

O'Day became an umpiring scout after he retired from active umpiring in 1927. In March 1935, he was said to be seriously ill with a stomach condition, and his doctor said it was "doubtful if he will ever get up again". He died of bronchial pneumonia and cancer at the Presbyterian hospital in Chicago on July 2, 1935. His funeral high mass at St. Jarlath's Church was attended by baseball notables including Commissioner
Kenesaw Mountain Landis Kenesaw Mountain Landis (; November 20, 1866 – November 25, 1944) was an American jurist who served as a United States federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and the first Commissioner of Baseball, commissioner of baseball from 1920 until his death. ...
, former NL president
John Heydler John Arnold Heydler (July 10, 1869 – April 18, 1956) was an American executive in Major League Baseball. After working as a National League (NL) umpire, he was the secretary to the NL president and then became the secretary-treasurer of the NL b ...
, and umpires Bob Emslie, Tom Connolly, Bill Klem, and
Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...
. O'Day was buried in Calvary Cemetery in
Evanston, Illinois Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. A suburb of Chicago, Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skok ...
. O'Day was elected to the
National Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United St ...
on December 3, 2012, by the Hall's new Pre-Integration Era Committee, which considers candidates from the era prior to 1947 once every three years. He was inducted the following July. His grandnephew Dennis McNamara gave his induction speech. McNamara, a former Chicago police officer, had another connection to a Hall of Famer, having introduced
Ron Santo Ronald Edward Santo (February 25, 1940 – December 3, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman who played for the Chicago Cubs from 1960 through 1973 and the Chicago White Sox in 1974. In 1990, Santo became a member of the ...
to his second wife, Vicki.


See also

* Major League Baseball umpiring records *
List of Major League Baseball umpires (disambiguation) Lists of Major League Baseball umpires include: * List of Major League Baseball umpires (A–F) * List of Major League Baseball umpires (G–M) * List of Major League Baseball umpires (N–Z) See also * List of Major League Baseball umpiring ...
*
List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders The following is a list of annual leaders in saves in Major League Baseball (MLB), with separate lists for the American League and the National League. The list includes several professional leagues and associations that were never part of MLB. ...


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Oday, Hank 1859 births 1935 deaths National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Major League Baseball umpires Major League Baseball pitchers National League umpires New York Giants (baseball) players New York Giants (PL) players Pittsburgh Alleghenys (AA) players Toledo Blue Stockings players Washington Nationals (1886–1889) players 19th-century baseball players 19th-century American sportsmen Baseball players from Chicago Bay City (minor league baseball) players Toledo Blue Stockings (minor league) players Washington Nationals (minor league) players Savannah (minor league baseball) players Lincoln Rustlers players Columbus Reds players Marinette Badgers players Erie Blackbirds players Chicago Cubs managers Cincinnati Reds managers American people of Irish descent American Roman Catholics Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Evanston, Illinois)