About Umpires Bill McGowan, Tom Gorman, and Nicholas “Red” Jones

Bill McGowan was an AL umpire 1925-1954

Joe DiMaggio told me that McGowan was the greatest umpire in the American League. But McGowan talked a lot to players. He made sure he wouldn’t get any jockeying. I was with Washington. We had a young second baseman, Al Kozar. He’s playing in his first major league game and McGowan is umpiring at second base. The first time Kozar goes out to second, McGowan walks behind him.

When Al comes in after the half inning, he says, “What’s the matter with that man out there?”

Somebody says, “Why?”

Al says, “He told me if I open my mouth he’d run me right out of the game. I hadn’t even said a word.”

This was his way of breaking in a rookie.

Ray Scarborough’s pitching in Griffith Stadium one day, had a great curve ball. McGowan’s behind the plate. Ray was known to be irascible, had a short fuse. He and McGowan are not agreeing on any of the calls. By the third inning, McGowan’s about had it. He takes his ball and strike indicator and throws it out toward the mound. Ray walks in and picks up the indicator and puts it in his pocket. McGowan won’t go out to get it. He kept saying, “Bring that indicator in.” And Ray is saying, “Come out and get it.” He pitched the rest of the game with the indicator in his pocket.

– Tom Ferrick [pitched for five American League teams 1941-1952]

I remember one game when George Caster was pitching. Caster had false teeth. This time they dropped out of his mouth when he was at bat. He kept walking out of the box looking for his teeth. McGowan was behind the plate going crazy and we were yelling at him. He called us all “bush.” The game was held up for 15 minutes.

– Al Brancato

When I first came up McGowan is working first base and there was a close play at first and I turned and said to him, “How can you call this guy safe?” He said, “Because I’m just the greatest umpire there is.”

– Mickey Vernon

Tom Gorman was an NL umpire 1951-1977

Tom Gorman used humor instead of being confrontational. Charlie Fox is managing the Giants. He and I and Gorman all came from the Bronx. Fox’s mother, an old Irish lady, lived in the neighborhood by herself in an apartment complex called Parkchester. Gorman had met her many times. This day Tom’s umpiring a Giants game behind the plate. Fox is not satisfied with the way Tom is umpiring and he comes out and is giving Tom a bad time, using foul language. Tom says, “Now, Charlie, if you don’t cut it out, I’m going to tell your mother.”

– Tom Ferrick

Nicholas “Red” Jones was an AL umpire 1944-1949

Red Jones was a very jovial guy, had a heavy southern accent, but he wasn’t a very good umpire. One day Washington is playing in Detroit and the Senators’ bench is giving Red a bad time behind the plate. He thinks it’s Ray Scarborough leading it. This goes on for three or four innings. Finally Red had enough. He walked over to the dugout and said, “Scarborough, you’re outa here.”

The funny thing is, Scarborough wasn’t even in the dugout. He was in the bullpen out in center field. So one of the pitchers got on the phone and called the bullpen and said, “Ray, you’ve just been thrown out of the ball game.”

Ray came out of the bullpen and walked the 400 feet to the dugout with Jones watching him. When Ray got to the dugout, Red admitted, “I think I got the wrong man.”

– Tom Ferrick