Umpire Frank Dascoli & 9/27/51

[callingit]

Recap the moment: Sept. 27, '51. Umpire Dascoli calls Joe Addis of the Boston Braves safe at home on a very close play in the eighth inning, and that run turns out to be the game-winner for the Braves, allowing the Giants to close within a half-game of the Dodgers in the standings.

Campy, Roe & every Dodger went crazy on Dascoli, who supposedly had a long-running feud with Dreesen. Campy gets ejected & the Dodger bench had to be cleared to restore order before the game could continue. Campy's spot in the order came up in the 9th with a runner on third and one out, but neither Terwilliger (pinch-hitting for Walker who had replaced Campy behind the plate) nor Pafko could get the tying run in.

Some say this is the moment that really cost the Dodgers the pennant. Some say Dascoli was a showboat of an ump, often embroiled in controversy, and it wouldn't be out of character to let his bias against the Dodgers take over in such a critical moment.



Does anyone remember this play, Dascoli or the aforementioned feud?

[jaykay]

Frank Dascoli's physical showboating irked many players and managers, particularly when he worked behind the plate. Aside from numerous questionable calls, he had a routine when doing balls and strikes that went something like this: stretching his right arm as far up as he could, head thrown back, then hauling the arm straight down vigorously. It was Connie Desmond, I believe, who termed it "a man pulling a chain." Umpires did not cultivate attention in those days as some do now. I don't recall any of them using the large gestures that Dascoli employed. Al Barlick was a fine, restrained umpire who happened to call strikes loudly, but nobody seemed to mind because he was good at his work. Dascoli seemed to relish the attention. There was indeed particular tension between Dascoli and the Dodgers, perhaps, as claimed, because of Dressen. A Dascoli protege of sorts, Augie Guglielmo, appeared during those years: as a result of a very short fuse, his career was both combative and brief. If I remember correctly, Robinson was a noted antagonist of both umpires - and, of course, vice versa. And then there was Jocko Conlan, who took no guff from anyone, particularly not from Jackie - nor, if the plain truth be told, especially not from Leo.
But let the record show that Dascoli was bad, and he hurt the Dodgers on more than one occasion.

[MATHA531]

You mean umpires of today don't showboat...especially when calling strike 3. I remember an umpire named Frank Secory...he called strike 1, strike 2, strike 3 exactly the same way...no dramatics he simply moved his right hand forward and picture it like a gun and as his hand came forward the thumb would bend back against the index finger...none of these hysterical utting an arm out and yanking it back like they're pulling on something.

Then there was Chris Pelekoudas, a particular favourite of mine. The pitch would be thrown the catcher would catch it and as the ball was on the way back to the pitcher he would signal if the pitch was a strike simply by putting his right hand up and bring it down till his elbow hit his side, very deliberately and very calmly, and extending it.

And these guys rarely got into hysterical arguments as they did nothing to inflame the players and both were excellent umpires.

[callingit]

umpire showboats

Matha, this thread isn't about showboating umpires. It's about the one specific ump whose bias against the Dodgers may have affected his play-calling and possibly cost them the '51 pennant. I'd like to know more about why Dascoli--who seems to have a reputation as showboat and hothead--hated the Dodgers, Dreesen, et al, and maybe (just maybe) swayed his decision to call Addis safe on a very crucial play.

[johnny]

Matha, this thread isn't about showboating umpires. It's about the one specific ump whose bias against the Dodgers may have affected his play-calling and possibly cost them the '51 pennant. I'd like to know more about why Dascoli--who seems to have a reputation as showboat and hothead--hated the Dodgers, Dreesen, et al, and maybe (just maybe) swayed his decision to call Addis safe on a very crucial play.

damn, he must have had a real hate for them to be willing to give it to leo durocher who never saw an ump he didn't like to bait.
not disagreeing with you just observing that dascoli must have really had the hate for the dodgers.

[MATHA531]

Sorry...I was responding to one of the replies which spoke of Dascoli's show boating and quoted Connie Desmond....I am not quite old enough to remember the incident with Dascoli and Campy and the rest of the Dodgers but I have certainly read about it...and that after the game some of the Dodgers went balistic in the club house...of course technology then was not the technology of today and there would have been replay after replay.

I don't think, and I really don't, that any major league umpire is prejudiced against a specific team. Don Denkinger did not miss the call in Kansas City against St. Louis because he was prejudiced against Whitey Herzong and the Cardinals (this one I did see) so I apologize if you think this response is off topic but I really don't.

[Paulmcall]

I had contact (today) with the visiting batboy who saw the game in question. He mentioned that not only did the Dodgers think Dascoli blew the call but the visiting team did too.
No one ventured a guess as to why he missed the call or blew it on purpose. However, most agreed the call was obviously wrong.

[brooklyndodger14]

I had contact (today) with the visiting batboy who saw the game in question. He mentioned that not only did the Dodgers think Dascoli blew the call but the visiting team did too.
No one ventured a guess as to why he missed the call or blew it on purpose. However, most agreed the call was obviously wrong.

It would be interesting to see what the impressions of the press were of this...

Dennis
Brooklyndodger14

[callingit]

press reaction

It would be interesting to see what the impressions of the press were of this...

Absolutely. I'm very curious to see the press reaction. I'm waiting on articles from the New York papers from 9/28/51, and will post more when I have them. Campy & Erskine maintain the pictures of the play prove Dascoli wrong--Addis was clearly out.


Matha, what's funny-strange is that some umpires then had as short a fuse and flashy style as some of today's umpires do. It seems the question about an umpire merely being a background part of the game hasn't been fully resolved even after fifty years of trying.

[kramer_47]

Umpire Frank Dascoli & 9/27/51

Absolutely. I'm very curious to see the press reaction. I'm waiting on articles from the New York papers from 9/28/51, and will post more when I have them. Campy & Erskine maintain the pictures of the play prove Dascoli wrong--Addis was clearly out.


Matha, what's funny-strange is that some umpires then had as short a fuse and flashy style as some of today's umpires do. It seems the question about an umpire merely being a background part of the game hasn't been fully resolved even after fifty years of trying.

What very famous (became famous later) young Dodgers farmhand was called up and was one of the players on the bench ejected. He became the only player ever to be ejected from a game who never appeared in a major league game.

[DODGER DEB]

What very famous (became famous later) young Dodgers farmhand was called up and was one of the players on the bench ejected. He became the only player ever to be ejected from a game who never appeared in a major league game.

That would be BILL SHARMAN!

c.

[kramer_47]

Umpire Frank Dascoli & 9/27/51

That would be BILL SHARMAN!

c.

Alot of people didn't even know he played baseball, he quit baseball when the Dodgers wouldn't give him a major league contract, then went on to be a HOFer with Celtics.

[callingit]

that's actually a trick question, because according to the official major league baseball account, only Campy was ejected from the game. The Dodger bench had to be 'cleared' before the game continued, but official accounts say no other player was actually 'ejected'.

[kramer_47]

Umpire Frank Dascoli & 9/27/51

that's actually a trick question, because according to the official major league baseball account, only Campy was ejected from the game. The Dodger bench had to be 'cleared' before the game continued, but official accounts say no other player was actually 'ejected'.

This came from the baseballlibrary.com

September 27, 1951: Trying for his 23rd win, Preacher Roe loses just his 3rd game, 4–3, to Chet Nichols and the Braves. The Dodgers now lead New York by 1/2 game. Future Hall of Fame basketball player Bill Sharman becomes the only man in history to be thrown out of a ML baseball game without ever having played in one. With the score tied at 3-3 in the 8th inning, umpire Frank Dascoli clears the entire Brooklyn bench after a home plate call by him results in a violent protest. Sharman, up from St. Paul (AA) at the end of the season, is one of the players thrown out. Dascoli's safe call at home on Bob Addis's score results in the winning run

[wamby]

It would be interesting to see what the impressions of the press were of this...

Dennis
Brooklyndodger14

I have the Sporting News from that week and will get it out to see what they were saying about it.