Al Barlick interview
Date1991 July 22
DescriptionTwo audio cassettes featuring an interview with Al Barlick conducted by Rod Roberts on the behalf of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on July 22, 1991 in Cooperstown, New York.
Object numberHF-1994-0001-026
Interviewer
Roberts, Rod
Interviewee
Barlick, Al, 1915-1995
Subject
Barlick, Al, 1915-1995
Classificationsaudio/visual materials
Collection NumberBA RMA 001 Rod Roberts oral history collection
Library Call NumberCTA 841
Library Call NumberCTA 842
Dimensions2 audio cassettes
TrannscriptionCassette 1 Side One Track 1 - Born in Springfield, IL April 2, 1915; family had five boys and one girl, who was the youngest; Barlick was second youngest; went to grammar school and then joined Civilian Conservation Corps, then went to work in coal mines with his father; Barlick an Austrian name, parents born in Slovenia, he can still understand the language; mother's maiden name Gurence; mother lived to 82, father lived to 79 (00:00:00 to 00:03:41) Track 2 - On working as a coal miner, 310 feet under the ground; working dusk to dusk; paid according to the tons of coal you produced, about $35 a week on a good week; once Depression hit, there was no work; playing baseball with an old broomstick and corn cobs; whoever was pitching was the umpire; friend knew a recreation director, Jack Rossiter, needed an umpire in Lincoln Park and he was hired for $1 a game, did about 12 games, moved on to Lanphier Park in Springfield; Rossiter was a scout for the Washington Senators and asked Barlick to try out for Class D ball and made it (00:03:41 to 00:07:46) Track 3 - On umpiring in the Northeast Arkansas League; being away from home for the first time at 19; players being different then and now; started out working behind the pitcher rather than behind the plate; people picking on the umpire; minor league system is a place to learn; having a two-man umpire crew; more exposure and media today than in the past; interviewer Roberts talking about incident at Mets-Dodgers game with player Eddie Murray throwing his helmet at umpire Eric Gregg (00:07:46 to 00:13:07) Track 4 - On Mets (Bud) Harrelson getting thrown out of the game; (Dwight) Gooden getting all the calls from Gregg; Barlick resenting commentators being unfair to umpires; umpiring requiring total concentration; Major League umpires do a terrific job; what umpires have in common with water: they don't sell (no one comes to see the umpire;) not every call is right but always make effort to be right (00:13:07 to 00:16:34) Track 5 - On always moving up in his career; being inducted into the Hall of Fame, never expecting it (00:16:34 to 00:17:58) Track 6 - On moving up to the National League at age 24½; taking the place of Bill Klem; Barlick meeting (?) Valentine at Piccadilly Hotel; then meeting Klem and working with him; Klem being the greatest umpire, working seven consecutive years every game behind the plate (00:17:58 to 00:20:03) Track 7 - On earning respect from players taking time; importance of making proper decisions (00:20:03 to 00:21:42) Track 8 - On working every day; close calls; people going to umpire schools because the job looks easy, but the job is not easy (00:21:42 to 00:23:09) Track 9 - On having a big voice; on umpires developing their own style; more on umpire schools teaching raw fundamentals; Umpire Development Program has really helped baseball; modern umpiring much better than in the past; worked for 31 years but lost two years to illness and two years to being in the service; top salary $32,500, never complain about money; teams didn't have big turnout so didn't have the money to pay umpires; always be grateful to baseball; league president determined salaries (00:23:09 to 00:28:01) Track 10 - On serving in the Coast Guard in New London, CT; umpiring in New Haven and Waterbury on weekends to send money home to family; missing two years due to heart problems in 1956; resigned once over an issue with calling balks; issues with current balk rule not making sense (tape runs out) (00:28:01 to 00:30:40) Side Two -- Track 1. Intv: On working seven World Series; first in 1946, Cardinals vs. Red Sox, Enos Slaughter scored from first base on a single by Harry Walker; Barlick behind the plate for that game; Dom DiMaggio was hurt and Leon Culberson was in center field, Johnny Pesky was at shortstop and went out to take the relay; no one told Pesky where to go with the ball, possibly because there was so much noise in the park (00:00:00 to 00:02:01) Track 2 - Last World Series Barlick worked was 1967, Giants vs. Yankees; first one was the most special because he had just got out of the service 0:2:01 to 0:2:55) Track 3. Intv: On working seven All Star games; wish players would put more effort into the All Star game; society has changed (00:02:55 to 00:04:08) Track 4 - On getting married in 1941 to a nurse from Indiana, Jennie, who he met at a Springfield hospital visiting his friend with a broken leg; two daughters and four grandchildren; two grandsons served in Saudi Arabia in the Marines (00:04:08 to 00:05:21) Track 5 - On Barlick and Augie Donatelli founding the Major League Umpires Association; felt they were forced to organize to be treated fairly; had some very good Baseball Commissioners, Bart Giamatti and Fay Vincent making big decisions; difference between baseball and private sector, everything controlled by money; tough to be League president; which makes an umpire's job tough, especially if owner calls and complains to League president (00:05:21 to 00:11:32) Track 6 - On not changing strike zone; where the zone exists when the hitter goes to attack the ball; resenting commentators calling balls and strikes before umpire does; and resenting commentators' opinions of umpires (00:11:32 to 00:14:19) Track 7 - On 1968 trip to Japan with Cardinals; Japanese loving baseball; differences in culture there; defense better than offense; Sadaharu Oh hitting home runs (00:14:19 to 00:15:41) Track 8 - On being voted best National League umpire and Barlick being upset; Ray Kelly telling him the news and Barlick calling it a total disgrace; another writer Harry Keck calling him and asking why; (J.G. Taylor) Spink getting angry and wanting to send Barlick back to the coal mines; Barlick never having problems (00:15:41 to 00:19:36) Track 9 - On studying the rule book; learning it with (Botts Crowley?) on ball players and managers not knowing rules; Gene Mauch really knowing the rules; Mauch rotating pitchers too fast (00:19:36 to 00:22:35) Track 10 - On getting hit in Chicago; Burt Shotten manager for Dodgers, Barlick behind the plate and called a foul runner went to second, reversed him back to first; interviewer Roberts talking about Barlick getting hit by a batted ball; interviewer talking about his own experience; sometimes making a bad call because you lose your concentration (00:22:35 to 00:26:30) Track 11 - On making bad calls; changing a call; why some umpires are better than others, not anticipating the play, letting the ball come to you (00:26:30 to 00:29:08) Track 12 - On attacking umpire (Chris) Pelekoudas over the illegal pitches in Chicago with (Phil?) Regan, and throwing out the ball; Barlick talking to writer Dick Young (tape runs out) (00:29:08 to 00:30:30) Cassette 2 Side One Track 1 - More on confrontation with Chris Pelekoudas; checking on Phil Regan, (?) Perry; only way to check pitchers for illegal substances is to examine cap or glove (00:00:00 to 00:02:16) Track 2 - On pitchers cutting the ball; umpire knowing difference between illegal pitch and a sinker; illegal spitballers; Red Faber being last pitcher to throw spitballs (00:02:16 to 00:04:47) Track 3 - On overruling colleagues; not interfering with judgment calls; visitor shows up (00:04:47 to 00:06:49) Track 4 - On off-season; working in the coal mines as late as 1947; Ford Brick not wanting him to work in the mines because he might get hurt (00:06:49 to 00:08:35) Track 5. Intv: On best hitters, Ted Williams, (Stan Musial,) Pete Reiser; Reiser being injury-prone; comments from visitors about Fergie Jenkins; Barlick saying Jenkins belongs in Hall of Fame (00:08:35 to 00:10:17) Track 6 - On not ever doing any part-time jobs; renting a house in Arizona (00:10:17 to 00:10:58) Track 7 - Question from visitor or greats of the game; Barlick referencing (Joe) DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Dominick DiMaggio, Lefty Grove (00:10:58 to 00:12:05) Track 8 - (Contains profranity and racist remark) On Rex Barney throwing the hardest, but wildest; more on Lefty Grove; Sandy Koufax good fastball and good curveball but a short career; stories from interviewer and visitors Barlick relating a story from Bill Jackowski, about a line drive hitting a fan (00:12:05 to 00:14:13) Track 9 - On greatest defensive play being Willie Mays catching the ball hit by Vic Wertz, Barlick behind the plate (00:14:13 to 00:15:31) Track 10 - Question from visitor about notorious incident during Cubs-Cardinals game; Barlick recalls Musial hitting, (Bob?) Anderson pitching for the Cubs, umpire Vic Delmore behind the plate, called a foul and ball four; Musial started running Cardinals third baseman Alvin Dark retrieved the ball; Delmore threw the pitcher another ball, who threw it to center field, Dark threw the ball and got Musial as he rounded second base; announcer Pat Piper had the ball and threw it to Dark, so it should have been a dead ball (00:15:31 to 00:17:52) Track 11 - On collision at plate in Pittsburgh; Johnny Powers hits ball to right field and Delmore calling it a foul, Barlick not agreeing; same year in Philadelphia, Delmore behind plate, Hank Foiles catching, Barlick at first, Bill Virdon on third; Hank Foiles hit a chopper; Virdon crashing into Delmore; Philadelphia manager Eddie Sawyer came out and said Valmy Thomas tagged Virdon out, Barlick didn't answer; trying to revive Delmore; Delmore fired later that year "couldn't umpire in a toilet" (00:17:52 to 00:20:41) Track 12 - Question from visitor about facilities; Barlick facilities being poor in the early days, much nicer now (00:20:41 to 00:21:58) Track 13 - Question from visitor about level of play in Major Leagues being lowest ever been (tape runs out) (00:21:58 to 00:22:36)" Public Access NotePlease note that not all works are on view at all times - their availability is subject to change per the discretion of the Museum staff. 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