Augie Donatelli
Encyclopedia
August Joseph Donatelli was an American
umpire
in Major League Baseball
who worked in the National League
from 1950 to 1973. Highly regarded for his ability, he was also known for his inclination to eject players and managers quickly and dramatically.
and raised in Bakerton. After enjoying a 14-game career as a minor league
infielder
in , he served in the Army Air Forces
' Eighth Air Force
during World War II
and spent 15 months as a German
prisoner of war
after flying 18 missions as a tailgunner on a B-17. His plane was shot down during the first daylight raid on Berlin, and he suffered a broken ankle upon parachuting. He began umpiring softball
games while a POW before being freed when Soviet troops overran the area. After the war he opted for an umpiring career rather than return to the coal mines near his hometown, and after graduating from Bill McGowan
's school in 1946 worked in the Pioneer League in 1946, the South Atlantic League
in 1947, and the International League
in 1948-49.
During his major league career, he umpired in the World Series
in 1955
(outfield only), 1957
, 1961
, 1967
and 1973
. He also officiated in the National League Championship Series
in 1969
and 1972
, serving as crew chief for the latter series, and in the 3-game playoff series to determine the NL champion in both and . He umpired in the All-Star
game in 1953, 1959 (first game), 1962 (first game) and 1969. When the National League umpires began wearing uniform numbers in 1970, Donatelli was assigned uniform number 7.
Donatelli was involved in numerous other notable games. On September 20, 1969, working behind the plate for Bob Moose
's 4-0 win, he officiated in his eighth official no-hitter
, tying an NL record held by Bob Emslie
and Frank Secory
; after Secory extended the record to nine in 1970, Donatelli again tied it on September 2, 1972 when he worked first base in Milt Pappas
' 8-0 gem. Tom Gorman also tied the record in 1976 before Paul Pryor
worked in his 10th no-hitter in . Donatelli called balls and strikes for four of his nine no-hitters, including Warren Spahn
's second no-hitter on April 28, 1961, and Ken Johnson
's game of April 23, 1964 in which he became the first pitcher in history to lose a nine-inning no-hitter, by a score of 1-0. In Game 4 of the 1957 World Series, he awarded Milwaukee Braves
pinch-hitter Nippy Jones
first base in the 10th inning after determining that there was shoe polish on the ball, showing that Jones had been hit; a pinch runner scored the game-tying run, and the Braves went on to win both the game and he Series.
Donatelli was noted for having perhaps the most dramatic ejection gesture in baseball. In a game between the New York Giants
and St. Louis Cardinals
, Donatelli ejected the Giants' Bob Elliott
for arguing a called strike two, then ejected Elliott's replacement Bobby Hofman
for disputing a called third strike. He was part of the crew on May 2, 1954, when Stan Musial
hit five home run
s in a doubleheader; he was behind the plate in the first game, when Musial hit three of the five. He was also in the umpiring crew for the May 30, 1956 doubleheader between the Braves and Chicago Cubs
, in which the teams combined for a record 15 home runs; the Braves' Bobby Thomson
hit a pair in each game, and Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews
each homered in both contests as well. He also umpired in the April 30, 1961 game in which Willie Mays
hit four home runs.
Donatelli is widely regarded as having been a primary force in the creation of the first umpires' union, the Major League Umpires Association
, in 1964. He lost his position as crew chief immediately afterward, though NL president Warren Giles
denied that Donatelli's involvement with the union was the cause.
Following Game 7 of the 1967 World Series
, Donatelli was seen running off the field from his position at third base with the hats of two members of the victorious St. Louis Cardinals
in his hands. The picture was picked up by the Associated Press
and ran in newspapers from coast to coast the next day.
His final game behind the plate came in Game 2 of the 1973 World Series
between the New York Mets
and Oakland Athletics
. Donatelli was involved in a controversial play when he called the Mets' Bud Harrelson
out when he tried to score from third base on a fly ball by Felix Millan
in the top of the 10th inning with the score tied at 6-6. Replays showed that Harrelson may have avoided the tag of Athletics catcher Ray Fosse
, although Tenace could have also nicked a thread on Harrelson's jersey. Willie Mays, playing in his final season in baseball, pleaded his case in front of Donatelli, and soon the argument was joined by Mets manager Yogi Berra
and Harrelson. Berra described the call as a "damn joke". The Mets went on to win the game 10-7 in 12 innings, thanks to two errors in 12th by Oakland second baseman Mike Andrews
.
Donatelli died in his sleep at age 75 at his home in St. Petersburg, Florida
, and was buried at Bay Pines National Cemetery
in Bay Pines, Florida
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who worked in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
from 1950 to 1973. Highly regarded for his ability, he was also known for his inclination to eject players and managers quickly and dramatically.
Biography
Donatelli was born in Heilwood, PennsylvaniaHeilwood, Pennsylvania
Heilwood is a census-designated place in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 786 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Heilwood is located at ....
and raised in Bakerton. After enjoying a 14-game career as a minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
in , he served in the Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
' Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and spent 15 months as a German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
after flying 18 missions as a tailgunner on a B-17. His plane was shot down during the first daylight raid on Berlin, and he suffered a broken ankle upon parachuting. He began umpiring softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
games while a POW before being freed when Soviet troops overran the area. After the war he opted for an umpiring career rather than return to the coal mines near his hometown, and after graduating from Bill McGowan
Bill McGowan
William Aloysius McGowan was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1925 to 1954. During his career, he umpired in eight World Series: 1928, 1931, 1935, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1947, and 1950.McGowan was born and grew up in Wilmington, Delaware...
's school in 1946 worked in the Pioneer League in 1946, the South Atlantic League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
in 1947, and the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
in 1948-49.
During his major league career, he umpired in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
in 1955
1955 World Series
The 1955 World Series matched the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Yankees, with the Dodgers winning the Series in seven games to capture their first championship in franchise history. It would be the only Series the Dodgers won in Brooklyn . The last time the Brooklyn franchise won a World...
(outfield only), 1957
1957 World Series
The 1957 World Series featured the defending champions, the New York Yankees , playing against the Milwaukee Braves . After finishing just one game behind the N.L. Champion Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956, the Braves came back in 1957 to win their first pennant since moving from Boston in 1953...
, 1961
1961 World Series
The 1961 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Cincinnati Reds , with the Yankees winning in five games to earn their 19th championship in 39 seasons. This World Series was surrounded by Cold War political puns pitting the "Reds" against the "Yanks"...
, 1967
1967 World Series
The 1967 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the 1946 World Series, with the Cardinals winning in seven games for their second championship in four years and their eighth overall...
and 1973
1973 World Series
The 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland Athletics against the New York Mets, with the A's winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions....
. He also officiated in the National League Championship Series
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
in 1969
1969 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Mets struck first in the second off Phil Niekro when Jerry Grote singled in a run and Ken Boswell scored on a passed ball by Braves catcher Bob Didier...
and 1972
1972 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 7, 1972 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaThe Reds got a first-inning homer from second baseman Joe Morgan to take a short-lived 1–0 lead. But Pittsburgh bounced back with three in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by an RBI triple from Al Oliver and...
, serving as crew chief for the latter series, and in the 3-game playoff series to determine the NL champion in both and . He umpired in the All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
game in 1953, 1959 (first game), 1962 (first game) and 1969. When the National League umpires began wearing uniform numbers in 1970, Donatelli was assigned uniform number 7.
Donatelli was involved in numerous other notable games. On September 20, 1969, working behind the plate for Bob Moose
Bob Moose
Robert Ralph Moose Jr. was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1967 to 1976. Moose spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His best season came in 1969 when he posted a 14-3 won-loss record and a 2.91 Earned Run Average working equally as a starter and reliever...
's 4-0 win, he officiated in his eighth official no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
, tying an NL record held by Bob Emslie
Bob Emslie
Robert Daniel Emslie was a Canadian pitcher in Major League Baseball who went on to set numerous records for longevity as an umpire...
and Frank Secory
Frank Secory
Frank Edward Secory was an American left fielder and umpire in Major League Baseball who played 186 games from 1940 to 1946 for the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago Cubs. His best season was , when he batted .321 in 22 games for the Cubs, the team for which he played nearly his entire...
; after Secory extended the record to nine in 1970, Donatelli again tied it on September 2, 1972 when he worked first base in Milt Pappas
Milt Pappas
Milton Steven "Milt" Pappas is a former professional baseball pitcher...
' 8-0 gem. Tom Gorman also tied the record in 1976 before Paul Pryor
Paul Pryor
John Paul Pryor was a professional baseball umpire who worked in the National League from 1961 to 1981. Pryor umpired 3,094 major league games in his 21 year career. He umpired in three World Series , four League Championship Series and three All-Star Games...
worked in his 10th no-hitter in . Donatelli called balls and strikes for four of his nine no-hitters, including Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
's second no-hitter on April 28, 1961, and Ken Johnson
Ken Johnson (right-handed pitcher)
Kenneth Travis Johnson is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who became the first and so far only pitcher to lose a complete game nine-inning no-hitter.-No-hit game:...
's game of April 23, 1964 in which he became the first pitcher in history to lose a nine-inning no-hitter, by a score of 1-0. In Game 4 of the 1957 World Series, he awarded Milwaukee Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
pinch-hitter Nippy Jones
Nippy Jones
Vernal Leroy Jones is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who won World Series rings with the St. Louis Cardinals in and the Milwaukee Braves in .-St. Louis Cardinals:...
first base in the 10th inning after determining that there was shoe polish on the ball, showing that Jones had been hit; a pinch runner scored the game-tying run, and the Braves went on to win both the game and he Series.
Donatelli was noted for having perhaps the most dramatic ejection gesture in baseball. In a game between the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, Donatelli ejected the Giants' Bob Elliott
Bob Elliott (baseball)
Robert Irving Elliott was an American third baseman and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves. He contributed some of the happiest memories to the Braves' final Boston years, winning the 1947 National League Most Valuable...
for arguing a called strike two, then ejected Elliott's replacement Bobby Hofman
Bobby Hofman
Robert George Hofman was an American infielder, catcher and coach in Major League Baseball. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hofman threw and batted right-handed, and stood 5'11" tall and weighed 175 pounds .Hofman's seven-year MLB playing career was spent entirely with the New York Giants...
for disputing a called third strike. He was part of the crew on May 2, 1954, when Stan Musial
Stan Musial
Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
hit five home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in a doubleheader; he was behind the plate in the first game, when Musial hit three of the five. He was also in the umpiring crew for the May 30, 1956 doubleheader between the Braves and Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, in which the teams combined for a record 15 home runs; the Braves' Bobby Thomson
Bobby Thomson
Robert Brown "Bobby" Thomson was a Scottish-born American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "The Staten Island Scot", he was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants , Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles .His season-ending three-run...
hit a pair in each game, and Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews
Eddie Mathews
Edwin Lee "Eddie" Mathews was an American Major League Baseball third baseman. He is regarded as one of the greatest third basemen ever to play the game.-Early life:...
each homered in both contests as well. He also umpired in the April 30, 1961 game in which Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
hit four home runs.
Donatelli is widely regarded as having been a primary force in the creation of the first umpires' union, the Major League Umpires Association
Major League Umpires Association
The Major League Umpires Association was a union for the umpires of both the American League and the National League. It was formed in 1970. It was superseded by the World Umpires Association which became the bargaining agent for MLB umpires before the 2000 season.-History:After a one-day strike by...
, in 1964. He lost his position as crew chief immediately afterward, though NL president Warren Giles
Warren Giles
Warren Crandall Giles was a National League executive in Major League Baseball.-Baseball:Giles was elected president of the Moline, Illinois baseball club in the Three-I League in 1919 and began a 50-year career in baseball that saw him rise all the way to the presidency of the National League...
denied that Donatelli's involvement with the union was the cause.
Following Game 7 of the 1967 World Series
1967 World Series
The 1967 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the 1946 World Series, with the Cardinals winning in seven games for their second championship in four years and their eighth overall...
, Donatelli was seen running off the field from his position at third base with the hats of two members of the victorious St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in his hands. The picture was picked up by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and ran in newspapers from coast to coast the next day.
His final game behind the plate came in Game 2 of the 1973 World Series
1973 World Series
The 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland Athletics against the New York Mets, with the A's winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions....
between the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. Donatelli was involved in a controversial play when he called the Mets' Bud Harrelson
Bud Harrelson
Derrel McKinley "Bud" Harrelson is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers from to . After retiring, he served as a coach for the World Champion Mets, and as manager of the Mets in 1990 and 1991...
out when he tried to score from third base on a fly ball by Felix Millan
Félix Millán
Félix Bernardo Millán Martínez is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:Millán, nicknamed "The Kitten" , born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, made his major league debut on June 2, 1966 with the Atlanta Braves, and played for Atlanta until 1973. Millan was primarily a second...
in the top of the 10th inning with the score tied at 6-6. Replays showed that Harrelson may have avoided the tag of Athletics catcher Ray Fosse
Ray Fosse
Raymond Earl Fosse is a former professional baseball player who was a catcher in the Major Leagues. He was drafted in the first round of the 1965 amateur draft by the Cleveland Indians. Fosse also holds the distinction of being the Indians' first ever draft pick, as 1965 was the first year of the...
, although Tenace could have also nicked a thread on Harrelson's jersey. Willie Mays, playing in his final season in baseball, pleaded his case in front of Donatelli, and soon the argument was joined by Mets manager Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
and Harrelson. Berra described the call as a "damn joke". The Mets went on to win the game 10-7 in 12 innings, thanks to two errors in 12th by Oakland second baseman Mike Andrews
Mike Andrews
Michael Jay Andrews is a retired American Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics. He is currently the chairman of The Jimmy Fund, an event fundraising organization affiliated with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston,...
.
Donatelli died in his sleep at age 75 at his home in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, and was buried at Bay Pines National Cemetery
Bay Pines National Cemetery
Bay Pines National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in Pinellas County, northwest of the city of St. Petersburg, Florida. It encompasses 27.3 acres , and as of the end of 2008, had 27,369 interments.-Geography:...
in Bay Pines, Florida
Bay Pines, Florida
Bay Pines is a census-designated place in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,065 at the 2000 census. The community is home to Bay Pines Veterans Hospital and Bay Pines National Cemetery.-Geography:...
.