Charlie Berry
Encyclopedia
Charles Francis Berry was an American
athlete and sports official who enjoyed careers as a catcher
and umpire
in Major League Baseball
and as an offensive end
and official
in the National Football League
. His father, Charlie Sr.
, was a second baseman
who played in the Union Association
in 1884
.
, Berry attended Phillipsburg High School and ultimately accomplished the rare feat of officiating in both the NFL Championship Game and the World Series
in the same year.
team, he was named to the final Walter Camp
All-America
football team as an end in 1924. In 1925-26 he starred for the Pottsville Maroons
of the NFL, leading the league in scoring in 1925
with 74 points. During the 1925 NFL season
, the Maroons played a game against the top college football
team, a group of All-Stars from the University of Notre Dame
. This team featured the famed Four Horsemen
as was seen the best team in the country. At the time college football was seen as consisting of superior talent over the professionals. The hard fought contest was decided in the last minute of the game. Down a point, Berry kicked a 30-yard field goal to upset college’s best team 9-7. The Maroons' victory over the Irish ensured that the NFL now had the credibility to exist on an equal standing with college football. Unfortunately the game resulted in the Maroons being stripped of their NFL title due to a disputed rules violation
.
in , but didn't return to the majors until after his football career ended, playing for Portland and Dallas minor league teams in 1926-27. He also played for the Boston Red Sox
(1928–32), Chicago White Sox
(1932–33) and again with the Athletics (1934–36). He became an Athletics coach under manager Connie Mack
from 1936 to 1940, making his last playing appearance in . A right-handed hitter, he posted a .267 batting average
with 23 home run
s and 256 runs batted in
in 709 major league games. At Mack's suggestion, he managed the Wilmington Blue Rocks
(of which Mack was vice president) for the last half of the 1940 season, finishing second in the Interstate League
, but was discouraged by Mack from pursuing his goal of a managing career due to the high turnover rate in the profession. In addition to his brief managing career, Berry was the football coach at Grove City College
for five seasons in the 1930s.
from 1942 through 1962. He officiated in five World Series (1946
, 1950
, 1954
, 1958
, 1962
) and five All-Star Games
(1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, second 1959 game), calling balls and strikes for the first half of the 1948 and 1956 games. He was the third base umpire for the one-game playoff to decide the AL pennant, and after becoming a league umpiring supervisor returned to the field for the first game of the 1970 American League Championship Series
during an umpires' strike, working the outfield. On July 1, 1951 he was behind the plate when Bob Feller
became the first pitcher to throw three no-hitter
s in the AL; Berry later worked the bases for four more no-hitters. At the same time, he was a head linesman for the NFL for 24 seasons, officiating in 12 championship games including the renowned "Sudden Death" championship game
between the Baltimore Colts
and New York Giants
in 1958
. In fact, he is the only man to have officiated the World Series, the NFL Championship and the College All-Star game in one year.
He credited his success as an official to his attention to the rules, noting, "Every morning, right after I got up, I would open the rule book and read. I'd open the book at random and start reading a few pages. I did the same thing when I was in the NFL." While admitting his own general ignorance of the rules when he had been playing, he added, "All during my umpiring and officiating career I was astounded by the number of players who had only a casual acquaintance with the rules. And it caused a lot of needless trouble on the field."
Bill Haller
, who worked as an AL umpire from 1961 to 1982, recalled that Berry was his boyhood hero and inspiration to pursue umpiring, even though growing up in Lockport, Illinois
he never met him in his youth: "Berry went to school with the father of my best friend, Jack Ernst. I was about 11 years old and I heard so much from Mr. Ernst about Berry. I used to umpire the kid games around the neighborhood and later on I umpired the semi-pro games around Lockport."
After retiring from umpiring in 1962, Berry also worked as an observer of NFL officials. He died of a heart attack at his son-in-law's home in Evanston, Illinois
at the age of 69, after suffering a stroke
three months earlier. He was interred in Belvidere Cemetery
in Belvidere, New Jersey
.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1980.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete and sports official who enjoyed careers as a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and 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...
and as an offensive end
End (football)
An end in American football is a player who lines up at either end of the line of scrimmage. Rules state that a legal offensive formation must always consist of seven players on the line of scrimmage. An end who lines up close to the offensive line is known as a tight end, while one who lines up...
and official
Official (American football)
In American football, an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game.During professional and college football games, seven officials operate on the field...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. His father, Charlie Sr.
Charlie Berry (second baseman)
Charles Joseph Berry was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball whose career consisted of one season in the Union Association. He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey....
, was a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
who played in the Union Association
Union Association
The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season...
in 1884
1884 in baseball
-Champions:*First World's Championship Series: Providence Grays over New York Metropolitans *National League: Providence Grays*American Association: New York Metropolitans*Union Association: St...
.
Career
Born in Phillipsburg, New JerseyPhillipsburg, New Jersey
Phillipsburg, known locally as P'burg, is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 14,950....
, Berry attended Phillipsburg High School and ultimately accomplished the rare feat of officiating in both the NFL Championship Game and 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 the same year.
Football
While in college as a star on the LafayetteLafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
team, he was named to the final Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
football team as an end in 1924. In 1925-26 he starred for the Pottsville Maroons
Pottsville Maroons
The Pottsville Maroons were an American football team based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1920, they went on to play in the National Football League for four seasons, from 1925–1928...
of the NFL, leading the league in scoring in 1925
1925 NFL season
The 1925 NFL season was the 6th regular season of the National Football League. Five new teams entered the league: New York Giants, Detroit Panthers, Pottsville Maroons, Providence Steam Roller, and a new Canton Bulldogs team...
with 74 points. During the 1925 NFL season
1925 NFL season
The 1925 NFL season was the 6th regular season of the National Football League. Five new teams entered the league: New York Giants, Detroit Panthers, Pottsville Maroons, Providence Steam Roller, and a new Canton Bulldogs team...
, the Maroons played a game against the top college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
team, a group of All-Stars from the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. This team featured the famed Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen (football)
The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame comprised a winning group of American football players at the University of Notre Dame under coach Knute Rockne. They were the backfield of Notre Dame's 1924 football team...
as was seen the best team in the country. At the time college football was seen as consisting of superior talent over the professionals. The hard fought contest was decided in the last minute of the game. Down a point, Berry kicked a 30-yard field goal to upset college’s best team 9-7. The Maroons' victory over the Irish ensured that the NFL now had the credibility to exist on an equal standing with college football. Unfortunately the game resulted in the Maroons being stripped of their NFL title due to a disputed rules violation
1925 NFL Championship controversy
The 1925 National Football League Championship, officially held by the Chicago Cardinals, has been the subject of controversy since it was awarded. The controversy centers around the suspension of the Pottsville Maroons by NFL commissioner Joseph Carr, which prevented them from taking the title.The...
.
Baseball
Berry started his major league career with ten games for the Philadelphia AthleticsOakland 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....
in , but didn't return to the majors until after his football career ended, playing for Portland and Dallas minor league teams in 1926-27. He also played for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(1928–32), Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(1932–33) and again with the Athletics (1934–36). He became an Athletics coach under manager Connie Mack
Connie Mack (baseball)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
from 1936 to 1940, making his last playing appearance in . A right-handed hitter, he posted a .267 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 23 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 and 256 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 709 major league games. At Mack's suggestion, he managed the Wilmington Blue Rocks
Wilmington Blue Rocks
The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team located in Wilmington, Delaware. The Blue Rocks play in the Northern Division of the Carolina League.-Franchise history:...
(of which Mack was vice president) for the last half of the 1940 season, finishing second in the Interstate League
Interstate League
The Interstate League was the name of five different American minor baseball leagues that played intermittently from 1896 through 1952. The longest tenured of these was the last incarnation, which played in the Middle Atlantic States from 1939 through 1952, and was one of the few mid-level minor...
, but was discouraged by Mack from pursuing his goal of a managing career due to the high turnover rate in the profession. In addition to his brief managing career, Berry was the football coach at Grove City College
Grove City College
Grove City College is a Christian liberal arts college in Grove City, Pennsylvania, about north of Pittsburgh. According to the College Bulletin, its stated three-fold mission is to provide an excellent education at an affordable price in a thoroughly Christian environment...
for five seasons in the 1930s.
Official
Following his playing and coaching career, Berry became an umpire in the American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
from 1942 through 1962. He officiated in five World Series (1946
1946 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 6, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriThe Red Sox won Game 1 when Rudy York hit a home run into the left field bleachers.-Game 2:Monday, October 7, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St...
, 1950
1950 World Series
The 1950 World Series was the 47th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as 1950 champions of the National League and the New York Yankees, as 1950 American League champions, competed to win a best-of-seven...
, 1954
1954 World Series
The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since , defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the...
, 1958
1958 World Series
The 1958 World Series was a rematch of the 1957 Series, with the New York Yankees beating the defending champion Milwaukee Braves in seven games for their eighteenth title, and their seventh in ten years...
, 1962
1962 World Series
The 1962 World Series matched the defending American League and World Series champions New York Yankees against the National League champion San Francisco Giants, who had won their first NL pennant since 1954 and first since moving from New York in 1958, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a...
) and five All-Star Games
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...
(1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, second 1959 game), calling balls and strikes for the first half of the 1948 and 1956 games. He was the third base umpire for the one-game playoff to decide the AL pennant, and after becoming a league umpiring supervisor returned to the field for the first game of the 1970 American League Championship Series
1970 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 3, 1970 at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MinnesotaBaltimore only had to use their bullpen once in the series when Dick Hall came on to relieve Mike Cuellar in Game 1. Dave McNally and Jim Palmer both pitched complete games in Games 2 and 3.The Twins...
during an umpires' strike, working the outfield. On July 1, 1951 he was behind the plate when Bob Feller
Bob Feller
On December 8, 1941, Feller enlisted in the Navy, volunteering immediately for combat service, becoming the first Major League Baseball player to do so following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7. Feller served as Gun Captain aboard the USS Alabama, and missed four seasons during his service...
became the first pitcher to throw three 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"...
s in the AL; Berry later worked the bases for four more no-hitters. At the same time, he was a head linesman for the NFL for 24 seasons, officiating in 12 championship games including the renowned "Sudden Death" championship game
NFL Championship Game, 1958
The 1958 National Football League Championship Game was played on December 28, 1958 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. It was the first ever National Football League playoff game to go into sudden death overtime. The final score was Baltimore Colts 23, New York Giants 17. The game has since...
between the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
and New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1958
1958 NFL season
The 1958 NFL season was the 39th regular season of the National Football League.The Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants, 23–17, in the first sudden-death overtime in an NFL Championship Game...
. In fact, he is the only man to have officiated the World Series, the NFL Championship and the College All-Star game in one year.
He credited his success as an official to his attention to the rules, noting, "Every morning, right after I got up, I would open the rule book and read. I'd open the book at random and start reading a few pages. I did the same thing when I was in the NFL." While admitting his own general ignorance of the rules when he had been playing, he added, "All during my umpiring and officiating career I was astounded by the number of players who had only a casual acquaintance with the rules. And it caused a lot of needless trouble on the field."
Bill Haller
Bill Haller
William Edward Haller is a retired Major League Baseball umpire. Haller officiated 3,068 regular season games in the American League from 1961 and from 1963–1982...
, who worked as an AL umpire from 1961 to 1982, recalled that Berry was his boyhood hero and inspiration to pursue umpiring, even though growing up in Lockport, Illinois
Lockport, Illinois
Lockport is a city in Will County, Illinois, United States, that incorporated in 1853. Lockport is located in northeastern Illinois, 30 miles southwest of Chicago, and north of Joliet, at locks connecting Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal with the Des Plaines River via the Lockport...
he never met him in his youth: "Berry went to school with the father of my best friend, Jack Ernst. I was about 11 years old and I heard so much from Mr. Ernst about Berry. I used to umpire the kid games around the neighborhood and later on I umpired the semi-pro games around Lockport."
After retiring from umpiring in 1962, Berry also worked as an observer of NFL officials. He died of a heart attack at his son-in-law's home in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
at the age of 69, after suffering a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
three months earlier. He was interred in Belvidere Cemetery
Belvidere Cemetery
Belvidere Cemetery is a cemetery located in Belvidere, in Warren County, New Jersey that was founded in 1834. It includes many graves of people who fought in the American Revolutionary War. -Notable interments:...
in Belvidere, New Jersey
Belvidere, New Jersey
Belvidere is a Town in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 2,681. It is the county seat of Warren County....
.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1980.
Trivia
- Berry is also remembered for a collision with Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
which sent the slugger flying into the air. In 1931, during a game between the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and the Red Sox, Ruth collided with Berry at home plate while trying to score on a sacrifice flySacrifice flyIn baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
. Ruth was carried off the field at Fenway ParkFenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
and taken to a hospital, and missed two weeks of play.
See also
- Boston Red Sox all-time rosterBoston Red Sox all-time rosterThe following is a list of players, past and present, who have appeared in at least one competitive game for the Boston Red Sox American League franchise , also known previously as the Boston Americans ....
- Chicago White Sox all-time roster
- History of the New York GiantsHistory of the New York GiantsThe history of the New York Giants, an American football team which currently plays in the NFL's National Football Conference, comprises more than 80 seasons. The Giants were founded in 1925 by Tim Mara in the then five-year-old NFL. Mara owned the team until his death in 1959, when it was passed...
- List of second generation MLB players