Jocko Conlan
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John Bertrand "Jocko" Conlan (December 6, 1899 - April 16, 1989) was a player, and more famously an umpire, in Major League Baseball.
Conlan began his major league career in 1934 as an outfielder for the Chicago White Sox. In 1935, however, Conlan was presented with an unusual opportunity. During a game against the St. Louis Browns, umpire Red Ormsby fell ill due to the heat and Conlan was asked to fill in. The following year Conlan made the transition from player to umpire complete, beginning in the minor leagues.
Conlan umpired in the National League from 1941 to 1964, officiating in five World Series (1945, 1950, 1954, 1957 and 1961) and six All-Star games (1943, '47, '50, '53, '58 and '62). He also umpired in the playoff series to decide the NL's regular-season champions in 1951, '59 and '62. He was the home plate umpire when Gil Hodges hit four home runs on August 31, 1950; he also umpired in the April 30, 1961 game in which Willie Mays hit four home runs.
Conlan was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Committee on Baseball Veterans in 1974.
His son John Bertrand Conlan served as a U.S. Representative from Arizona from 1973 to 1977.
External links
- Baseball Hall of Fame (http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/conlan_jocko.htm)
- BaseballLibrary.com - biography and career highlights (http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/C/Conlan_Jocko.stm)
- Baseball-Reference.com (http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/conlajo01.shtml) - career playing statistics