Special Article
Hall Of Fame Spotlight: Al Barlick
Robert Fobian, Editor Blue Crew News
NAME: Albert Joseph Barlick
BORN: May 2, 1915
BIRTHPLACE: Springfield, Illinois
DIED: December 27, 1995
YEARS OF SERVICE: 27 Seasons (1940-1943, 1946-1955, and 1958-1971)
REGULAR SEASON GAMES: 4,231
POST-SEASON: 7 World Series (1946, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1958, 1962, and 1967)
ALL-STAR GAMES: 7 (1942, 1949, 1952, 1955, 1959, 1966, and 1970)
TIMELINE AND NOTES
1944 and 1945: Served aboard an 83-foot cutter with the US Coast Guard at the USCGA in New London, Connecticut achieving the rank of Seaman 1st Class
1947: Worked as U1 for Jackie Robinson’s debut MLB game
1949: At the All-Star Game, he started the game at the plate and as was the custom then, the umpires rotated assignments during the game. When it was time to rotate off the plate, Barlick left the game with no comment.
1949: At Shibe Park in Philadelphia, PA fans grew more and more irate in reaction to the umpire crew’s calls and the game was declared a forfeit. This was the first MLB forfeit since 1942.
1956 and 1957: Missed these seasons due to heart problems.
1961: Finished first in a Sporting News poll of MLB umpires by managers and coaches.
1963: When MLB declared a crackdown on balks, Barlick ejected Bob Shaw after an argument about a balk. After the game, Barlick notified NL secretary Fred Fleig he was fed up and was quitting. Barlick would return to his crew in June of that year after the league said it was all a “misunderstanding”.
1965: Worked the first MLB game in the Astrodome in Houston, TX.
1968: Accompanied the St. Louis Cardinals on a 5-week tour of Japan.
1969: Served as crew chief on the first ever National League Championship Series.
1970: Worked the final game at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, PA and the first game at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OH.
1971: Awarded Umpire Of The Year at the Al Somers Umpire School based on a poll of MLB umpires. After retiring, he spent 22 years as an MLB supervisor of umpires and an umpire scout.
1984: During the MLB umpire strike, which began before the start of the postseason, Barlick and Ed Vargo were stationed in the team dugouts during games in order to help the scab umpires with rulings.
1989: Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY by the Veterans Committee. At his induction, Barlick said, “My dreams are fulfilled beyond my expectations.”
2013: Posthumously awarded the Bob Feller Act Of Valor Award as 1 of 37 Hall of Famers who served in the military during World War II.