View source for Al Barlick

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{short description|American baseball umpire (1915-1995)}}
{{infobox person
|name          = Al Barlick
|image         = Al Barlick 1955.jpg
|image_size = 
|caption = 
|birth_date    = {{Birth date|1915|05|02}}
|birth_place   = [[Springfield, Illinois]], U.S.
|death_date    = {{Death date and age|1995|12|27|1915|05|02}}
|death_place   = Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
|occupation = [[National League (baseball)|National League]] [[Umpire (baseball)|Umpire]]
|years_active =1940–1943, 1946–1955, 1958–1971
|spouse          = {{marriage|Jennie Marie Leffell|1941}}
|children          = Marlene, Kathleen
|module= {{Infobox baseball biography
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate= [[1989 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1989]]
|hofmethod=Veterans Committee
|embed=yes
}}
}}
'''Albert Joseph Barlick''' (April 2, 1915 – December 27, 1995) was an American [[umpire (baseball)|umpire]] in [[Major League Baseball]] who worked in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] for 28 seasons (1940–1943, 1946–1955, 1958–1971). Barlick missed two seasons (1944–45) due to service in the [[United States Coast Guard]] and two seasons (1956–57) due to heart problems. He umpired seven [[World Series]] and seven [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Games]].

Barlick was known for a strong voice and for booming strike calls. After he left active umpiring in 1971, Barlick became an umpire scout and supervisor. He was elected to the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in {{by|1989}}.

==Early life==
Barlick was born in [[Springfield, Illinois]]. His father, an Austrian immigrant, worked for 50 years at a [[Peabody Energy|Peabody]] coal mine.<ref name="SABR">{{cite web |last=Vincent |first=David |title=Al Barlick |url=http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/70fbe802 |access-date=June 9, 2012 |work=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref> Barlick dropped out of high school after two years to support his family. He joined the [[Civilian Conservation Corps]], and spent six months in [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and six months in [[Wisconsin]]. When Barlick's brother died, he returned to the coal mine to assist his father.

Barlick said that he did not play much baseball as a youngster, but that he often watched the game. During a coal mine strike, a 19-year-old Barlick was offered $1 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|1|1934}}}}) to umpire his first game.<ref name=Biederman>{{cite news|last1=Biederman|first1=Les|title=Coal strike made ump of Barlick|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19460721&id=pPUaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=y0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5956,695926|access-date=November 20, 2014|work=[[The Pittsburgh Press]]|date=July 21, 1946}}</ref> He played outfield in semi-pro baseball, but he was described as "mediocre."<ref name="Colorful">{{Cite news |last=Benjamin |first=Burton |date=1942-08-06 |title=Most colorful character in majors is 27-year-old umpire, Al Barlick |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/columbia-missourian-most-colorful-charac/174284628/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |work=Columbia Missourian |page=6 |agency=NEA Service}}</ref> In August 1936, the Class-D [[Northeast Arkansas League]], in need of a replacement umpire, hired Barlick for the last four weeks of the season.<ref name="SABR"/> In 1937, Barlick was hired by the Class-B [[Piedmont League]], moved to the [[Eastern League (1938–2020)|Eastern League]] in 1939, and was promoted to the [[International League]] later that season.

==MLB career==
===Early career===
Late in the 1940 season, NL umpire [[Bill Klem]] was unable to work due to an ankle injury, so Barlick was hired as a replacement. He made his debut in a doubleheader at [[Shibe Park]] on September 8. Barlick was offered a contract for the 1941 season, and was 26 years old at the start of the season, making him one of the youngest MLB umpires in history. Before the 1941 season, Klem had strongly endorsed Barlick, saying, "He's going to be the greatest umpire in baseball history. He has a love of his work, a pride in it and the physical qualifications. Young? Certainly. But there's something wrong with an umpire who serves a long time in the minors."<ref name=Colorful/>

Barlick made his first [[Ejection (sports)|ejection]] on July 27 of that year, when [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] catcher [[Herman Franks]] objected to Barlick's strike zone.<ref name="SABR"/> Barlick was selected as an umpire for the [[1942 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1942 All-Star Game]] at the [[Polo Grounds]].

Barlick joined the [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] in November 1943, during [[World War II]]. He spent most of the next two years assigned to an 83-foot cutter based at the [[U.S. Coast Guard Academy|Coast Guard Academy]] in [[New London, Connecticut]]. He was discharged in 1945, having earned the rank of [[Seaman First Class]].<ref name="SABR"/>

===Return from the Coast Guard===
Barlick returned to umpiring in 1946, when he umpired his first [[1946 World Series|World Series]].<ref name="SABR"/> Klem repeated his endorsement of Barlick that year. "There's a fellow who's going to be one of the great all-time umpires. He's got everything and knows how to handle himself. Before I saw him, I predicted he'd be a great umpire just from what I heard about him."<ref name=LEJ>{{cite news|last1=Thomas|first1=Norman|title=Sport sandwich|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1913&dat=19460912&id=SsJGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pvIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2301,5701150|access-date=November 21, 2014|work=[[Lewiston Evening Journal]]|date=September 12, 1946}}</ref> In 1947, Barlick was the first base umpire during [[Jackie Robinson]]'s MLB debut. In 1949, Barlick was again chosen as an umpire for the [[1949 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1949 All-Star Game]]. He began the game at home plate, although when it became time for the umpires to rotate, as was customary during All-Star games, Barlick left the game, leaving the right field line uncovered; no reason was given for his departure.<ref name="SABR"/>

In August 1949, Barlick ruled a [[forfeit (sport)|forfeit]] at [[Shibe Park]] in a game between the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] and [[History of the New York Giants (baseball)|New York Giants]]. Fans had become irate over a call made by Barlick's crew member [[George Barr (umpire)|George Barr]], and they littered the field with fruit, soda bottles and paper. The ruling constituted the first major league forfeit since 1942.<ref name=Forfeit>{{cite news|title=Phils lose on bottle shower|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1893&dat=19490822&id=v60fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-9YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5180,5772725|access-date=November 21, 2014|work=[[The Southeast Missourian]]|date=August 22, 1949}}</ref>

Before the 1956 season, Barlick was hospitalized in Illinois for treatment of a heart problem. League president [[Warren Giles]] characterized the issue as a minor heart ailment, but newspaper reports held that Barlick would not be ready for opening day that year.<ref name=Ailing>{{cite news|title=Barlick ailing|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2706&dat=19560412&id=tAdKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mB4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=2520,2759765|access-date=November 20, 2014|work=[[The Michigan Daily]]|date=April 12, 1956}}</ref> After he sat out the entire 1956 season, a March 1957 article reported that the heart issue would probably cause him to miss that season as well.<ref name=Captains>{{cite news|title=Umpires vote for captains|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19570307&id=b1MaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qyYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7144,3668500|access-date=November 20, 2014|work=[[Milwaukee Journal]]|date=March 7, 1957}}</ref> He returned to the field for the 1958 season.<ref name=Ribs>{{cite news|title=Murtaugh, Prince exchange ribs|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19580421&id=Eg0fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AZYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4914,2128076|access-date=November 20, 2014|work=[[The Pittsburgh Press]]|date=April 21, 1958}}</ref>

===Later career===
In 1961, the ''[[Sporting News]]'' polled managers and coaches to determine the best umpires in the major leagues. Barlick was voted as the most respected umpire in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]], as well as the best caller of balls and strikes, best on the bases, best knowledge of rules, best at being in the right position and most serious-minded.<ref name="SABR"/> Barlick stated that the poll was a disgrace due to the lack of qualifications of the writers and the nature of the categories, which included "most sarcastic", "hardest to talk to", "biggest grandstander", and "worst pop-off".<ref>{{cite news |last=Larson |first=Lloyd |date=July 26, 1961 |title=Al (No. 1) Barlick Unimpressed By Acclaim and Umps' Poll |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vG5QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IREEAAAAIBAJ&dq=al%20barlick%20poll%20disgrace&pg=5931%2C2572253 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124212212/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vG5QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IREEAAAAIBAJ&dq=al%20barlick%20poll%20disgrace&pg=5931,2572253 |archive-date=January 24, 2013 |access-date=June 9, 2012 |newspaper=The Milwaukee Sentinel}}</ref>

In 1963, the league instructed umpires to crack down on [[balk]]s by pitchers. A few weeks after ejecting pitcher [[Bob Shaw (baseball)|Bob Shaw]] due to an argument about balks, Barlick called Fred Fleig, the secretary of the National League, and said, “I'm fed up with the whole thing and I am going to quit and go home.”<ref name=Daytona>{{cite news|title='I'm Out' Said Barlick; But NL Ump Decides To Reverse Call|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0H0eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OcoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=718%2C3013831|access-date=June 9, 2012|newspaper=Daytona Beach Morning Journal|date=June 18, 1963}}</ref> On June 17, 1963, Giles announced that there had been a "misunderstanding" and that Barlick would relax at his home for a few days before rejoining his umpire crew.<ref name="Daytona"/>

After the 1963 season, Barlick took a job as a public relations representative at Springfield's [[City Water, Light & Power]] utility. However, he returned as an umpire for the 1964 season. Barlick's crew worked the first game at the [[Houston Astrodome]] in 1965.<ref name="SABR"/> In 1966, Barlick missed nine games after his mother, Louise, died in Springfield. He missed the last two weeks of the 1966 season due to high blood pressure. After the 1968 season, Barlick accompanied the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] on a five-week tour of Japan. In 1969, Barlick was the crew chief for the first-ever [[National League Championship Series]].<ref name="SABR"/> In late 1970, he umpired the final game at [[Forbes Field]] in Pittsburgh as well as the first game at [[Riverfront Stadium]] in Cincinnati.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score: June 28, 1970 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT197006282.shtml |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Atlanta Braves vs Cincinnati Reds Box Score: June 30, 1970 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN197006300.shtml |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

In 1971, Barlick was awarded the Umpire of the Year Award at the [[Al Somers]] Umpire School, which was based on a poll of other MLB umpires. He stated that the award was "very special," and that it was "a true, honorable, sincere award because it is given to an umpire by umpires." The 1971 season was Barlick's final year of umpiring, and he skipped the final series of the season at the advice of his fellow umpires.<ref name="SABR"/>  Barlick retired with seven All-Star Game appearances (1942, 1949, [[1952 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1952]], [[1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1955]], [[1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)|1959]], [[1966 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1966]], [[1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1970]]) as well as seven World Series (1946, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1967).<ref name="Retrosheet">{{cite web |title=Al Barlick |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/Pbarla901.htm |access-date=June 9, 2012 |work=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>

Barlick had been known for his very loud calls behind home plate.<ref name=Advocate>{{cite news|title=Committee reveals new Hall of Famers|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19890301&id=X-daAAAAIBAJ&sjid=boAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2970,56111|access-date=November 21, 2014|work=[[The Victoria Advocate]]|date=March 1, 1989}}</ref> Subsequent MLB officials, including [[Dusty Boggess]] and [[Dutch Rennert]], said that they tried to imitate him when they became umpires.<ref name=Boggess>{{cite news|title=Boggess advises men in blue|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19620818&id=UwAUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5984,3153164|access-date=November 21, 2014|work=[[The Free Lance–Star]]|date=August 18, 1962}}</ref><ref name=Rennert>{{cite news|title=Rennert struck a vocal chord|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=20030312&id=ANI0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=zaMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1539,7745412|access-date=November 21, 2014|work=[[Reading Eagle]]|date=March 12, 2003}}</ref>

===Supervisor and scout===
After retiring from umpiring, Barlick was hired by the league to supervise and scout umpires, a job he held for 22 years. Barlick scouted many umpires who wound up having long careers, and was, according to [[Bruce Froemming]], “very proud of the staff he built.”<ref name="SABR"/> Sportswriter [[Jerome Holtzman]] wrote that Barlick was outspoken when defending the league's umpires to NL president [[Warren Giles]] and baseball commissioner [[Ford Frick]].<ref name="Holtzman">{{cite news |last1=Holtzman |first1=Jerome |author-link=Jerome Holtzman |date=March 12, 1989 |title=How Al Barlick entered the 'Hall' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1989/03/12/how-al-barlick-entered-the-hall/ |access-date=November 20, 2014 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref> When the umpires went on strike at the conclusion of the 1984 regular season, Barlick and fellow supervisor [[Ed Vargo]] were located in the dugouts during the playoffs to assist the replacement umpires with questions over rules.<ref name=TSR>{{cite news|title=Umpires' strike still unsettled; substitutes get mixed reviews|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19841003&id=DogzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_e4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3689,1636724|access-date=November 21, 2014|work=[[The Spokesman-Review]]|date=October 3, 1984}}</ref>

==Later life==
In 1989, he was elected to the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] by the Veterans Committee. Manager [[Leo Durocher]] and umpire [[Bill McGowan]] were also considered by the committee that year, but the group could only vote in one non-player per year.<ref name=Holtzman/> Barlick had been under consideration by the committee for several years before his election.<ref name=Sumter>{{cite news|title=Alston, Kell elected; shortstops ignored again|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1979&dat=19830311&id=OaEiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HKoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1804,2018252|access-date=November 21, 2014|work=[[The Item|The Sumter Daily Item]]|date=March 11, 1983}}</ref> In his induction speech, Barlick said, "My dreams are fulfilled far beyond my expectations."<ref>{{cite web|title=Albert Joseph Barlick - Induction Speech|url=http://baseballhall.org/node/11223|work=baseballhall.org|access-date=June 9, 2012}}</ref>

Barlick wore uniform number 1 when the NL adopted them for its umpires in 1970; however, the league retired number 3 in Barlick's honor after his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.

On December 27, 1995, Barlick collapsed at his home. He was taken to [[Memorial Medical Center (Springfield, Illinois)|Memorial Medical Center]] in Springfield, where he died. His wife, Jennie, and two children survived him.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|title=Al Barlick, umpire, 80|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/28/us/al-barlick-umpire-80.html|access-date=November 20, 2014|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 28, 1995}}</ref> He was cremated.<ref name="Retrosheet"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Al Barlick Obituary |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/deaths/al_barlick_obituary.shtml |access-date=October 25, 2006 |website=Baseball Almanac}}</ref>

In 2013, the [[Bob Feller Act of Valor Award]] honored Barlick as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the Coast Guard during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WWII HOF Players |url=https://actofvaloraward.org/hof-players/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008204152/https://actofvaloraward.org/hof-players/ |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |access-date=August 11, 2021 |website=[[Bob Feller Act of Valor Award|Act of Valor Award]]}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball umpires (disambiguation)]]
{{-}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{bbhof|barlick-al}}
*[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/Pbarla901.htm Retrosheet]
*[https://collection.baseballhall.org/PASTIME/al-barlick-oral-history-interview-1991-july-22-2 Al Barlick Oral History Interview (2 of 2) - National Baseball Hall of Fame Digital Collection]
*[https://collection.baseballhall.org/PASTIME/al-barlick-oral-history-interview-1991-july-22-0 Al Barlick Oral History Interview (1 of 2) - National Baseball Hall of Fame Digital Collection]
{{1989 Baseball HOF}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barlick, Al}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II|Barlick, Al]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Springfield, Illinois]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball umpires]]
[[Category:National League umpires]]
[[Category:United States Coast Guard enlisted]]