Ashford gets the call
Emmett Ashford before his 1966 major league debut in Washington, D.C.
Another color barrier is broken in baseball 58 years ago today as Emmett Ashford becomes the major leagues’ first Black umpire.
The 51-year-old Ashford makes his major league debut working third base in Cleveland’s 5-2 Opening Day victory before a Monday afternoon crowd of 44,468 at D.C. Stadium.
Washington’s manager that day in 1966 is Gil Hodges, who during his Hall of Fame playing career is a teammate of fellow Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson – the majors’ first Black player in the 20th century.
Before Hodges gets a chance to greet Ashford in the pregame exchange of lineup cards, Ashford gets a chance to meet the United States Secret Service.
The agents – there to protect Vice President and Ceremonial First Pitch honoree Hubert Humphrey – stop Ashford as he enters the ballpark.
Seems the agents are not much into baseball’s current events, know nothing about Ashford and stop him at the gates of D.C. Stadium.
“Listen,” one agent reportedly tells Ashford, “there are no Negro umpires in the major leagues.”
Emmett Ashford working first base during a game at Yankee Stadium
To which Ashford replies, “Well, there will be a Negro umpire in the American League, if you let me into the park.”
After 10 minutes of checking, rechecking and checking some more – the Secret Service tries to be thorough, you know – the agents finally allow Ashford to continue on his journey into history.
“It wasn’t easy being an umpire, let alone being a Negro umpire,” Ashford later says, “but since the game is the ballplayer’s bread and butter, all he wants is for you to make the right calls.”
Ashford remains in the game until his retirement after the 1970 season.
Ashford is part of the umpiring crew for the 1970 World Series between Cincinnati and Baltimore, and is scheduled to work behind the plate in Game 6 to call balls and strikes only to lose that opportunity as the Orioles win the Series in five games.
Ashford passes away in 1980 of a heart attack at the age of 65. He is cremated; his ashes now interred not far from the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.