Born: December 31, 1870, in Manchester, England
Died: April 28, 1961, in Natick, Massachusetts

Bio
An umpire for 34 years during the roughest era in baseball history, Englishman Tom Connolly gained players' respect as an impartial and fair-minded arbiter. Connolly umpired in the National League for three years before switching in 1901 to the new American League, where he would stay for 31 years. In contrast to the abrasive Bill Klem, Connolly was a calm and dignified disciplinarian who once went 10 consecutive seasons without ejecting a player. He umpired in the first modern World Series in 1903 and in eight overall.

Quote
"Soft-spoken, a master of the rules, he was a firm disciplinarian who managed nevertheless to go ten consecutive years of rambunctious games and arguments without ejecting a single player."
   — J. Astor, Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary Book

Did You Know... that Tom Connolly umpired the first game played at such famed baseball stadiums as Fenway Park, Comiskey Park, Shibe Park and Yankee Stadium?