Harry Geisel

Harry Christian Geisel (July 10, 1888 – February 19, 1966) was a Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the American League for 18 years from 1925 to 1942. Geisel umpired in three World Series (1930, 1934, and 1936) and in two All-Star Games (1935 and 1938. In his career, he umpired 2,554 Major League games.[1]

Harry Geisel
Giesel in 1925
Born
Harry Christian Geisel

(1888-07-10)July 10, 1888
Indianapolis, Indiana
DiedFebruary 19, 1966(1966-02-19) (aged 77)
Franklin, Indiana
OccupationUmpire
Years active1925–1942
EmployerAmerican League
Spouse(s)Alice Collins

Notable games

In 1932, Geisel was the home plate umpire when Lou Gehrig became the first modern major league player to hit four home runs in a single game.[2]

Geisel worked the 1934 World Series game in which angry Detroit fans threw bottles and vegetables in protest of an aggressive slide by Joe Medwick of St. Louis.[3]

Geisel worked with future Hall of Fame umpire Jocko Conlan in Conlan's 1935 debut as an umpire. Geisel's partner had been overcome by heat that day. Conlan, then an aging player with the Chicago White Sox, volunteered to fill in as an umpire since he was unable to play due to a thumb injury.[4]

He worked the plate for the only opening day no-hitter in MLB history on April 16, 1940, thrown by Bob Feller against the Chicago White Sox.[5][6]

In 1942, Geisel collided with Yankees hurler Spud Chandler. The resulting injuries led to Geisel's retirement after a seven-week hospitalization.[3]

Involvement in other sports

During the baseball offseason, Geisel served as an announcer for boxing prize fights.[7]

Following his umpiring career, Geisel became athletic director at the Indiana Boys School. He died in 1966 in an Indiana hospital at the age of 75.[3]

Giesel is the great-uncle of Paul Page, the radio voice of the Indianapolis 500.[8]

See also

References
  1. Retrosheet
  2. "Retrosheet Boxscore: New York Yankees 20, Philadelphia Athletics 13". Retrosheet.org. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  3. "Retired Umpire, Harry Geisel, Dies at 75". The Morning Record. February 21, 1966. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  4. Conlan, Jocko; Creamer, Robert (July 3, 1967), "From Spikes To A Blue Suit", Sports Illustrated, archived from the original on March 16, 2013, retrieved June 22, 2012
  5. Gerlach, Larry. "Unrecognized Heroes: No-Hit Umpires". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  6. Tuesday, April 16, 1940, Comiskey Park I
  7. "Harry Geisel Famed Umpire Visitor Here". Sarasota Herald Tribune. March 9, 1927. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  8. ""One on One" with Mark Montieth". Indianapolis. May 18, 2014. 1070 The Fan. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Missing or empty |series= (help)


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