Emmett Ashford
Emmett Ashford, born Nov. 23, 1914 in Los Angeles, Ca, became the first Black man to umpire a Major League Baseball game. As a youth, Ashford exhibited the traits that marked him in adult life as a gregarious extrovert. As a youth, Emmett helped in family expenses by selling the Liberty magazine and holding down a job at a local supermarket. While attending Los Angeles Junior College and later Chapman University, he also played semi-pro baseball and worked part time as a post office clerk.
In 1951, Ashford took a leave of absence from his post office job to umpire in the Southwestern International League, becoming the 1st Black umpire in the traditionally White professional baseball system. When he was offered a full-season umpiring job, Ashford resigned from the postal service. Here he experienced a baptismal of insults and racist heckling, none of which distracted him from his flamboyant calls. In fact, he excelled so well that within a short period of time he was assigned to the Pacific Coast League, a step away from the big time.
In 1963, Ashford was named the PCL’s umpire-in-chief, making him responsible for training crews and advising the league on disputed games or rules. Ashford also brought a new style to being an umpire. He wore jewelry, including flashy cuff links, and wore polished shoes and freshly-pressed suits. By the early 1960s, many West Coast sportswriters began to suggest that Ashford be promoted to the major leagues. Emmett Ashford made his baseball debut at D.C. Stadium on April 11, 1966, becoming the first Black man to umpire a Major League game.
In front of 44,468 cheering fans at Washington’s D.C. Stadium, he assumed his post at third base. He quickly became a sensation, becoming known for sprinting around the infield after foul balls or plays on the bases. Over the years, he established himself as a dedicated umpire with a flair for the calls he made. Although he didn’t see much action that day, Ashford later described his big league debut as the ‘thrill of his life’ and an ‘exhilarating’ experience.
From his debut on the diamond and over the next several years, Emmett was sought out by fans requesting his autograph, which he readily did with the same wide grin and ebullience he displayed on the field. Of course, his exhilaration and showmanship were not universally approved, some citing it as clowning and less than professional. This criticism was particularly vocal among racist and conservative sportswriters and commentators, some of whom were Black.