Major League Baseball Umpire. Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, William "Bill" Aloysius McGowan was an American League umpire for 30 years. He umpired baseball games professionally for 41 seasons starting out in 1913 in the minor leagues when he was 17 years old. He was appointed to the American League roster in 1925. McGowan pioneered a vigorous umpiring style that became a performance on the ball field, complete with flashy gestures and calls while making a loud delivery. He was known as the "Iron Man" of umpires, and considered as the most durable umpire in the history of the game. He worked ball games without missing a single inning during a sixteen year stretch covering 2,532 games from 1925 to 1940. He umpired 8 world series contests, was a member of the crew that officiated the first All-Star game in 1933, and later umpired three other All-Star games. He was also was the plate umpire in the first American League pennant play-off game in 1948. McGowan was respected on the field by the players because of his hustle to get into the best positions to call plays and received praise from his peers as one of the premier umpires in the history of the game. He opened the Bill McGowan School for Umpires in 1939 and instructed there for several years. Late in his career, his incredible and well known patience thinned and he became the first umpire to be suspended, following an altercation with a Washington Senators pitcher. A native of Delaware, he lived most of his life in Wilmington and died from a heart attack when he was 58 years old in Silver Spring, Maryland. A biography about his life and career was written by Bob Luke in 2005.
Major League Baseball Umpire. Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, William "Bill" Aloysius McGowan was an American League umpire for 30 years. He umpired baseball games professionally for 41 seasons starting out in 1913 in the minor leagues when he was 17 years old. He was appointed to the American League roster in 1925. McGowan pioneered a vigorous umpiring style that became a performance on the ball field, complete with flashy gestures and calls while making a loud delivery. He was known as the "Iron Man" of umpires, and considered as the most durable umpire in the history of the game. He worked ball games without missing a single inning during a sixteen year stretch covering 2,532 games from 1925 to 1940. He umpired 8 world series contests, was a member of the crew that officiated the first All-Star game in 1933, and later umpired three other All-Star games. He was also was the plate umpire in the first American League pennant play-off game in 1948. McGowan was respected on the field by the players because of his hustle to get into the best positions to call plays and received praise from his peers as one of the premier umpires in the history of the game. He opened the Bill McGowan School for Umpires in 1939 and instructed there for several years. Late in his career, his incredible and well known patience thinned and he became the first umpire to be suspended, following an altercation with a Washington Senators pitcher. A native of Delaware, he lived most of his life in Wilmington and died from a heart attack when he was 58 years old in Silver Spring, Maryland. A biography about his life and career was written by Bob Luke in 2005.
Bio by: K Guy
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