Al Barlick National Baseball Hall of Fame Stats Bat

Al Barlick’s rise to becoming one of baseball’s most revered umpires remarkably began in the bottom of a coal mine in Springfield, Ill.

In 1935, Barlick was helping his father in Springfield’s Peabody mine when a friend asked if he could fill in as an umpire for the local municipal league games. Five years later, Barlick debuted behind the plate in a doubleheader at Shibe Park, becoming one of the youngest umpires in major league history at age 25.

During the next 27 seasons as a National League umpire, Barlick would call seven All-Star Games and seven World Series.

Known as one of the loudest umpires in the game, Barlick was respected by peers and players alike for his hustle, stern demeanor and a strict, but fair, interpretation of the rules. He called his first All-Star Game in just his second major league season before serving in World War II with the United States Coast Guard from 1943-45.

When he returned to baseball, Barlick was a crew member for the 1946 World Series at age 31.