1999: THE YEAR IN REVIEW: Umpire Chylak in Hall of Fame (12/26/99)

1999: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Umpire Chylak in Hall of Fame

On July 25 a Ukrainian posthumously shared the spotlight with the greats, including Orlando Cepeda, George Brett, Joe Williams (of the Negro Leagues), Nolan Ryan, Frank Selee (19th century Chicago Cubs' manager) and Robin Yount.

On that day, the late Nestor Chylak, Jr., was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the eighth umpire to receive the distinction. Mr. Chylak, an American League (AL) umpire in 1954-1978, was honored at the Clark Sports Center. His son Bob Chylak attended the ceremony in his place.

A plaque is installed at the Hall for each inductee. Mr. Chylak's reads: "Considered by many to be the non-pareil umpire of the post-war era, a model of consistency with invariable accuracy both behind the plate and on the bases. Respected by players and managers alike, effectively combining authoritarianism, tact and a sense of humor. Lauded for his willingness to lend an ear to objections. His illustrious 25-year career included six all-star games and five World Series assignments. Served many years as a crew chief and then as assistant supervisor of American League umpires from 1979-1982."

To view it, make the pilgrimage to Cooperstown, NY, or visit the Hall of Fame's website at http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/

Mr. Chylak was born on May 11, 1922, in Olyphant, Pa., and studied engineering at Rutgers University in 1941-1942 (playing on its baseball team) before seeing four years of military service in World War II. At the Battle of the Bulge, he was struck by shrapnel from a shell and nearly blinded, but after experimental surgery and eight weeks in the hospital he emerged with his eyesight intact. He earned the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

In 1946-1947 he completed his studies in civil engineering at St. Thomas University in Scranton, Pa. Fatefully, fellow Ukrainian Al Chaykovsky, a friend from Olyphant and the Rutgers days, persuaded him to umpire college games at STU for the last six weeks of the season in 1946.

His work was noticed and the next spring Chylak began his new career in the PONY (Pennsylvania, Ontario and New York) League, working his first game as a professional umpire in Hamilton, Ontario. In 1949 he moved up to officiate in the Class-C Canadian-American League, then the Class-B New England League, followed by terms in the Class-A Eastern League (1950-1951) and the AA International League (1952-1953).

On a cold dreary morning in January 1954, he went out to his mailbox and opened a letter from the American League - he had been selected to be an umpire in "The Show."

"I can still see that postman, walking through the crusty, grimy snow beside the road, and me beside the road with that letter in my hand," Mr. Chylak recalled later, "If I hadn't seen the postman, I'd have thought the whole thing was a dream."

A few weeks later, he was at Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.. for the pre-season, staring slack-jawed at future Yankee hall-of-famers Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Hank Bauer. On April 13, 1954, he stood at third base and watched President Dwight Eisenhower throw out the first pitch at Griffiths Stadium in the season's Opening Day contest pitting those same Yankees against the Washington Senators.

His favorite call was a tough one that nobody contested on a play involving Mr. Mantle, Yogi Berra (Yankees) and Rocky Nelson (Pirates) in the 1960 World Series between New York and Pittsburgh. (He was also there to watch Bill Mazeroski's "last at-bat" homer sail over the outfield wall to give the Pirates the title.)

His "biggest thrill" was to officiate the 1966 World Series pitching duel between Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Jim Palmer of the Baltimore Orioles - it was the last game the Dodger lefty played in - the Orioles won.

He worked the first World Series night game in history.

In the 1972 AL championship series (one of three he worked), he ignored a dangerous home-town crowd and ejected Oakland Athletics' all-star shortstop Bert Campaneris for throwing his bat at Detroit Tigers pitcher Lerrin LaGrow, after LaGrow hit him with a pitch. The A's won anyway, and the World Series, too. In the off-season prior to the 1972 campaign, Mr. Chylak had been chosen "Umpire of the Year" by the prestigious Al Somers Umpire School.

On June 4, 1974, he ejected an entire stadium of spectators, declaring a forfeit in the ninth inning of the infamous "Cleveland 10-cent-beer-night" when fans began to riot at the ballpark known as "the Mistake by the Lake," giving the game to the Texas Rangers despite a 5-5 score.

He was behind the plate on Opening Day at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto on April 7, 1977, when the hometown Blue Jays played their driving-snow first game against the Chicago White Sox, thus becoming the first man to call "Play Ball!" for a major league team in the city.

His other World Series included the 1957 Fall Classic involving the Yankees and Hank Aaron's Milwaukee Braves (who won), the 1971 seven-game see-saw between the Orioles and the Pirates (led to victory by Roberto Clemente), and the 1977 Yankee (Reggie Jackson five-homer) whipping of the Dodgers.

His last game afield was in Toronto on July 25, 1978, because soon after he suffered a mild stroke. However, that season he uttered what the USA Today considered to have been the most memorable quote of his career: "This must be the only job in America that everybody knows how to do better than the guy who's doing it."

Nestor Chylak died in his sleep on February 17, 1982, at his home in Dunmore, Pa. His funeral service was conducted at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Olyphant, where he had remained a member of the parish. Lee McPhail, then AL president, wrote in an official release at the news: "He was certainly one of the greatest umpires of his era, if not the greatest."

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