Chylak a Hall of Fame hero
National Baseball Hall of Fame Library
Nestor Chylak
The inscription on his Baseball Hall of Fame plaque says it all: “Considered by many to be the nonpareil umpire of the Post-War Era. A model of consistency with invariable accuracy both behind the plate and on the bases.” Nestor Chylak was an umpire in the American League from 1954 through 1978. He was immensely respected by league management, managers and players for his abilities at keeping the game moving and never being the center of attention. His posthumous election to the Hall of Fame was the ultimate testament to his superior umpiring achievements. At the time he was the eighth umpire inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. (Currently there are 10.)
Chylak was the oldest of five children born to Ukrainians Nestor George Chylak, Sr., and Nellie (Shipskie) Chylak on May 11, 1922, in Olyphant, Pa., the northeastern part of the state, near Scranton. He had two sisters (Mae and Julie) and two brothers (Gene and Joseph) who passed away at age two.
Chylak’s studies at Rutgers University lasted barely a year (1939-1940), interrupted by military service in World War II. He rose to the rank of sergeant in an Army Ranger battalion, seeing duty in the European theater. Nestor was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge on January 3, 1945, when tree fragments hit by shrapnel hit his face. Temporarily blinded for some 10 days, he eventually recovered his eyesight. Chylak received a Purple Heart for his wound and a Silver Star for gallantry in action.
He rarely spoke about his horrific battlefield experiences. When explaining Chylak’s kindness and generosity to people, there were two distinct opinions: some made the case it was a by-product of his loneliness on the road, while others claimed the loss of friends in battle made the umpire a more humane individual.
Following the war, Nestor returned to the academic world at the University of Scranton, failing to earn his degree. He loved baseball, but a shoulder injury limited him physically in playing the sport. He elected to pursue umpiring, starting out in amateur baseball games of the Northeastern Pennsylvania League. His umpiring career began in the minor leagues in 1947. On April 13, 1954, Chylak made his major league debut at an American League game at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. It was a 10-inning affair with the local Senators defeating the New York Yankees, 5-3, Chylak working third base.
His major league umpiring career would span some 25 years and 3,857 regular season games. Chylak called balls and strikes behind home plate 974 times. He gained promotion to crew chief, where he mentored rookie and younger umpires for fourteen seasons.
The biggest factor in his lengthy umpiring success was his demeanor on the field – he was described as decisive, authoritative, unflappable and, most importantly for his position, consistent. He would allow managers and players to have their say. When the arguing stopped, the matter was dropped.
A master of the rules
Chylak knew the rulebook inside and out which insured he was always prepared for any situation, his knowledge of the rules keeping him from losing arguments. In his 25 years of MLB umpiring, he ejected only 24 managers, coaches or players, compiling one of the lowest ejection rates in major league history.
His quick wit and sense of humor aided him in his capacity as an arbiter. He began each year with the notion that an umpire must be perfect on the first day of the season and then get better every game. The umpire exhibit at the Hall of Fame has a Chylak plaque with the following quote: “This must be the only job in America that everybody knows how to do better than the guy who’s doing it.”
A plaque honoring Nestor Chylak as an umpire at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Chylak’s entire major league career umpiring was in the American League, long before the umpiring staffs merged. Among his more memorable memories behind the plate was the first-ever game in Toronto (Exhibition Stadium in 1977), Sandy Koufax’s last pitched contest in Game Two of the 1966 World Series, the Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski hitting his World Series-winning home run against the Yankees in 1960 and the infamous 1972 playoff matchup when Bert Campaneris threw his bat at pitcher Lerrin LaGrow (both players ejected). Chylak was the third base umpire and crew chief for the 1974 “Ten Cent Beer Night” game between Cleveland and Texas on June 4, 1974, when unruly fans disrupted the contest resulting in a forfeit to visiting Texas.
His career came to an abrupt end in July 1978, when Chylak became ill working a night game in Toronto. Family members asserted he was suffering from exhaustion, while his umpire colleagues claimed he suffered a mild stroke.
After retiring from the field, Chylak became an assistant supervisor of umpires for the American League and a member of the Sports Illustrated Speakers’ Bureau. He was praised as a profound politician on behalf of baseball, sharing the tangible lessons he had learned from his many years of umpiring the sport. He was most generous in giving away memorabilia to family, friends and total strangers. He regularly made visits to the Veterans Hospital in Plains, Pa., and spoke to Boy Scout troops, Little Leaguers and others free of charge. Chylak’s personal motto when autographing balls and cards was “Play Hard and Fair.”
Chylak passed away at his home in Dunmore, Pa., on February 17, 1982, of an apparent heart attack and was survived by his wife, Sophie Shemet, and two sons.
He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in July 1999 after election by the Veterans Committee. In 2019 he was inducted into the Ukrainian Sports Hall of Fame.
Ihor Stelmach may be reached at [email protected].