Cal Hubbard
| Birthdate | 10/31/1900 |
| Death Date | 10/17/1977 |
| Debut Year | 1936 |
| Year of Induction | 1976 |
| Teams | American League, MLB |
| Position | Umpire |
The only man elected to both the baseball and football Halls of Fame, Cal Hubbard was a three-time NFL champion with the Green Bay Packers.
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Hubbard was a three-time NFL champion with the Green Bay Packers
Hubbard was a three-time NFL champion with the Green Bay Packers
Cal Hubbard gained fame as a tackle for the three-time NFL champion Green Bay Packers. Upon retiring from football, Hubbard became an American League umpire in 1936.
Along the way he presided over four World Series and three All Star games. His on-field career came to an end in 1951 after a hunting accident saw a shotgun pellet ricochet into his eye and damage his vision.
Hubbard continued in baseball as the AL’s supervisor of umpires, a job he held for 17 years. During that time he codified the roles and field positions for each umpire.
Respected on and off the field, Hubbard impacted the game throughout his tenure. The Hall of Fame arbiter also presided over the AL umpires when Emmett Ashford broke MLB’s color barrier for umps.
Hubbard remains the only person enshrined in both in Canton and Cooperstown.
Shown here is a contract signed by Hubbard. In an interesting turn of events, he agrees “to use Longines watches exclusively for the official timing of all Major League Baseball games in which I participate during the seasons of 1950 and 1951.”
The contract seems curious as there is little use for a wristwatch in a game that does not employ a clock.
Hubbard worked first base in the first integrated All Star Game in 1949
Hubbard worked first base in the first integrated All Star Game in 1949
Two years after he broke baseball’s color barrier, Jackie Robinson became one of a quartet of men to break the same barrier for the All Star Game. That 1949 contest featured Jackie as a starter at second base.
Dodger teammates catcher Roy Campanella and pitcher Don Newcombe also made the National League squad. The American League’s trailblazer was outfielder Larry Doby.
Doby’s Junior Circuit club prevailed in high-scoring 11-7 affair. Joe and Dom DiMaggio each had a double and a single while combining for four RBI and 3 runs scored.
For the losing side, Stan Musial and Ralph Kiner each hit homers in front of the Brooklyn faithful at Ebbets Field.
The AL victory was it’s 12th win in the first 16 All Star contests. Virgil Trucks got the victory despite giving up two runs on three hits in his two innings of work. Working the plate that day was Hall of Fame umpire Al Barlick. Joining Barlick as the first base arbiter was Cooperstown’s Cal Hubbard.
Shown here is a 14-karat gold wristwatch given to American League President William Harridge. The inscription on the back of the watch reads, “All Star Game Brooklyn, July 12, 1949”.
The Veterans Committee made Hubbard the Hall's fourth umpire
The Veterans Committee made Hubbard the Hall's fourth umpire
Cal Hubbard received baseball’s ultimate honor in 1976 when the Veterans Committee selected him for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He joined fellow arbiters Bill Klem (1953), Tom Connolly (1953), and Billy Evans (1973) in Cooperstown.
The Committee also selected 19th-century slugger Roger Connor, Negro League standout Oscar Charleston, and third baseman Fred Lindstrom. On the writers’ ballot pitchers Robin Roberts and Bob Lemon got the nod.
Shown here is a letter from then-American League president and future Cooperstown man Lee MacPhail. Dated June 16, 1976, it invites Hall of Fame hurler Waite Hoyt to the induction.
The six-man class of ’76 was inducted in a ceremony on August 9, 1976.
