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Umpire Paul Pryor Photo Gallery
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Some Long-Overdue Recognition For the “Men in Blue”!
“I hear you’re Paul Pryor’s son, huh? I knew your old man when I played ball back in South Dakota, back in the late ’40’s or so….He was a helluva guy!”
As we’ve mentioned numerous times, we always love it when we’re contacted by relatives of former ball players. But today we’ve got something just a little bit different. Recently we were contacted by Fred Pryor, son of Paul Pryor who umpired in the National League for 21 years (1961-1981). I’m sure our “senior” readers will recognize his name, along with the others members of his crew from the early 1960’s: Frank Secory, Ed Sudol, and Ken Burkhart.
Fred Pryor describes his father as “one of a kind,” to which the above quote testifies. Not only was he an outstanding umpire, an accomplished public speaker, and later, a successful business man, he was also a devoted husband and father of four who tried to balance the all the different demands placed upon him by his career and personal life.
Before his start in umpiring, Paul Pryor was a minor league baseball pitcher from 1945 to 1948. He became interested in umpiring while attending college in the late 1940’s, seeing it as a way to make extra money. After graduation and starting out on his career as a baseball and football coach, he continued umpiring on the side. Soon after, he landed jobs in the minor leagues and was encouraged by “baseball people” that umpiring was something he should pursue. He went to spring training one year and made a favorable impression and finally made it to the “Big Show” in September 1961.
Fred Pryor is understandably proud of his dad, who he fondly refers to as “Big Pops.” Over his career, the Woonsocket, Rhode Island native umpired 3,094 major league games, including three World Series, four League Championship series, and three All-Star games. Pryor’s crew had many memorable games, including one on May 31, 1964 that went 23 innings. The second game of a double header, it’s the longest doubleheader in National League history, with the crew officiating 33 innings that day. They also called Jim Bunning’s Perfect Game on June 21, 1964, one of only 23 official Perfect Games in major league history.
I asked Fred if he’d share a few reminisces about what it was like being the son of a major league umpire. He willingly responded with some interesting information:
Fred has cherished memories from those days when his dad was on the major league circuit. Because Big Pops “knew just about everyone in baseball,” Fred got an insider’s view of the game not available to other kids. His dad introduced him to players, coaches, front office personnel, grounds crews, clubhouse attendants, vendors, cops outside the park, firemen in the station across the street, and even bartenders at favorite umpire “watering holes.” Fred also shared with me his dad’s beautiful philosophy of life: “Everyone has value, everyone matters. Never treat someone any better just because he makes more money or has an important title. Everyone counts. There are no ordinary people.” Above all, Fred added, Big Pops started out his career as a teacher and coach, and his respect for the profession stayed with him for the rest of his life. Paul Pryor never stopped teaching.
Because of his Dad’s vast sports connections, Fred’s experiences extended into other sports besides baseball. Once in 1969 or ‘70, when the Vikings were playing the Packers in Milwaukee, Paul Pryor used his connection with the County Stadium clubhouse attendant to get his son and his friends into the Vikings’ clubhouse. It was an experience they never forgot, as they met many Vikings players. Fred even got a signed ball from center Mick Tinglehoff. Another time Fred got to meet the Packers’ great quarterback Bart Starr at a Father and Son banquet in which Paul Pryor was the Master of Ceremonies. The baseball players Fred met would make any of us envious, including Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Manny Sanguillen, Stan Musial, Pete Rose, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, and Billy Williams. Being the son of a well-known major league umpire definitely had its advantages!
Fred recalled that his family moved to Racine, Wisconsin when he was in fourth grade. Big Pops would come home during the season whenever the Cubs played the Braves. Fred’s mother Carleen greatly appreciated this rare opportunity to see her husband during the long baseball season. Reflecting on the demanding role of an umpire’s wife, Fred added: “Try raising four kids by yourself seven months a year with no relief…It’s definitely not fun!”
When Paul Pryor was umpiring the 1973 World Series, Fred went with some friends after work to a local bar to watch the game. After the National Anthem was played and the players and umpires were being introduced, the cameras panned the infield. Fred saw his dad on center stage on national television. He recalls how proud he was: “Wow…that’s actually Big Pops up there!” It’s an image he never forgot.
A respected umpire known to have a “thick skin,” Paul Pryor recorded only 30 ejections over his career, including one stretch of nearly five years without a single one. He was very familiar with the hazards of the game, once suffering broken teeth from a Willie Stargell foul ball that caught him square in the mask. Pryor maintained his teaching and coaching positions during the off seasons, and worked at various times as a car salesman, a football referee, a beer salesman, and as an in-demand public speaker. He retired from umpiring in 1981 after on-going struggles with foot problems.
In the 1970’s, Paul Pryor designed a duffel bag for umpire equipment. The idea caught on, and soon “Paul Pryor Travel Bags” were on the market. At one time the company had accounts with the NCAA, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the Canadian Football League, plus many schools and businesses.
Paul Pryor, affectionately known to his family as “Big Pops,” passed away on December 15, 1995, aged 68, while residing in St. Petersburg, Florida.
-Gary Livacari
Be sure to visit the John Paul Pryor page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Photo Credits: Some of the photos in the gallery are from the personal collection of Fred Pryor; Others found on a Google search; Colorization of Paul Pryor by Don Stokes: https://www.facebook.com/Don-Stokes-Old-Time-Baseball-Colorizations-923346241033508/
Information: Edited from e-mails sent by Fred Pryor; and excerpts edited from the Paul Pryor Wikipedia page.
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I still have my Paul Pryor Travel Bag from 1985 when I played in the Mets organization. I was fortunate enough to meet him on a couple of occasions when he came to Kingsport & St. Pete to sell and deliver the bags. Thank you for sharing his story and rekindling some fond memories!
Glad to do it…thanks for the kind words!