Unlikely Celebrity    

   We know Jackie Robinson. Can you name the first black umpire in the major leagues? 

    Stadiums may be empty, but we found a story in Smithsonian to keep us going. Given today's atmosphere, this seems a fitting time to learn about Emmett Ashford. (Mostly as the author wrote it):  
 

One of these may be Ashford 

   Ashford endured plenty of hostility. Former pitcher Jim Bouton wrote: "Other umpires talked behind his back. Sometimes the others let him run out on the field while they held back." 

   During his 20 years umpiring in the minor and major leagues, he was usually the only black umpire on the field, and sometimes subjected to racial remarks. But Ashford weathered it with grace.

   He was good enough to play semi-pro baseball. For a game in 1941, an umpire didn't show up and Ashford was asked to fill in. One game after another, he proved himself a better umpire than ballplayer.

   "I gave them a little showmanship and the crowd loved it," he once wrote. He worked high-school and college games with an exuberant style. 

   After service in the U.S. Navy, Ashford joined the lowly Southwest International League in 1951, putting up with abuse from racist fans in El Paso. From there he went up to the Pacific Coast League, and in 1966, to the American League. 

   Over five years Ashford became a celebrity. Fans mobbed him for autographs. A black sportswriter thought his style an "affront" to the conservative nature of the game. Other umps were simply racist. 

   After he umpired in the 1970 World Series, he retired at 55 and worked in the baseball commissioners office. Ashford died of a heart attack in 1980.