Jake O'Donnell
Jake O'Donnell | |
---|---|
Born | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | January 25, 1937
Nationality | United States |
Occupation(s) | NBA referee (1967–1995) AL umpire (1968–1971) |
James Michael "Jake" O'Donnell (born January 25, 1937, in
NBA career
As a referee, O'Donnell officiated in 2,134 NBA games (a record held until
O'Donnell announced his retirement as an official in the NBA on December 7, 1995, the same day the league's referees agreed to return to work following a lockout to start the 1995–96 NBA season.[6][7]
Clyde Drexler ejection
O'Donnell's final game of his officiating career was marred by a controversial ejection of the
The league responded to the incident by not assigning O'Donnell to officiate any additional playoff games that year, including the 1995 NBA Finals, which ended a string of 23 consecutive appearances in the Finals.[9] The league also rescinded the standard $1,000 ejection fine to Drexler.[10] The NBA never formally announced the suspension of O'Donnell, but paid him for working the first three playoff rounds, although he did not work past the second round.[8] Both O'Donnell and the NBA have denied the impression that this incident led to O'Donnell being forced out of the league.[9] At the time, O'Donnell claimed there was no feud between him and Drexler, stating, "I just don't take any crap from anyone, and he couldn't handle that. If he thinks it was personal, fine, but it wasn't from my standpoint."[9] However a year later in an interview with ESPN[11] O'Donnell commented, "I wouldn't give Clyde Drexler much leeway because of the way he reacted with me all the time. I thought at times he would give cheap shots to people, and I just would not allow it."[11]
MLB career
As an umpire, O'Donnell's first game in the
O'Donnell was the home plate umpire for Mickey Mantle's final game when the New York Yankees played the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on September 28, 1968. [13]
During his short career in the majors, he worked 489 regular season games, the 1971 American League Championship Series between the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland Athletics, and as the second-base umpire in the 1971 All-Star Game at Tiger Stadium.[1] This game was most notable for Reggie Jackson's home run which hit off the right-center field rooftop transformer. He was also the third-base umpire for Jim Palmer's no-hitter on August 13, 1969. O'Donnell resigned from the AL after the 1971 season to concentrate on his burgeoning basketball officiating career.
O'Donnell's final regular-season baseball game saw him at second base when the
Jim Evans, who was a fill-in for a handful of American League games in 1971, was named as O'Donnell's permanent replacement for the 1972 season. Evans went on to work nearly 28 seasons before he was forced out in 1999 by the failed mass resignation strategy of Major League Umpires Association President Richie Phillips, who coincidentally was a friend of O'Donnell's, as both lived in Philadelphia. Phillips was also the NBA Referee's Association President until he was forced out by Darell Garretson, with whom O'Donnell frequently clashed, in the 1980s.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Jake O'Donnell". Retrosheet. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ CBS SportsLine.com. Archived from the originalon 2008-01-04. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Dave (2007-07-29). "Officials united against scrutiny". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ "Dick Bavetta: A Consecutive Legend". National Basketball Referees Association. Archived from the original on 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ Smith, Stephen (2007-04-27). "Refs could retaliate or keep the status quo". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ "After 28 Years, Referee Retires". The New York Times. 1995-12-08. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- NBA.com. Archived from the originalon 2008-09-17. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ a b Monroe, Mike (2007-04-17). "Downside also apparent in referee's suspension". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ Sporting News. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ Sporting News. Archived from the originalon 2007-11-04. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ CBS SportsLine.com. Archived from the originalon 2001-05-07. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
- ^ "Boxscore: Washington Senators 4, Cleveland Indians 2". Retrosheet. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ "New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox Box Score: September 28, 1968". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-03-23.