John Mc Sherry - Death

Death

As Cincinnati was the home of baseball's first professional team, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, the Reds traditionally played the first game of the major league season at home. On April 1, 1996, the Reds were playing the Montreal Expos, and McSherry was assigned to work home plate. Seven pitches into the game, McSherry called a timeout, spoke briefly to Reds catcher Eddie Taubensee, and walked slowly towards the Reds' dugout. Moments after signaling for the second base umpire to come in and replace him, McSherry stumbled and collapsed. Resuscitative efforts were begun on McSherry and he was taken to University Hospital in Cincinnati, but he was pronounced dead within the hour. He was 51 years old.

Third-base umpire Tom Hallion had followed the ambulance to the hospital, leaving umpires Steve Rippley and Jerry Crawford to decide whether to proceed with the game. Shaken and tearful players on both teams consoled the grieving umpires, and ultimately it was decided that it would be best to postpone the game. Reds manager Ray Knight recalled a comment from shortstop Barry Larkin: "Barry told me very quietly and with very much emotion: 'Ray, I've had a lot of deaths in my family. In good conscience, out of respect for life, I can't go out there.'"

Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott was quoted as having said, "Snow this morning and now this. I don't believe it. I feel cheated. This isn't supposed to happen to us, not in Cincinnati. This is our history, our tradition, our team. Nobody feels worse than me." Schott's statement was criticized as a public gaffe, though supporters contended that she was thinking of the some 50,000 fans who had expected to see a baseball game and might be unable to attend a makeup game. Schott sent flowers to the umpire dressing room, but a story in the Dayton Daily News later said that the flowers had been given to Schott on Opening Day by Reds television affiliate WLWT in Cincinnati. According to the story, Schott hastily wrote a sympathy note and attached it to the flowers.

The next day, the Reds defeated the Expos 4-1. Rich Rieker joined the umpiring crew as an emergency replacement at third base. McSherry's funeral was held at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Catholic Church in the Bronx, and he was interred in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery.