Ed Kubik

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Ed Kubik, whose name is sometimes given as Ed Kubick or Ed Kubrick, was a minor league umpire from 1952 to 1954. He was originally from Des Moines, IA, although precise details about his life are missing.

He is famous for one incident, which took place on July 19, 1952 in a game between the Fitzgerald Pioneers and Statesboro Pilots of the Georgia State League. In the 8th inning, with Fitzgerald trailing 13-0, player-manager Charles Ridgeway sent in 12-year-old African-American batboy Joe Reliford as a pinch-hitter, apparently at the urging of some (intoxicated) patron who thought the youngster could do no worse than the regular players. Kubik, as the home plate umpire, allowed the substitution and baseball history was made: Joe became the first black player in the circuit's history, and the youngest player in the history professional baseball. Reliford, who was a good athlete and had been working out regularly with his team's players, acquitted himself well, hitting a hard grounder down the third base line. He then played the bottom of the inning in right field and not only did he throw out a runner at third base (who had no doubt underestimated the strength of the youngster's arm) but also made a tremendous catch against the wall to deprive Harold Shuster of extra bases.

The league did not take kindly to the stunt, fining Ridgeway $50 and suspending him for five days, while it simply fired Kubik. However, the young umpire quickly found more work, being signed by the Evangeline League a mere three days later. He then went on to umpire in the Pioneer League, the Big State League and the Tri-State League.

Further Reading[edit]

  • Kevin Czerwinski: "Batboy barrels way into Hall of Fame: Reliford broke Georgia State League color barrier at age of 12", milb.com, January 2, 2007. [1]

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