John Brockway

John R. Brockway

• Born September 7, 1840 in Poughkeepsie, NY USA
• Died October 29, 1899 in Newport, KY USA

Biographical Information

John Brockway was an umpire in the early days of baseball. Before the National Association was formed in 1871, he was already a well-known umpire. One of his most famous matches was a tight game between the Cincinnati Red Stockings and the Troy Haymakers on August 26, 1869; he ruled that Red Stockings batter Cal McVey was not out when Troy's catcher faked a catch, and the Haymakers took it badly, refusing to continue play and almost causing a riot before police intervened to restore order.

Brockway never umpired in the National Association, but he was called to perform three times in the National League, twice in 1877 and once in 1879.

Related Sites

• John Brockway on Retrosheet.org