Vocation : Sports Business : Referee

Dale_O._Thomas

Dale O. Thomas (February 26, 1923 in Marion, Iowa – March 4, 2004) was the head coach of the Oregon State wrestling team at Oregon State University from 1957 to 1990, and is a National Wrestling Hall of Fame member. He competed in the men's Greco-Roman light heavyweight at the 1956 Summer Olympics. He died of kidney and liver failure due to complications from primary sclerosing cholangitis at the age of 81.[1]

Emmett_Ashford

Emmett Littleton Ashford (November 23, 1914 – March 1, 1980), nicknamed Ash, was the first African American umpire in Major League Baseball, working in the American League from 1966 to 1970.

Don_Denkinger

Donald Anton Denkinger (; August 28, 1936 – May 12, 2023) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB) who worked in the American League (AL) from 1969 to 1998. Denkinger wore uniform number 11, when the AL adopted uniform numbers in 1980. He is best remembered for an incorrect safe call he made at first base in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series, which came to be known as The Call.

Red_Cashion

Mason Lee "Red" Cashion (November 10, 1931 – February 10, 2019) was an American football official for 25 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), where he was the referee for two Super Bowls.

Vinnie_Smith

Vincent Ambrose Smith (December 7, 1915 – December 14, 1979) was an American Major League Baseball player and umpire from Richmond, Virginia. During his playing days, the 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 176 lb (80 kg) Smith threw and batted right-handed.

Jerry_Dale

Jerry Parker Dale (born April 3, 1933) is a former professional baseball umpire who worked in the National League from 1970 to 1985, wearing uniform number 3 for most of his career, and the last NL umpire to wear number 3 as it was retired for Hall-of-Fame umpire Al Barlick. Dale umpired 1,987 major league games in his 16-year career. He umpired in one World Series (1977), two All-Star Games (1972 and 1980), three National League Championship Series (1973, 1976 and 1979), and the 1981 National League Division Series.On April 25, 1985, Dale was released from the National League due to a knee injury. In May of that year, Dale filed a federal suit against the Major League Umpires Association, targeting Richie Phillips, the union's legal counsel and negotiator. Dale alleged that Phillips failed to respond to numerous attempts to acquire the union's legal and financial data. The suit also challenged the legality of a $120,000 assessment taken from the umpires after the 1984 World Series, with Dale claiming that the umpires had not given consent. Dale also appealed his dismissal from the NL in 1986, and won a disability settlement.Dale was the home plate umpire for Rick Wise's no-hitter on June 25, 1971.After his umpiring career ended, Dale became an adjunct professor of business and social science at Maryville College, Tennessee, as well as an African safari tour guide

Chips_Sobek

George Edward "Chips" Sobek (February 10, 1920 – April 9, 1990) was a player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played with the Sheboygan Red Skins during the 1949-50 NBA season. Sobek had also played in the National Basketball League, most notably for the Toledo Jeeps.
A native of Hammond, Indiana, Sobek attended Notre Dame, where he earned All-American status in 1941, as chosen by Madison Square Garden, although he did not make the consensus team. After graduating from Notre Dame, he would also play a season with the Naval Station Great Lakes while under service with them.
Sobek also played professional baseball, spending three years in the minor leagues. With the 1946 Superior Blues, he led Northern League second basemen in fielding percentage (.964), double plays (61), putouts (353) and assists (322). He hit .308/~.368/.371. In 1948, he hit .297 for the Hot Springs Bathers and had a brief tenure with the Waterloo White Hawks. In 1949, he hit .244 for Superior to conclude his playing career.Sobek was later a Chicago White Sox scout from 1950 to 1984, signing Denny McLain (most notably), Steve Trout, and Mike Squires. He also managed several seasons in the Sox organization. He also scouted for the San Francisco Giants from 1985 to 1988.Sobek was the athletic director and baseball coach at Thornton Fractional High School in Calumet City, Illinois, for 26 years and he directed the White Sox Boys Camp in Chilton, Wisconsin.Sobek also was a longtime college basketball referee, notably for the Big Ten Conference. He was an official in at least one small college championship contest.