- Born
- Died
- Birth nameEmmett Littleton Ashford
- Emmett Ashford was born on November 23, 1914 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976), Ironside (1967) and The Jacksons (1976). He died on March 1, 1980 in Marina del Rey, California, USA.
- His karate-like chop to signal a strike
- The first African-American umpire in major league baseball history, he worked in the American League from 1965 to 1970. He officiated in the 1970 World Series and in the 1967 All-Star Game.
- He played baseball in college, and took a leave of absence from his job as a postal worker to pursue a career in umpiring, starting in the Southwestern International League. Three years and two additional leagues later, he was promoted to the Pacific Coast League, where he worked for 12 seasons. In September 1965, his contract was sold to the American League. The following spring, he worked spring training games for the Dodgers and Indians.
- He retired after the 1970 season, and later served in a PR role in the commissioner's office.
- The Los Angeles native received a standing ovation when he worked his first game as the home plate umpire in Anaheim.
- He broke Major League baseball's umpiring color barrier at D.C. Stadium (now known as RFK) on April 11, 1966, manning third base during the Senators' 5-2 Opening Day loss to the Cleveland Indians.
- [Remembering his first major-league regular-season game in Washington DC, where an FBI agent stopped him as he tried to enter the umpire's room] I told him I was an umpire. He said there aren't any Negro umpires in the majors. So I told him, "There won't be if you don't let me go."
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