Charlie Berry
From BR Bullpen
Note: This page links to former major league catcher and umpire Charlie Berry. For his father who played in 1884, click here.
Charles Francis Berry
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.
- School Lafayette College
- Debut June 15, 1925
- Final Game September 8, 1938
- Born October 18, 1902 in Phillipsburg, NJ USA
- Died September 6, 1972 in Evanston, IL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
The son of Charlie Berry, catcher Charlie Berry is also in the College Football Hall of Fame and also played in the NFL. Berry made his professional baseball debut in the major leagues, starting off with the 1925 A's. The next year, he was with the Portland Beavers and batted .236 with 5 homers and 33 RBI. Dropping a level a year, he moved to the Dallas Steers in 1927 and hit .330 with 10 homers and 77 RBI. It would be his last minor league stop as he was picked up by the Boston Red Sox and in 1930 and 1931, he was a solid threat at catcher. Moving to the Chicago White Sox in a trade, he peaked in '32 with a 112 OPS+ for Boston and Chicago before declining. He got into a fight with umpire George Moriarty in 1932.
After his playing career ended, he became a Philadelphia Athletics coach from 1936 to 1940 and managed the Wilmington Blue Rocks from July 6, 1940 to the end of the season.
Berry began his umpiring career in the International League in 1941-1942, and was an American League umpire from September, 1942 to 1962, and a NFL official. He was an umpire in the 1958 World Series and later worked the NFL title game, perhaps becoming the only person to officiate at an NFL title game and a World Series in the same year.
Sources: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pat Doyle's Professional Baseball Player Database, Total Baseball
