Curly Clement

{{short description|American baseball umpire (1919-2006)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}

{{Infobox person

|name = Curly Clement

|image = Curly Clement.jpg

|image_size =

|caption =

|birth_name =

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1919|07|19}}

|birth_place = Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.

|death_date = {{Death date|2006|06|29}} (aged 86)

|death_place = Hampton, New Hampshire, U.S.

|known_for =

|education =

|employer = American League

|occupation = Umpire

|years_active = 1978-1979

}}

Robert F. "Curly" Clement (July 19, 1919 – June 29, 2006) was an American Major League Baseball umpire who worked briefly in the American League in 1978 and 1979. He was also a longtime NCAA and Cape Cod Baseball League umpire.

Clement worked two games as a replacement umpire in the American League. His first appearance was as third base umpire at Fenway Park for the game between the Boston Red Sox and California Angels on August 25, 1978, when major league umpires staged a one-day walk-out.{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B08250BOS1978.htm |title=Boston Red Sox 6, California Angels 0 |publisher=retrosheet.org |date= |accessdate=September 25, 2019}}{{cite news | last =Willard | first =Dave | title = Buy me some peanuts... | pages = 19 | newspaper = The Cape Cod Chronicle | location = Chatham, MA | date = September 7, 1978 | url = https://eldredgelibrary.wssites.com/Document?db=ELDREDGELIBRARY&query=(select+0+(bytoc+(andf+(eq+YEAR+1978)+(field+WEEK_ISSUED+(anyof+September+%607))+(field+PAGE_NO+(anyof+%6010))))) }} His second and final appearance was as second base umpire at Fenway for the opening day game between the Red Sox and Cleveland Indians on April 5, 1979, during the 1979 Major League umpires strike.{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1979/B04050BOS1979.htm |title=Boston Red Sox 7, Cleveland Indians 1 |publisher=retrosheet.org |date= |accessdate=September 25, 2019}}{{cite news | last =Willard | first =Dave | title = Welcome back, umps | pages = 25,26 | newspaper = The Cape Cod Chronicle | location = Chatham, MA | date = May 24, 1979 | url = https://eldredgelibrary.wssites.com/Document?db=ELDREDGELIBRARY&query=(select+3+(bytoc+(andf+(eq+YEAR+1979)+(field+WEEK_ISSUED+(anyof+May+%6024))+(field+PAGE_NO+(anyof+%6013))))) }} In the 1979 game, Clement called baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski out on an attempted steal of second base.{{cite news | last =Meade | first =Tom | title = Umpire Curly Clement, a Cape Baseball League tradition: The ump players and coaches love to love | pages = 25,26 | newspaper = Yarmouth Register | location = Yarmouth, MA | date = July 18, 1985 | url = http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Sturgis/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=DPLTR%2F1985%2F07%2F18&id=Ar02500&sk=2FAAE390&viewMode=text }}

Over his long NCAA career, Clement worked 12 ECAC baseball tournaments, 16 NCAA regional tournaments, and two College World Series.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.capecodbaseball.org/news/league-news/index.html?article_id=734 |title=Former CCBL Umpire Clement Passes Away |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |date=June 29, 2006 |accessdate=September 25, 2019}} His career in the Cape Cod League began in the late 1960s, and lasted into the 2000s. A veteran of World War II,{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bostonglobe/obituary.aspx?n=robert-f-clement-curly&pid=18295725 |title=Robert F. "Curly" Clement |publisher=legacy.com |date= |accessdate=September 25, 2019}} Clement was known for his charismatic and genial personality, and was often referred to as "the Candy Man" for his propensity to diffuse tense on-field situations by offering candy to players and coaches.{{cite news | last =Smith | first =Chuck | title = Umpiring the Curly Clement Way | pages = 25,43 | newspaper = The Cape Cod Chronicle | location = Chatham, MA | date = September 26, 1985 | url = https://eldredgelibrary.wssites.com/Document?db=ELDREDGELIBRARY&query=(select+3+(bytoc+(andf+(eq+YEAR+1985)+(field+WEEK_ISSUED+(anyof+September+%6026))+(field+PAGE_NO+(anyof+%6013))))) }} Clement was inducted into the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame in 2002,{{cite web|author= |url=http://capecodbaseball.org/news/hofnews/?article_id=241 |title=Twelve Legends to be inducted into CCBL Hall of Fame |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |date= |accessdate=September 1, 2019}}{{cite news | last =Judd | first =Grant | title = Cape League Honors Its Own | pages = 9 | newspaper = Yarmouth Register | location = Yarmouth, MA | date = November 7, 2002 | url = http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Sturgis/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=DPLTR%2F2002%2F11%2F07&id=Ar00902&sk=37CB981B&viewMode=image }} and in 2004 the league established the Curly Clement Award to annually honor officiating excellence.{{cite web|author=John Garner, Jr. |url=http://www.capecodbaseball.org/news/season/index.html?article_id=619 |title=Walter Bentson, Umpire Award |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |date=August 18, 2004 |accessdate=September 25, 2019}}{{cite web|author=Brian Foley |url=http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2010/08/11/umpire-michael-sadowski-named-curly-clement-award-recipient/ |title=Umpire Michael Sadowski Named Curly Clement Award Recipient |publisher=collegebaseballdaily.com |date=August 11, 2010 |accessdate=September 25, 2019}}