Tony Venzon
{{Short description|American baseball umpire (1915–1971)}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Tony Venzon
|image =
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|birth_name = Antonio Venzon
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|6|4}}
|birth_place = Thurber, Texas
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1971|9|20|1915|6|4}}
|death_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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|employer = National League
|occupation = Umpire
|years_active = 1957-1971
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|spouse = Kay Phillips
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Anthony Venzon (June 4, 1915 – September 20, 1971) was a professional baseball umpire who worked in the National League (NL) from 1957 to 1971. Venzon umpired 2,226 major league games. He umpired in three World Series and three All-Star Games.
Biography
Anthony Venzon was born in Thurber, Texas on June 4, 1915. His family later relocated to Pennsylvania and he attended Muhlenberg College.{{cite news|title=Venzon Dies After Surgery|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sa0lAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FfMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6299,333297&dq=tony+venzon&hl=en|access-date=March 6, 2013|newspaper=The Miami News|date=September 21, 1971}} Venzon played in the minor leagues from {{baseball year|1937}} to {{baseball year|1940}} as an outfielder.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=venzon001ton Baseball-Reference (Minors)] He served in World War II and then umpired minor league baseball for seven seasons before being called up to the NL in 1957. NL veteran umpire Artie Gore was dismissed to make room for Venzon and Ken Burkhart.{{cite news|title=National Loop Drops Art Gore|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LSVSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NHYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3521,2423563&dq=tony+venzon&hl=en|access-date=March 6, 2013|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=December 21, 1956}}
Venzon umpired 2,226 games between 1957 and 1971. He worked as home plate umpire during four MLB no-hit games between 1960 and 1970.{{cite web| last =Gerlach | first =Larry
| title =Unrecognized Heroes: No-Hit Umpires| publisher =Society for American Baseball Research
| url =http://research.sabr.org/journals/no-hit-umpires| access-date = June 23, 2012}} He umpired in the 1963, 1965 and 1970 World Series. He also called the 1959, 1962, and 1969 All-Star Games.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/V/Pvenzt901.htm Retrosheet]
Venzon was home plate umpire when Dock Ellis of the Pittsburgh Pirates threw a no-hitter vs. the San Diego Padres in the first game of a June 12, 1970 doubleheader. Ellis claimed to be under the influence of the psychedelic drug LSD while pitching.{{Cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1970/B06121SDN1970.htm|title=Retrosheet Boxscore: Pittsburgh Pirates 2, San Diego Padres 0 (1)}}
Venzon died in September 1971 after open heart surgery in Pennsylvania. He had been out of baseball with health problems since that April.{{cite news
| title =Tony Venzon, Umpire, Dies| newspaper =The Pittsburgh Press| date =September 21, 1971
| url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19710921&id=yBwcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jlAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2678,473561| access-date = June 23, 2012}}
See also
{{Portal|Baseball}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://retrosheet.org/TSNUmpireCards/Venzon-Anthony.jpg The Sporting News umpire card]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Venzon, Tony}}
Category:Major League Baseball umpires
Category:National League umpires
Category:Baseball players from Texas
Category:Johnstown Johnnies players
Category:Mayfield Clothiers players
Category:Beaver Falls Browns players
Category:Greensburg Senators players
Category:Warren Redskins players
Category:People from Erath County, Texas
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