Standing the Gaff: The Life and Hard Times of a Minor League Umpire

by Harry "Steamboat" Johnson, Larry Gerlach (Introduction)

The rowdy adolescence of baseball, told by the game’s first autobiographical umpire

Harry "Steamboat" Johnson brought to early baseball great integrity and a pugnacious stlye. Toughness--being able to "stand the gaff"--was essential during his long career as an umpire. From 1909 to 1935 Johnson umpired in exhibition games and minor leagues (except for the 1914 season in the National League) from Los Angeles to Toronto. When fans screamed "Kill the umpire!" he responded he'd rather die on a baseball field than anywhere else.

With disarming directness and humor, Steamboat Johnson tells what it was like umpiring for various leagues (the wild Western was nick-named "101 Ranch"), being on the road (lonely because umpires could not fraternize with players), and getting inot all sorts of jams (he once took on Ty Cobb in a 1922 exhibition game between the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals). "Standing the gaff" meant surviving the wrath of players-and of fans, who hurled insults and pop bottles. After a game, Steamboat would be escorted to his hotel by the police. Johnson instructs would-be umpires, answers questions from fans, and names the best players he ever saw.

Until now, Standing the Gaff, originally published in 1935, has been hard to find. This edition makes it available to buffs and social historians and those curious about baseball in its rowdy adolescence. In a new introduction, Larry R. Gerlach tells more about Steamboat's life. He is a professor of history at the University of Utah and the author of The Men in  Conversations with Umpires .

Genres: Baseball

196 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1935

About the author

Harry Samuel "Steamboat" Johnson was a baseball umpire from 1909 to 1935 in exhibition games and the minor leagues, from Los Angeles to Toronto. During the 1914 season, he umpired 66 games in the National League.

Johnson's nickname came from a reporter from the Atlanta Georgian, who wrote he has a voice like a Mississippi river steamboat. His 1935 memoir, Standing the Gaff, is considered a baseball classic.

Reviews

[Thom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is two things - a book written in 1935 by an extroverted baseball umpire, and the introduction and explanatory text written by Larry Gerlach. Both are good, but the intro is both better and more complete.

Harry "Steamboat" Johnson was undoubtedly a character in an era when the craft of umpiring was still in its infancy. He came up with some excellent rules of engagement shared here, even if they were mostly to avoid "bottle showers". As Gerlach points out, not all of his historical memories are 100% accurate, and many were probably added to help sell the book. Major props to Johnson, who wrote, edited, produced and sold the book himself.

The gift of a good friend, this book now stands on a shelf of good (and fair) umpire books in my home.

[Donald Harwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read. A remarkably technically competent effort since “Steamboat” was the writer, editor, publisher, and marketer.

It should be noted that intimate details of many of the on-field interactions were omitted by the author. Many other baseball books include details of stories like these which I find very entertaining. What amazed me is, in a day in which we bemoan the violence in society, I read of pop bottle attacks at “games”, and necessary police escorts of umpires as a common accepted occurrence.

[Vincent T. Ciaramella · Rating 5 out of 5]

4-2-25: read again preparing for a talk in May.


10-31-23: I just read this again and it was just as good as the first time.


2022 review:

Wow, I really enjoyed this book! If you are looking for a proper history or an in depth autobiography, this is not the book you'll get. It's more like Steamboat is sitting next to you, telling you stories from his past, over a drink.

The majority of the stories in this text happened over a century ago but like other aspects of baseball, they are timeless and could happen today. Steamboat's tales of the Southern League or the minors in general are fun, charming, and as I said not outdated. I really recommend this book to anyone that loves baseball history and wants to learn what it's like to be the "man in blue". I will read this again at some point.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if you don't love reding about umpires and umpiring like I do, if you are a baseball fan I think you'll like this book. The story of it's writing and the introduction alone are worth the price of admission.