{{Short description|American baseball player (1869–1947)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=George Bausewine |image=George Bausewine 1887 Canton.jpg |caption=Bausewine in 1887 with Canton of the Ohio State League |position=Pitcher/Umpire |bats=Unknown |throws=Unknown |birth_date={{birth date|mf=yes|1869|3|22}} |birth_place=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US |death_date={{death date and age|mf=yes|1947|7|29|1869|3|22}} |death_place=Norristown, Pennsylvania, US |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=September 14 |debutyear=1889 |debutteam=Philadelphia Athletics |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=October 11 |finalyear=1889 |finalteam=Philadelphia Athletics |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Win–loss record |stat1value=1–4 |stat3label=Strikeouts |stat3value=18 |stat2label=Earned run average |stat2value=3.90 |teams= * Philadelphia Athletics ({{baseball year|1889}}) }} '''George W. Bausewine''' (March 22, 1869 – July 29, 1947) was an American professional baseball pitcher and umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). He umpired in the National League during the 1905 season. He had previously been a pitcher in professional baseball, and he spent part of one season pitching in MLB for the Philadelphia Athletics.
==Career==
===Playing career=== Bausewine first played professional baseball at the age of 18 for the Utica Pent-ups minor league baseball club of the International League in 1887.<ref name="bausewineminors">{{cite web|title=George Bausewine (minors)|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=bausew003geo|work=baseball-reference.com|accessdate=25 August 2010}}</ref> He also played for the Altoona club of the Pennsylvania State Association, and the Canton club of the Ohio State League that year.<ref name="bausewineminors"/> In 1888, the Ohio State League became the Tri-State League and he played a full season with the Canton Nadjys.<ref name="bausewineminors"/>
Bausewine moved around to several minor league clubs in 1889, including the London Tecumsehs of the International League, before being signed by the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association on September 10.<ref name="bausewineminors"/><ref name="retrobausewine">{{cite web|title=George Bauswine|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/Pbausg101.htm|work=retrosheet.org|publisher=Retrosheet, Inc|accessdate=25 August 2010}}</ref> He pitched in seven game for the Athletics that season; he had a 1–4 Win–loss record, and completed all six of the games he started.<ref name="retrobausewine"/> In {{frac|55|1|3}} innings pitched, he struck out 18 batters and had a 3.90 earned run average. He was released from the team before the 1890 season on April 5.<ref name="retrobausewine"/> After his return to the minor leagues in 1890, he played for various teams until 1895, including teams in St. Paul, Minnesota, Albany, New York, Allentown, Pennsylvania, Syracuse, New York, and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.<ref name="bausewineminors"/>
===Umpiring career=== Bausewine's first stint as a professional umpire came in the Western Association in 1890, when he took a hiatus from pitching after he was unable to sign with another major league club. He lasted about a month in that role before he was assaulted by a team executive; he returned to play in the minor leagues for a few years.<ref name="Nemec">{{cite book |last1=Nemec |first1=David |title=The Rank and File of 19th Century Major League Baseball: Biographies of 1,084 Players, Owners, Managers and Umpires |date=2012 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786490448 |pages=11–12 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TFNK7be-KGcC&pg=PA11 |language=en}}</ref>
He was a member of the National League umpiring crew for the {{baseball year|1905}} season, and he appeared in 123 games that year; he worked 100 games as the home plate umpire, and 23 at first base.<ref name="retrobausewine"/> Although it was his only season at the major league level, he is credited with 13 player or manager ejections, including future Hall of Fame player Honus Wagner.<ref name="bausewinechrono">{{cite web|title=George Bausewine from the Chronology |url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=George_Bausewine&page=chronology |work=baseballlibrary.com |publisher=The Idea Logical Company, Inc |accessdate=25 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019222623/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=George_Bausewine&page=chronology |archivedate=19 October 2012 }}</ref> On August 2, Wagner was called out at first base on a close play, who showed his displeasure during warmups the next inning by throwing a baseball near Bausewine, who then ejected him from the game.<ref name="bausewinechrono"/> Wagner received a three-game suspension and a $40 fine for his actions from League President Harry Pulliam.<ref name="bausewinechrono"/> This was Wagner's third suspension of the season. Wagner commented that Bausewine was in no danger of his throw and probably would not have done anything had the Giants not said that he had tried to hit him.<ref name="hageman7576">Hageman, p. 75–76</ref>
On August 5, 1905, Bausewine was umpiring a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Giants with the score tied 5–5 in the ninth inning. The Giants argued with him over a close call at third base, and the team refused to return to the game.<ref name="bausewinechrono"/><ref name="forfeits">{{cite web|title=Forfeits|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/forfeits.htm|work=retrosheet.org|publisher=Retroshee, Inc|accessdate=25 August 2010}}</ref> Bausewine ruled the game a forfeit to the Pirates.<ref name="forfeits"/> New York appealed the forfeiture to League President Pulliam‚ but he upheld the decision by Bausewine.<ref name="bausewinechrono"/>
==Personal life== After his umpiring career, he settled in Norristown, Pennsylvania, with his wife Emma. He and wife had two children, a son and a daughter.<ref name="basuewineobit"/>
He joined the local police department as an officer.<ref name="basuewineobit">{{cite web|title=The Obit For George Bausewine|url=http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Umpires/Bausewine.George.Obit.html|work=The New York Times|accessdate=25 August 2010|archive-date=June 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622074345/http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Umpires/Bausewine.George.Obit.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He served the department for 29 years, retiring in 1944 as their chief of police.<ref name="basuewineobit"/> That year, Bausewine was convicted of a bribery charge related to allegations that he accepted payments in exchange for not investigating gambling operations. In 1946, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania overturned the conviction, declaring that the evidence against Bausewine was "clearly insufficient".<ref name="Fight">{{cite news |title=Police chief wins fight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/13663153/ |work=Indiana Gazette |date=April 13, 1946}}</ref>
Bausewine died in his sleep on July 29, 1947, in Norristown at the age of 78, and is interred at Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.<ref name="retrobausewine"/>
==References== '''General''' *{{cite book|last=Hageman|first=William|title=Honus: The Life and Times of a Baseball Hero|year=1996|publisher=Sports Publishing LLC|isbn=1-57167-042-4|pages=235|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TgTzWFCV1HoC&q=%22george+bausewine%22+baseball&pg=PA75}} '''Specific''' {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Portal|Biography}} {{Baseballstats|br=b/bausege01|brm=bausew003geo}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bausewine, George}} Category:1869 births Category:1947 deaths Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Major League Baseball umpires Category:Philadelphia Athletics (AA) players Category:19th-century baseball players Category:19th-century American sportsmen Category:Baseball players from Philadelphia Category:Utica Pent-Ups players Category:Canton Nadjys players Category:Jersey City Skeeters players Category:London Tecumsehs (baseball) players Category:St. Paul Apostles players Category:Albany Senators players Category:Allentown Colts players Category:Syracuse Stars (minor league baseball) players Category:Wilkes-Barre Coal Barons players Category:Burials at Arlington Cemetery (Pennsylvania)