# Larry Napp > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Larry_Napp > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Larry_Napp.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Napp > Source revision: 1356737133 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Larry Albert Napp**, born **Larry Albert Napodano** (May 21, 1916 – July 7, 1993), was an American [umpire](/source/Umpire_(baseball)) in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) who worked in the [American League](/source/American_League) from 1951 to 1974. He officiated in the [World Series](/source/World_Series) in [1954](/source/1954_World_Series), [1956](/source/1956_World_Series), [1963](/source/1963_World_Series) and [1969](/source/1969_World_Series), and in the [All-Star Game](/source/Major_League_Baseball_All-Star_Game) in 1953, [1957](/source/1957_Major_League_Baseball_All-Star_Game), 1961 (second game) and 1968, calling balls and strikes in 1961. He also worked the [American League Championship Series](/source/American_League_Championship_Series) in [1971](/source/1971_American_League_Championship_Series) and [1974](/source/1974_American_League_Championship_Series), serving as crew chief in 1974. His 3,609 total games ranked sixth in AL history when he retired. ## Early life and career Napp was born in [Brooklyn, New York](/source/Brooklyn,_New_York) and played as a [catcher](/source/Catcher) in high school and in the minor leagues from 1938 to 1940 in the [Eastern Shore League](/source/Eastern_Shore_League), [Pennsylvania–Ontario–New York League](/source/Pennsylvania%E2%80%93Ontario%E2%80%93New_York_League) (PONY League) and [Michigan State League](/source/Michigan_State_League).[1] He also [boxed](/source/Boxing) professionally as a lightweight and welterweight from 1936 to 1938. A [judo](/source/Judo) expert, he served as a chief fitness instructor in the [Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) from 1942 to 1946 at [United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge](/source/United_States_Naval_Training_Center_Bainbridge), Maryland and [Staten Island](/source/Staten_Island) during World War II.[2] He began umpiring in the minor leagues in 1948, working in the [Middle Atlantic League](/source/Middle_Atlantic_League) (1948) and [International League](/source/International_League) (1949–50) before moving up to the AL.[1] ## Notable games Napp umpired in eight [no-hitters](/source/No-hitter) in his career, and is one of seven umpires to have worked in two [perfect games](/source/Perfect_game_(baseball)). He was the third base umpire during [Don Larsen](/source/Don_Larsen)'s perfect game for the [New York Yankees](/source/New_York_Yankees) against the [Brooklyn Dodgers](/source/Brooklyn_Dodgers) in the 1956 Series,[3] and was at first base for [Catfish Hunter's perfect game](/source/Catfish_Hunter's_perfect_game) for the [Oakland Athletics](/source/Oakland_Athletics) against the [Minnesota Twins](/source/Minnesota_Twins) on May 8, 1968.[4] Among the other notable games he worked were [Bob Feller](/source/Bob_Feller)'s record-tying third no-hitter on July 1, 1951,[5] [Bobo Holloman](/source/Bobo_Holloman)'s no-hitter in his first career start on May 6, 1953,[6] [Dean Chance](/source/Dean_Chance)'s 2–1 no-hitter for the Twins against the [Cleveland Indians](/source/Cleveland_Indians) on August 25, 1967,[7] and [Clyde Wright](/source/Clyde_Wright)'s no-hitter for the [California Angels](/source/California_Angels) against the Athletics on July 3, 1970, the first no-hitter in [Anaheim Stadium](/source/Angel_Stadium_of_Anaheim) history;[8] Napp called balls and strikes for the last two contests. Napp was also the home plate umpire for [Early Wynn](/source/Early_Wynn)'s 300th career victory,[9] as well as [Denny McLain](/source/Denny_McLain)'s 30th victory of the 1968 season (September 14),[10] the last time to date that a pitcher has won 30 games during a regular season. In 1972, after Napp and Detroit Tigers manager Billy Martin had feuded for two seasons, Napp received death threats in Detroit. As a precaution, Napp was asked to sit out of two Detroit series in June of that year. The source of the threats was unknown. Tiger Stadium had been utilizing a sniper with a pellet gun behind home plate for part of that season.[11] ## Personal life He married Phyllis Tencza on March 19, 1942.[1] They had one son, Larry Napp, Jr., who became a Florida high school baseball coach.[12] ## Later life and death Prior to the 1962 season, he moved from his long-time home of Staten Island to [Plantation, Florida](/source/Plantation,_Florida). He died there in 1993 at age 77 after suffering a heart attack.[13] ## See also - [List of Major League Baseball umpires (disambiguation)](/source/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_umpires_(disambiguation)) ## References 1. *The Sporting News Baseball Register* (1964), page 376. 1. *American League Redbook 1974*, page 39. 1. Coberly, Rich (1985). [*The No-Hit Hall of Fame: No-Hitters of the 20th Century*](https://archive.org/details/nohithalloffamen0000cobe/page/107). Newport Beach, California: Triple Play. pp. [107](https://archive.org/details/nohithalloffamen0000cobe/page/107). ISBN 0-934289-00-X. 1. Coberly, p. 139. 1. Coberly, p. 92. 1. Coberly, p. 99. 1. Coberly, p. 136. 1. Coberly, p. 152. 1. ["Cleveland Indians 7, Kansas City Athletics 4 (2)"](http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1963/B07132KC11963.htm). *retrosheet.org*. July 13, 1963. Retrieved July 8, 2016. 1. ["Detroit Tigers 5, Oakland Athletics 4"](http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1968/B09140DET1968.htm). *retrosheet.org*. September 14, 1968. Retrieved July 8, 2016. 1. ["Napp Special Target"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5DY_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=sVEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6376,2153910&dq=larry+napp&hl=en). *The Windsor Star*. June 10, 1972. Retrieved July 21, 2012. 1. Perez, Santos (May 1, 1984). ["Taravella plays Lakes for title and recognition"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OLslAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FPMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2411,160188&dq=larry+napp&hl=en). *The Miami News*. Retrieved July 21, 2012. 1. ["Deaths: Larry Napp"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9FZPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VQMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1240,2275984&dq=larry+napp&hl=en). *Toledo Blade*. July 9, 1993. Retrieved July 21, 2012. ## External links - [Retrosheet](http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/N/Pnappl901.htm) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Larry Napp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Napp) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Napp?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.