Tim Hurst

Pugnacious Tim Hurst had a reputation for settling arguments over disputed calls by striking arguing players on their heads with his mask or his fists. In 1897 an irate fan tossed a beer stein at Hurst. The umpire threw it back, hit the wrong fan, and was fined $100 and dismissed by the NL. Hired to manage the Cardinals, he took them to a last-place finish while reputedly leading the league in umpire-baiting. After another stormy five years as a NL ump, Hurst joined the AL. In one game, after an argument with New York manager Clark Griffith, he followed Griffith to the dugout and knocked him cold. On August 4, 1909, he spit in the eye of Athletics second baseman Eddie Collins, ending an argument and igniting a riot. Hurst was fired by the AL, after which he became a boxing referee.