Cy Rigler Charles `` Cy '' Rigler ( May 16 , 1882 - December 21 , 1935 ) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1906 to 1935 . Born in Massillon , Ohio , Rigler never played baseball in his younger days , although he played pro football briefly in 1903 for a Massillon team . As a young man he worked as a machinist , and also as a police officer and fireman , and was encouraged toward work as an umpire because his thick build served well in quelling disputes on the field between the ironworkers who formed local teams . He advanced quickly in the field , working in the Central League in 1904 at age 22 ; in 1905 his excellent work was noted by scouts for NL president Harry Pulliam , and he was hired by the NL late in the 1906 season , becoming the youngest regular umpire in that league 's history . His first major league game was on September 27 , 1906 , with the Brooklyn Dodgers visiting the Chicago Cubs ; he became a member of the NL 's regular staff in April 1907 . While working in the minor leagues in 1905 , Rigler had initiated the practice of using arm signals to note balls and strikes , so that those in the outfield would more clearly follow the action ; by the time he arrived in the majors , he discovered that the practice had become so widespread that it had preceded him there . Rigler joined the majors at a time when the use of one umpire in a game was still common ; by the time his career ended , three umpires had become standard . His solid frame was a decided asset in an era in which players were decidedly more aggressive in their dealings with umpires ; and umpires in the NL were not as clearly defended by league officials as those in the American League , although they were also given a freer rein in resolving disputes and in allowing their own personalities to emerge . He not only proved skilled in officiating , but also became an expert in the design and groundskeeping of ballparks , and he laid out many of the most important parks in Cuba and elsewhere in Latin America by the early 1910s . In 1912 he was laying out the ballfield at the University of Virginia , while also serving as an assistant coach at the school , when he discovered pitcher Eppa Rixey and signed him for the Philadelphia Phillies . The ensuing controversy over league umpires signing players for teams whose games they would be officiating led to the establishment of a rule barring umpires from also acting as scouts . Rigler was highly regarded for his outgoing nature and for his ability to let criticism roll off his back without becoming visibly irritated . He allowed players and managers to make their arguments , and demonstrated a willingness to eject only the most egregious offenders . Rigler officiated in 10 World Series , second only to Bill Klem 's 18 : 1910 , 1912 , 1913 , 1915 , 1917 , 1919 , 1921 , 1925 , 1928 and 1930 . He was also one of the umpires in the first All-Star Game in 1933 . One of his most memorable calls came in the 1925 Series , when Earl Smith 's long fly ball to right field in Game 3 reached Washington outfielder Sam Rice 's glove just as he fell over the wall into the outfield bleachers . When Rice emerged from the crowd with the ball in his glove , Rigler 's call of a catch and an out stoked controversy for decades as to whether Rice had indeed made the catch . Washington won the game 4-3 , although they went on to lose the Series to Pittsburgh . He was the base umpire on May 2 , 1917 , when Fred Toney of the Cincinnati Reds and Jim `` Hippo '' Vaughn of the Chicago Cubs pitched opposing no-hitters for 9 innings , with Vaughn finally giving up 2 hits and a run in the 10th inning to take the loss . Rigler was again the base umpire on August 25 , 1922 , when the Cubs defeated the Phillies 2 6-23 in the highest-scoring 9-inning game in history . Rigler was promoted to supervisor of the NL staff in December 1935 , succeeding the late Hank O'Day , but he never got the opportunity to fulfill his duties . He died less than two weeks later , following surgery for a brain tumor , in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania at age 53 . External links BaseballLibrary.com - biography and career highlights Article 1910 photo - The Sporting News Categories : Baseball umpires | 1882 births | 1935 deaths 