Perfection's Arbiter

By Richard Paolinelli

ONE PERFECT GAME. ONE MAN BEHIND THE PLATE. AND A REMARKABLE LIFE THAT BASEBALL HISTORY ALMOST FORGOT.

On October 8, 1956, New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen accomplished the seemingly impossible: he threw a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series. It remains one of the greatest moments in Major League Baseball history.

But there was another man on the field that day whose story deserves to be told.

Standing behind home plate, calling every pitch, was National League umpire Ralph "Babe" Pinelli. His decisions helped shape the most remarkable pitching performance in World Series history. Yet the journey that brought Pinelli to that historic moment is an extraordinary story in its own right.

In Perfection's Arbiter, sports journalist and author Richard Paolinelli explores the fascinating life and career of one of baseball's most memorable umpires.

Born in San Francisco at the beginning of the twentieth century, Pinelli endured tragedy at an early age, including the devastating 1906 earthquake that claimed his father's life. He overcame personal hardships, struggled with a fiery temper, and eventually carved out a successful career as a professional baseball player before becoming a major league umpire.

His journey through the game of baseball would ultimately place him behind home plate for a moment that generations of fans would never forget.

But how did Babe Pinelli get there? What experiences shaped the man trusted to call the most important pitches of Don Larsen's historic afternoon? And how might baseball history have been different if another umpire had been behind the plate?

Featuring the story of Pinelli's remarkable life, his playing career, and statistics from his days as a professional player, Perfection's Arbiter offers baseball fans a fascinating look behind one of the sport's greatest moments.

Richard Paolinelli brings an important piece of baseball history back into the spotlight.

Discover the man behind perfection.

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"This is an easy-read treatise on a neglected area of baseball history -- the umpires. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the history of Major League Baseball."

- Gary Allen, 5-Star review on Amazon

ISBN: 978-153756179-0 / ASIN: B01LYBMJN7