Bill Kunkel (baseball)

William Gustave James Kunkel (July 7 1936 - May 4 1985) was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1961 to 1963 who went on to a career as an American League umpire from 1968 until his death. His son Jeff was a major league shortstop from 1984 to 1992.

Kunkel was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. His major league pitching career consisted of two seasons with the Kansas City Athletics (1961-1962) and one with the New York Yankees (1963). He officiated in the World Series in 1974 and 1980, and in the American League Championship Series in 1971, 1975, 1978 and 1982. He also worked the All-Star Game in 1972 and 1977, calling balls and strikes for the second contest. He was the first base umpire on September 28, 1974 when Nolan Ryan pitched the third of his record seven no-hitters, [cite book |last=Coberly |first=Rich |title=The No-Hit Hall of Fame: No-Hitters of the 20th Century |year=1985 |publisher=Triple Play |location=Newport Beach, CA |isbn=0-934289-00-X |pages=p. 169 ] and was behind the plate exactly one year later on September 28, 1975 when four Oakland Athletics pitchers – Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers – combined to no-hit the California Angels 5-0. [Coberly, p. 172.]

Kunkel, who also worked as a referee in the National Basketball Association, died of cancer at age 48 in Red Bank, New Jersey.

References

External links

* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/K/Pkunkb101.htm Retrosheet]
*Baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=k/kunkebi01 |fangraphs= |cube=
* [http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Kunkel.Bill.Obit.html "New York Times" obituary]