174:, won six consecutive Texas League championships between 1920 and 1925. Sears acquired his nickname from Atz, as the manager told him that no "John" would ever play on his team. A player named Ziggy Shears had recently been released from the team, and that nickname stuck. Sears had eleven runs batted in during a single game with Fort Worth, which set a modern baseball record. He scored five runs in one game several times with Fort Worth. He also had a streak of 81 games without committing an error. Sears also played for minor league teams in
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246:. In a 1951 Texas League exhibition game between Milwaukee and Dallas, Sears was struck in the eye by a thrown ball. The injury forced him to quit umpiring. In 1953, Sears sued the Dallas club for negligence. He asserted that the club allowed the game to continue in rainy conditions and that the team did not provide medical care once he was injured.
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After Sears retired as a player in the Texas League, he became an umpire in that circuit. He was initially assigned to partner with Harry Kane, who had ejected Sears as a player more often than all other Texas League umpires combined. Sears was promoted to the
National League in the summer of 1934.
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organization. Ken, sometimes referred to as "Little Ziggy", appeared in the 1943 World Series. His father was scheduled to umpire that series, but had to withdraw due to illness.
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between 1918 and 1927. The Fort Worth team, nicknamed the "Atz Cats" after manager
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After leaving the
National League in 1945, Sears spent time umpiring in the
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for the last several years of his life, and he worked as a scout for the
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535:"Nick Etten and Litwhiler Termed 'Cinderella Cuties' of the Series"
428:"'Ziggy' Sears, Texas League Hero As Player, In Big Time As Umpire"
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In addition to his service as a baseball umpire, Sears officiated
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104:(January 10, 1892 – December 16, 1956) was a professional
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in a
Houston hospital on December 16, 1956. He was 64.
367:"Ziggy Sears Minor Leagues Statistics & History"
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273:, played baseball and football for a year at the
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119:games in his 12-year career. He umpired in two
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162:in 1913. He played minor league baseball for
297:(1949). He portrayed umpires in both films.
277:before signing a baseball contract with the
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115:from 1934 to 1945. Sears umpired 1,647
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150:for 15 seasons between 1912 and 1928.
616:Sportspeople from Owensboro, Kentucky
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323:List of Major League Baseball umpires
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158:Sears entered organized baseball in
16:American baseball umpire (1892-1956)
482:"Ziggy Sears Sues Dallas Ball Club"
456:"Ziggy Sears Quits National League"
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606:People from Central City, Kentucky
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560:"Overview for John "Ziggy" Sears"
195:When he was selected to work the
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211:. He would have also worked the
426:Parker, Bill (August 7, 1934).
533:Meier, Ted (October 5, 1943).
396:"Ziggy Sears, Ex-Umpire, Dies"
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601:Major League Baseball umpires
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102:John William "Ziggy" Sears
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621:Clinton Pilots players
371:Baseball-Reference.com
197:1935 MLB All-Star Game
47:Central City, Kentucky
508:"Those Yankees Again"
275:University of Alabama
145:minor league baseball
539:The Montreal Gazette
460:The Pittsburgh Press
400:The Pittsburgh Press
244:Pacific Coast League
232:Southwest Conference
512:The Tuscaloosa News
402:. December 17, 1956
295:The Babe Ruth Story
217:1945 regular season
160:Owensboro, Kentucky
462:. October 17, 1945
347:www.retrosheet.org
291:The Stratton Story
255:Pittsburgh Pirates
190:Officiating career
111:who worked in the
33:John William Sears
656:Waco Cubs players
213:1943 World Series
143:). He also was a
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591:1892 births
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180:San Antonio
23:Ziggy Sears
585:Categories
376:2016-05-01
352:2016-05-01
329:References
238:Later life
228:basketball
176:Shreveport
164:Fort Worth
148:outfielder
131:) and two
72:Occupation
39:1892-01-10
271:Ken Sears
301:See also
230:for the
172:Jake Atz
106:baseball
90:Employer
564:TCM.com
166:of the
109:umpire
76:Umpire
571:2012
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226:and
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184:Waco
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29:Born
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