John Bacchia

"Now along comes John Bacchia to enlighten us about Augie Donatelli and enrich us

with stories of a man who was a World War II hero involved in eighteen missions as

a B-17 tail gunner, spent fifteen months as a German prisoner-of-war where he

began umpiring softball games, fled the Pennsylvania coal mines to pursue a career as

an umpire, was promoted in his new career by no less a legendary figure than

Branch Rickey, was behind the plate for four no-hitters and such historic games

as Stan Musial's 3000th hit and Willie Mays's four home runs against the Milwaukee

Braves, and was at the forefront and instrumental in the creation of the first umpires'

union, the Major League Umpires Association, in 1964."

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                                                  - Phil Pepe, author of 50 books on baseball, including

                                                     The Wit and Wisdom of Yogi Berra