17 Facts About Beans Reardon

John Edward "Beans" Reardon was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1926 to 1949.

Beans Reardon got his professional start with a copper miners' league in Arizona in 1919, but after arriving for duty and learning that his contract required him to work in the mines, he resigned after one day's work, followed by a doubleheader he umpired singlehandedly.

Beans Reardon was known for his many arguments on the field, and for the fact that he relished the opportunity to match the players in his use of off-color language; he came to refer to himself as "the last of the cussin' umpires", and rarely ejected players from games, reportedly because he enjoyed trading insults.

Beans Reardon had a difficult relationship with longtime NL umpire Bill Klem, the dean of the league staff; the younger umpire insisted upon wearing the outside chest protector used by American League umpires, rather than the inside protector favored by Klem.

Beans Reardon regularly conversed during games with spectators in the stands, another annoyance to Klem.

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Beans Reardon would note that he perhaps stayed as long as he did in the league only because Klem was promoted to a non-field position in 1941.

Ever outspoken, upon accepting an award named for Klem from Houston sportswriters in the 1960s, Beans Reardon offhandedly remarked that he and Klem hated one another.

Beans Reardon officiated in five World Series: 1930,1934,1939,1943 and 1949.

Beans Reardon umpired in three All-Star Games, calling balls and strikes in all three contests; and he was one of the umpires for the 3-game series to determine the NL champion in 1946.

Beans Reardon was the plate umpire when Babe Ruth hit his 714th and final home run in 1935, and for Clyde Shoun's no-hitter on May 15,1944.

Beans Reardon eventually sold the distributorship to Frank Sinatra for over half a million dollars in 1967, although he continued to do public relations work for the brewery.

Beans Reardon made an uncredited appearance as an umpire in the 1953 film The Kid from Left Field.

Beans Reardon suffered two strokes late in his life, and died at age 86 in Long Beach, California.

Beans Reardon was survived by his wife, Eugenia, an oil painter whose portrait of Nancy Reagan once sat in the White House.

Beans Reardon was friends with Mae West and she is said to have sent him a copy of a nude photograph every Christmas.

Beans Reardon was notably the basis for the home plate umpire in Norman Rockwell's famous painting Bottom of the Sixth, flanked by umpires Larry Goetz and Lou Jorda.

Beans Reardon is largely identifiable because, despite the depicted game being in the National League, the umpire is using the outside chest protector.