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Bold textBOB MOTLEY

Bob Motley was a rare historical figure at best. He was a living legend, the last surviving umpire from the historic Negro Baseball Leagues.

Born in Autaugaville, Alabama in 1923 Bob Motley lived an extraordinary and colorful life. Ironically, it was while serving as a Marine during World War II where Motley found his life’s passion, umpiring. From a few stints as an arbitrator for military pick-up games amongst the distressed soldiers, he would eventually find his way to the Negro American League after being honorably discharged and receiving a Purple Heart.

Starting in 1947, Motley began his journey umpiring in the Negro Leagues. He worked his way up through the ranks ultimately becoming chief umpire. Throughout a decade in the Negro Leagues where he stayed until 1958, Bob umpired games with great Black players including legends Satchel Paige, Hilton Smith, Willie Mays, Goose Tatum, Ernie Banks, Buck O’Neil, Hank Aaron and the man he says was the greatest Black player at that time, recently elected Hall of Famer Willard Brown. A career highlight in the Negro Leagues was umpiring four East-West All Star games in Chicago’s Comiskey Park.

Later Bob Motley would continue to hone his craft at the Al Summer Umpire School in Daytona Beach, Florida where he graduated top of the class two years in a row. Unfortunately with Jim Crow lurking about in the late 50’s, the highest he would make it up the umpire chain would be to AAA ball in the Pacific Coast League. Not one to take no for an answer, he continually tried to break the major leagues umpire color barrier for years, writing the commissioner and his white counterparts who had graduated beneath him in umpire school and were now in the majors. Bob would never realize this dream for himself, but his campaign helped heighten the awareness of discrimination in the Majors and paved the way for younger umpires of color who followed.

In 1987 Motley retired from the General Motors Corporation after 37 years of service. In addition to umpiring in the Negro and Pacific Coast Leagues, he also umpired the College World Series and officiated semi-pro, high school and college sports including basketball and football.

In 2007 Bob Motley penned his memoir The Negro Baseball Leagues (Skyhorse/Sports Publishing, LLC) with his son Byron. The book chronicles his life before, during and after his days in the Negro Leagues and beyond.

July 1, 2007 was declared “Bob Motley Day” in his adopted hometown of Kansas City, MO, and in June 2009, Motley was honored in his home state of Alabama by being inducted into the Calhoun County Sports Hall of Fame.

A veteran of World War II, Motley was one of the first black marines known as the Montford Point Marines. On June 28, 2012, Motley and the other surviving members of the outfit, received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor (the nations highest civilian honor) for their military service.

Before his death on September 14, 2016, Bob Motley lived in Kansas City, MO. He was a founding member of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, where he served on its Board of Directors. He was also a Royal Lancer with the Kansas City Royals baseball organization.

Bob was married to his wife of 60 years Pearline Hayes Motley. They had two children, Bobette & Byron, 2 granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.

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