Charles F. Daniels

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Charles F. Daniels (March 13, 1849 - March 23, 1932) was an American baseball umpire who was among the original Major League Baseball umpires with the founding of the National League in 1876, and the last survivor of that group.

Born in Colchester, Connecticut, his 25-year umpiring career included service in the National Association (1874-75), National League (1876, 1878-80, 1887-88), and American Association (1883-85, 1889), as well as the Eastern League and collegiate baseball. Daniels is also noted for having introduced Connie Mack to the major leagues. On July 15, 1876 he was the umpire for the first no-hitter in major league history, George Bradley's 2-0 victory for the St. Louis Brown Stockings against the Hartford Dark Blues.^[1]

Daniels managed the Hartford Club of the Eastern League, and during his tenure there in 1885 he acquired Mack, a catcher who played for the Meriden, Connecticut team. The acquisition of Mack, who at this point still answered to the name of Cornelius McGillicuddy, cost Hartford virtually nothing in terms of expense.

When he started out he received from $5 to $10 per game. In his first year with the American Association, Daniels was selected to umpire the deciding game between the St. Louis Browns and the Philadelphia Athletics.

In the early 1930s he resided with his brother Eugene on a farm near Colchester which was somewhat isolated off the New London-Hartford Road.

On March 21, 1932, Charles was found unconscious, lying in the snow in a country road where he had apparently fallen during a snowstorm, suffering from cuts and exposure. He died two days later in Norwich, Connecticut at the age of 83.