Steamboat Johnson
Harry Samuel "Steamboat" Johnson was an American professional baseball umpire.
Johnson, born in Pennsylvania in 1880, was a long-time umpire in the Minor [League Baseball|minor leagues] — including the Western League, Three-I League, and Southern Association — who also umpired 66 games in the National League in 1914. He issued 11 ejections during that season, including New [York Giants (NL)|New York Giants] manager John McGraw twice in two days at the end of July.
Johnson's nickname came from a reporter for The Atlanta Georgian, who wrote, "None of us know where John D. Martin got this Umpire Johnson, but he has a voice like a Mississippi River steamboat. From now he is ‘Steamboat’ Johnson to Atlantans." In 1923, Johnson declared a spring training game a forfeit against the Detroit Tigers, after player-manager Ty Cobb had been ejected by Johnson's fellow umpire but refused to leave the field.
In 1935, Johnson published his memoirs, Standing the Gaff, which is considered a baseball classic. He estimated that he had umpired over 4,000 games and made a million decisions. Johnson never used tobacco or alcohol, and in later life opened an umpiring school. He died in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1951 at age 70.