"The umpire's job is tough enough, but what makes it even harder is the basic lack of respect for authority that exists in the world today. Take teachers. When I was a kid, if there was trouble between the teacher and the pupil the parent backed up the teacher. Today he backs up his kid. 'It can't be my kid's fault,' he says. No respect for authority. People don't respect policemen or even, in many places, the government. So when they come out to the ball park, why should they respect the umpire? (Frank Dascoli, Sports Illustrated).

Canterbury, CT born Frank Dascoli (December 26, 1913 – August 11, 1990) was a professional baseball umpire who worked in the National League from 1948 to 1961. Frank umpired 2,056 major league games in his 14-year career. As Sports illustrated noted in its byline, players and coaches derided Dascoli, but nearly everyone admitted he was the best umpire in the National League, leading to his selection to umpire the sport's biggest games. He umpired in three World Series (1953, 1955 and 1959) and two All-Star Games (1951 and 1957).

Frank took criticism for his late-season ejection of Roy Campanella during a game in the 1951 pennant race. Campanella had thrown down his mitt in protest of a call involving what would be the winning run. If not for the ejection, Campanella would have come back up to bat late in the game with two runners on base. However, the young Dascoli later received support from veteran umpire Larry Goetz.

On September 26, 1959, he halted play due to rain (and then ended the game) after "Toothpick Sam" Jones pitched seven innings of no-hit baseball against St. Louis, earning him criticism.

Dascoli was terminated by league president Warren Giles in the middle of the 1961 season. The action came after media reports alleged that Frank had criticized the president's lack of support for umpires. The same reporter also said that Dascoli was making plans to retire after the season.

(excerpted from Sports Illustrated, BR Bullpen, and Wikipedia)