Lion of the League: Bob Emslie and the Evolution of the Baseball Umpire - Hardcoverby Larry R. Gerlach (Author) Robert Dean Emslie (1859 1943) spent fifty six of his eighty four years in professional baseball eight as a player and forty nine as an umpire. When arm problems ended his career as a Major League pitcher, he turned to umpiring, serving in that capacity for thirty five seasons, then as an umpire supervisor for thirteen years. His longevity is all the more remarkable considering he toiled during the three most contentious