Ziggy Sears

John William "Ziggy" Sears (January 10, 1892 – December 16, 1956) was an American professional baseball umpire who worked in the National League from 1934 to 1945. Sears umpired 1,647 major league games in his 12-year career. He umpired in two World Series (1938 and 1944) and two All-Star Games (1935 and 1944). He also was a minor league baseball outfielder for 15 seasons between 1912 and 1928.

Playing career Sears entered organized baseball in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1913. He played minor league baseball for Fort Worth of the Texas League between 1918 and 1927. The Fort Worth team, nicknamed the "Atz Cats" after manager Jake Atz, won six consecutive Texas League championships between 1920 and 1925.

In addition to his service as a baseball umpire, Sears officiated college football and basketball for the Southwest Conference.

Later life After leaving the National League in 1945, Sears spent time umpiring in the Pacific Coast League.

Sears lived in Houston, Texas for the last several years of his life, and he worked as a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He died of a heart attack in a Houston hospital on December 16, 1956. He was 64.

Personal life Ziggy's son, Ken Sears, played baseball and football for a year at the University of Alabama before signing a baseball contract with the New York Yankees organization. Ken, sometimes referred to as "Little Ziggy", appeared in the 1943 World Series. His father was scheduled to umpire that series, but had to withdraw due to illness.

Movie credits Sears had acting roles in two movies, The Stratton Story (1948) and The Babe Ruth Story (1949). He portrayed umpires in both films.