HR0942 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0942 LRB097 20157 GRL 67082 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor Bill Haller for his many achievements; and

WHEREAS, Bill Haller was born on February 28, 1935, in Joliet; his father, Frank "The Fox" Haller, worked at the Joliet steel mills and his mother, Julia Haller, was a stay-at-home mom who raised her 3 children; he has one sister, Joyce Ganz, and one brother, Tom (deceased), who played Major League Baseball and served as the Assistant General Manager of the Chicago White Sox and the General Manager of the San Francisco Giants; and

WHEREAS, Bill Haller was raised in Fairmont, a blue-collar neighborhood in Will County that is still very dear to his heart; he graduated from Fairmont Grade School and Lockport Township High School (Class of 1953); while in high school, he was a standout 3-sport athlete; in 1955, he graduated from Joliet Junior College; while at college, he excelled in baseball and basketball; he served as captain of the 1955 JJC basketball team, which qualified for the National Junior College Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas; and

WHEREAS, Although Bill Haller wore many uniforms throughout his career, the one that made him most proud was the United States Army uniform he wore for 2 years after his enlistment in 1955, including 16 months in Korea; and

WHEREAS, Bill Haller had a long and distinguished career as a baseball umpire; he began umpiring in 1958 in the Class D Georgia/Florida League of the Minor Leagues; in 1960, he umpired in the Class B Northwest League; in 1961, he was promoted to the Triple A Pacific Coast League; in 1962, he worked the diamond in the International League in Triple A; and

WHEREAS, Bill Haller began his 20-year career in 1962 as a Major League umpire in the American League; during his umpire career, he worked in 4 World Series (1968, 1972, 1978, and 1981); he also worked in 4 All Star games (1968, 1973, 1975, and 1977) and 4 American League playoff series (1969, 1971, 1975, and 1977); on July 14, 1972, he umpired home plate while his brother, Tom, crouched down in front of him as the catcher for the Detroit Tigers in a game against the Kansas City Royals; this was the first and only brother umpire/catcher combination in any game in Major League history; and

WHEREAS, Today, Bill Haller is often referred to by baseball writers, broadcasters, and fans as "that legendary Major League umpire"; he was well known in Major League Baseball as a no-nonsense umpire, whose famous verbal confrontations with Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver are now part of the greatest moments of baseball lore; and

WHEREAS, After his retirement as an umpire, Bill Haller continued working for Major League Baseball as the assistant supervisor of umpires from 1983 to 1985; in 1986, he scouted for the Chicago White Sox; in 1987, he was hired by George Steinbrenner to scout for the New York Yankees; in 1993, he returned to Major League Baseball to initiate its umpire development program, where he remained until his retirement in 1994; and

WHEREAS, In 2007, Bill Haller was named one of the Lockport Township High School Legends of Basketball from the past 100 years; and

WHEREAS, Bill Haller and his wife, Sally, are the loving parents of Albert and Jenny and the grandparents of Kelsie, Brooke, Mitchell, Sydney, Jesse, and Joshua; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor Bill Haller for his many achievements and wish him success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Bill Haller as a symbol of our esteem, gratitude, and respect.