| Foghorn Bradley | |
| Position: | Pitcher/Umpire |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Birth Date: | 1 July 1855 |
| Birth Place: | Medford, Massachusetts, US |
| Death Place: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | August 23 |
| Debutyear: | 1876 |
| Debutteam: | Boston Red Caps |
| Finalleague: | MLB |
| Finaldate: | October 21 |
| Finalyear: | 1876 |
| Finalteam: | Boston Red Caps |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Stat1label: | Win–loss record |
| Stat1value: | 9–10 |
| Stat3label: | Earned run average |
| Stat3value: | 2.49 |
| Stat4label: | Strikeouts |
| Stat4value: | 16 |
| Teams: | |
| Highlights: |
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George H. "Foghorn" Bradley (July 1, 1855 - March 31, 1900) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball for six full seasons who was born in Medford, Massachusetts. He also played one season in the National League.[1]
He played his only season in the major leagues in for the Boston Red Caps, after having been a late-season signing by Harry Wright. He started 21 of the team's last 22 games that season, becoming the team's ace.[2] His totals for the season included nine wins and 10 losses in 22 games pitched. He started 21 games, completing 16 of them including one shutout.[1] After the season, Wright signed Tommy Bond, and Bradley suspected that he would be the team's new ace, so he signed a lucrative minor league contract and left the National League, never to return as a player.[2]
The following season he did not continue to play, but instead served as a replacement umpire, as he had in in the National Association. He did not get promoted to full-time umpire until, when he officiated games in the National League until . He would again umpire in the majors in the American Association in . During that era umpires generally worked games single-handedly, and Bradley was no exception, as he worked as the lone umpire in every game of his career.[1]
Although his career as an umpire was short, he was involved a couple of historic games. On June 12, 1880, he was the umpire when Lee Richmond pitched the first perfect game in major league history, which was also the second no-hitter ever tossed. Later, in that same season, on August 20, he was the umpire for another no-hitter, this time by future Hall of Famer Pud Galvin, throwing the fifth no-hitter in major league history.[3]
In total, he officially umpired in 344 games, during an era in which more than one umpire was rarely used in games. Foghorn died in Philadelphia at the age of 44, and was buried in the Philadelphia Cemetery; he was later re-buried in Forest Hills Cemetery in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.[1]