The Disappearing Musicians

Wilbur Snapp was a ballpark organist and Lambert Bartak still is. Snapp and Bartak though, have both gone where no other ballpark organists have ever gone before. They have gone right out of the ballpark, becoming the only two organists to be ejected from a ballgame.

Three Blind Mice

Wilbur Snapp was born in 1920 inside of Ohio’s Champaign County. He served in World War II in the US Army Air Forces unit and in 1942, he married his wife Janice. He taught himself to play the organ and never read any sheets of music.

The Snapps relocated to Florida from Ohio in 1978 where they ran a music store. However, Wilbur also found a job at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium, home to the Clearwater Phillies, playing the organ. Wilbur played the organ almost twenty years at the ballpark, but is remembered mostly for one incident in 1985.

On June 26th of 1985, Snapp took his usual spot on his organ bench along the first base line. Midway through the game, umpire Keith O’Connor made a controversial ‘out’ call against Clearwater, drawing ire from the crowd. Snapp began to play “Three Blind Mice” in response to the call. O’Connor, perhaps the only one not finding humor in Snapp’s musical choice, ejected him from the ballgame. The crowd booed the umpire loudly as Snapp left the seating area.

Snapp, however, was not finished yet. When he wasn’t playing the organ, he often made balloon animals for the kids in attendance at the ballpark. Tonight, inside of making cats or dogs, Snapp made balloon mice and handed them out to members of the crowd, who then drew blind eyes on their balloon rodent.

The crowd responded to their beloved organist’s ejection by showering O’Connor’s crew with frequent chants of “Three Blind Mice” right through to the end of the game. The league’s response was a little different: Snapp would have to pay a $100 fine, just as any other ejected player or coach would.

The news of Snapp’s ejection made it into papers all over the world. The next day, he received a call from sportscaster Marv Albert and the ejection was mentioned on “Today” by Willard Scott. Even Paul Harvey led off his radio show by mentioning what had happened the day before in Clearwater.

Snapp became even more popular and was soon sought after for autographs, which he happily signed, “Wilbur Snapp, Three Blind Mice organist.” He was dismissed from his job in 1997, as Clearwater switched from Snapp to pre-recorded music. He and Janice still attended many of the Phillies games right up to his death in 2003. After his passing, Janice was asked in an interview with National Public Radio how Snapp reacted to being ejected. “He reveled in every bit of it,” she said.

Remember Me?

The 2006 College World Series in Omaha was a reunion of sorts for umpire Tony Maners. It was a little more than 18 years ago when Maners was the crew chief for an American Association game here in Omaha. It was on that night, May 26th to be exact, that Maners became the second umpire in baseball history to eject an organist for protesting a call.

That organists’ name is Lambert Bartak, who is in attendance for the College World Series game. He is introduced to the crowd at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium and given a warm reception before he sits down to play his aging organ, positioned up in his press box. He first began to play the organ full-time in Omaha for the Triple-A Royals of the AA in 1973. He also got a second job in the same stadium in 1988, playing for the CWS, and has been at it ever since. Nineteen eighty-eight is also coincidentally the year that Maners ejected Bartak.

So on May 26th, 1988, Bartak took his regular seat up in his press box behind home plate. At some point in the game, umpire Angel Hernandez made a questionable call at home plate against the Royals. Omaha catcher Larry Owen began to argue with Hernandez and soon after, skipper Glenn Ezell joined the squabble. As the three men ‘discussed’ the call, Bartak decided to add his two cents.

Bartak began playing the theme song to the “Mickey Mouse Club” and after he finished playing the spelling portion (“M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E”), Maners decided he had heard enough. He mentioned over to Bartak’s box and gave him the heave-ho. Bartak left the park, having no balloons to make mice with.

The next night, the crowd came back to hear their favorite organist, who was back in action. About two dozen fans showed up with Mickey Mouse ears perched on their heads, while one fan decided to dress up head-to-toe as the famous Disney cartoon character. Bartak only did what he did all along, play the organ.

Bartak was let go by the Royals in 2002, as Omaha decided to replace the rhythmic organ with blaring pre-recorded music as many other professional teams had. Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium itself is being replaced in 2011 for a better facility to host the CWS and Bartak doubts they have built a place for him to play an organ at the new ballpark. Until then, he will just keep playing his piano.

Though he probably won’t play the “Mickey Mouse Club” theme song anymore.