Wilbur Snapp
Baseball park organist
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Snapp, a WWII veteran who couldn't read music, taught himself to play the organ while running a music store in Springfield, Ohio. When he retired in 1982, he moved to Florida and played the organ at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater for the Major Leagues' spring training and during the summer for minor league teams.
He gained national attention the evening of June 25, 1985, when a 22-year-old umpire called an out against Snapp's beloved Clearwater Phillies in a game against the Osceola Astros. Snapp, agreeing with the crowd's roar of disapproval, struck up a chorus of "Three Blind Mice." The young umpire was not amused and ordered Snapp removed.
The ouster made national headlines and became a topic for NBC's "Today" show and Paul Harvey's syndicated radio program.
Snapp continued as a ballpark organist until the stadium switched to recorded music in 1997. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Janice; a son and a daughter; and five grandchildren.
