A Little of This, and a Little of That
Or a plenitude of baseball tidbits
Olde-tyme baseball by C. Philip Francis – August 10, 2006
Hall of Famer HOYT WILHELM, a master of the knuckleball pitch, made his major league debut with the New York Giants at the age of 29. In Hoyt’s first at bat on April 23, 1952 the North Carolina native hit his one and only home run, and followed that with his only triple. In spite of his late start in the majors Wilhelm had the record of appearing in the most games (1070) during a 21-year career. He threw a no-hitter against the New York Yankees, and was voted into the Hall of Fame as a relief pitcher in 1985.
While still in the minors, Hoyt was called to duty in World War II, and won a Purple Heart in the Battle of the Bulge. In later years he lived in Sarasota, Florida, and made lamps out of baseball bats and balls. Wilhelm died in 2002 at the age of 79.
Another major league Purple Heart recipient is ROY GLEASON who fought in Vietnam where he was badly injured by mortar fire. Gleason played briefly for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963, and hit a double in his only at-bat before being sent back to the minors.
Quick! How many women are in baseball’s Hall of Fame? Well, up until this summer the answer would have NONE, but now that has changed. On July 30, 2006, 17 special electees from the Negro leagues including one woman became members of the Hall of Fame. The lady is EFFA MANLEY, co-owner and business manager of the Newark, New Jersey Eagles from 1936 to 1948. She fought hard for civil rights, and insisted that any Negro team who sold a player to the majors by fairly compensated..
The other 16 new Hall of Famers are: RAYMOND BROWN, pitcher for the Homestead Grays; WILLARD BROWN, home run hitter for the Kansas City Monarchs; ANDY COOPER, pitcher for the Monarchs; FRANK GRANT, star second baseman for the Cuban Giants; PETE HILL, great hitter for the Chicago American Giants; BIZ MACKEY, standout catcher for the Philadelphia Hilldales; JOSE MENDEZ, player/manager for the Monarchs; ALEX POMPEZ, owner of the Cuban Stars and the New York Cubans; CUM POSEY, JR,, player, manager, and owner of the Homestead Grays; LOUIS SANTOP, left-handed slugger for the New York Lincoln Giants; MULE SUTTLES; feared hitter for the Birmingham Black Barons; BEN TAYLOR, top-flight first baseman for the Indianapolis ABCs; CRISTOBAL TORRIENTE, star center fielder and hitter for the Chicago American Giants; SOL WHITE, player, manager, and historian of African-American baseball history; J. L. WILKINSON, the white owner of the Kansas City Monarchs, and who began the first lighting systems for night games – five years before the major leagues played the first night game in 1935; ERNEST “JUD” WILSON, one of the strongest hitters who played for Baltimore Black Sox and Philadelphia Stars.
One of major league baseball’s oldest players, ELDEN AUKER, died on August 4, 2006 at the age of 95 in Vero Beach, Florida where he had resided since 1974. The submarine-throwing right-handed pitcher came up with the Detroit Tigers in 1933, and had a 10-year career. He also appeared in the 1934 and ’34 World Series winning one game and losing one. Elden was also with the Boston Red Sox for one season, and his last three as a St. Louis Brownie.
Several years ago my wife and I spent one winter in Vero Beach, and coincidentally attended the same church as did Mr. and Mrs. Auker. After I spent an interesting afternoon with Elden in his den talking baseball we continued to correspond until his death. The following comes from his letter dated June 28, 2004:
“Your article on PAUL HOPKINS was very interesting. I have been told since his death, I am now the only living major league pitcher to have pitched to BABE RUTH. I’ll be 94 on Sept. 21, 2004. The first time I pitched to him (Ruth) was as a Tiger in 1933. My first trip to New York was, of course, my first time in Yankee Stadium. I came in to relieve in the 3rd inning, and my first batter was Babe Ruth. I struck him out in four pitches, and pitched against him the rest of 1933 and 1934. He was with the Boston Braves in 1935.” Auker retired with a record of 130 wins and 101 losses.
A few home run thoughts...Less than half of the 16,000 plus major league ballplayers have hit a home run. MICKEY MANTLE of the New York Yankees has hit the most homers as a switch hitter with 536, and the most by a teenager was TONY CONIGLIARO who had 24 as a 19-year-old rookie with the Boston Red Sox in 1964.
Can you believe it? In the 1908 spring training the Detroit Tigers tried to trade TY COBB to the Cleveland Indians for ELMER FLICK even up. Cobb had hit .350 in 1907 and stole 49 bases leading the Tigers to a pennant while Flick hit .302 and had 41 stolen bases. Cleveland owner CHARLEY SOMERS said no deal thinking that Cobb was too tough to handle.
Can you name the only man to manage a major league team, and coach both a NFL and Rose Bowl team? Well, nobody else will either. His name is HUGO BEZDEK who came from Prague, Czechoslovakia at age 11, and managed the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1917-1919 compiling a record of 166 and 187. Oh yes, when Hugo became the Pittsburgh skipper he was the first ever to have never played a professional baseball game, other than team owners. At the time Hugo was the team’s business manager when HONUS WAGNER surprisingly quit his manager’s job after five games into the season.
Bezdek had been a star football player and wrestler before becoming the head football coach at the University of Oregon, and later a scout for the Pirates. He left the Pittsburgh organization in 1919, and became the athletic director and head coach at Penn State. Later he coached the NFL’s Cleveland Rams for two years before retiring. He died in 1952 at the age of 69. (Note: When JOHN BOLES was hired as manager for the Florida Marlins in 1996 he then became the second man to lead a major league team without ever playing a professional baseball game.)