Ballplayers In Show Biz
Turkey Mike, Rube, Johnny, and Chuck
Olde-tyme baseball by C. Philip Francis – May 20, 2006
Once upon a time when even the better players made little money they often found extra cash by turning to show business during the off-season – movies, vaudeville, soaps, and television. While few had any acting talent some danced, sang, and even some did recitations and imitations. Hall of Famer Ty Cobb played a hero in “College Widow”, and pitchers Hall of Famer Rube Waddell and Bugs Raymond teamed in a long forgotten flick called “Stain of Guilt”.
Hall of Famer Christy Matheson made over $1000 a week in a skit with then popular actress Mary Tully, and Hall of Fame Rabbit Maranville went on stage as a baseball lecturer. He once sprained an ankle when demonstrating the art of stealing second base with so much vigor that he flew over the footlights and into the band’s snare drum.
Due to name recognition many professional ballplayers had bit parts before the movie cameras such as Bill Dickey, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Bob Lemon, Bill Mazeroski, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth. Also, in 1993 Atlanta Braves outfielder, Dave Justice, played a minor role in the popular daytime soap “The Young and the Restless.”
Here are four big leaguers who combined acting ability with baseball: Mike Donlin, Rube Marquard, John Bernardino, and Chuck Connors. Perhaps you can name others.
Mike “Turkey Mike” Donlin was born in Peoria, Illinois on May 30, 1878, and began his professional baseball career as a pitcher in the California League. Due to continued control problems Mike was moved to the outfield where he stayed throughout his baseball years. He was brought up by the St. Louis Cardinals, and went on to play for six teams including manager John McGraw’s New York Giants. Mike had some great years batting .347 with Baltimore in 1901, a .351 for Cincinnati in 1903, .356 for the Giants in 1905, and was said to be, “…one of the greatest natural hitters in the game.”
Called “Turkey Mike” because of strutting across the field before and after the game, he played only 12 seasons during the 16 years from 1899 through 1914. He served time in jail for assaulting an actress, sat out the entire 1907 year in a contract squabble, and finally left baseball in 1909 after marrying New York Broadway actress Mabel Hite. They had their own act, and often toured in a vaudeville circuit. Mabel died of cancer in 1912 at the age of 27, and although Donlin had to fight depression and alcoholism after Mabel’s death, he went back to baseball before retiring in1914.
Mike moved to Hollywood where he produced a number of silent movies, married another actress, Rita Ross, was in many supporting roles, and died on September 24, 1933 at 55. New York Giant manager John McGraw said of the dramatic and flamboyant Turkey Mike, “He was born on Memorial Day, and hasn’t stopped parading since”, and in his obituary The New York Times said, “He was never the actor he thought he was.”
Richard “Rube” Marquard was born in Cleveland, Ohio on October 9, 1889, and was brought by the New York Giants in 1908. The Giants had paid a then record sum of $11,000 for the left-handed pitcher, but was soon called the $11,000 lemon when in his first major league game the tall and lanky hurler hit the first batter and walked the next two before giving up a grand slam to Cincinnati’s catcher Hans Lobert. The Giants kept Marquard for the next three undistinguished seasons before he had his first of three consecutive 20-game seasons with a 24-7 record in 1911. The lemon had turned into lemonade, and was now dubbed the $11,000 beauty. Rube began the 1912 season with 19 straight victories bringing instant fame and offers to perform on stage. He appeared in a movie before teaming up with famous ragtime singer Blossom Seeley whom he soon married.
Comfortable on stage Blossom and Rube introduced a dance called The Marquand Glide, and collaborated in dramatic and musical plays. Although they had an act in which Rube put on a dress and pitched for Blossom’s all-girl team, Marquand was sophisticated, a teetotaler, and a flashy dresser.
The $11,000 lemon won a total of 201 games over 18 years with the Giants, Dodgers, Reds and Braves, pitched in five World Series, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971. He died in 1981 at the age of the age of 90.
Johnny Berardino was born in Los Angeles in 1917, and was the first player ever to use an agent to handle contract negotiations. His major league career began in 1939 with the St. Louis Browns as an infielder, and although he hit 16 home runs in 1940 he never had more then five in his remaining 11 seasons. Besides the Browns (twice) Johnny played for the Indians and Pirates (twice) before retiring in 1952 with a batting average of .249 and 39 home runs. Johnny lost more than three prime playing years while in service during World War II.
He has been an actor since age six performing in Our Gang pictures, and when playing for the Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck offered to introduce the handsome Berardino to a movie producer. After leaving baseball Johnny went to Hollywood where he was chosen to play the famous cowboy, Tom Mix, in a new movie. There were, however, hold-ups, hang-ups, and mix-ups from some of Mix’s five wives, but after he dropped one of the two “r’s” in the last name become Dr. Steve Hardy in the daytime soap General Hospital.
On April 1, 1993 former baseball player Johnny Bernardino was honored with his own Hollywood Walk of Fame, and during the same year he celebrated his 30th year as Dr. Hardy.
Kevin Joseph Aloysius “Chuck” Connors was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1921. He was brought up by the Dodgers in 1949 where he had only one at-bat before being traded to the Chicago Cubs. Connors appeared in 66 games in the Windy City before he was sent down to the Hollywood Stars in the Pacific Coast League, and never saw the majors again. The fine athlete also played for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association.
He had a bit part in the 1952 film Pat and Mike before starring as Lucas McCain in the successful television series The Rifleman that ran from 1958 through 1963. After his television western series closed Chuck also was seen in a number of movies including The Big Country and Soylent Green, and died in 1992 at 71.