Updated 9-14-24

Northern League Players Who Made the Majors: G-L

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Joe Gaines

Arnesta Joe Gaines was born in Bryan, TX, on November 22, 1936. He played for the Wausau Lumberjacks in 1956 (.214, 2 HR, 13 RBI).

Joe first arrived to the majors in June 1960 with the Reds playing in 11 games with 15 at bats and 3 hits. In '61 he was only in 5 games for them going 0 for 3 at the plate. In 1962, Joe stayed the whole year in MLB and was used mainly as a pinch hitter (12 for 40) in 64 games batting .231. On Dec. 15, 1962, he was traded to Baltimore for Dick Luebke and Bill Oplinger.

In 1963 for the Orioles and was used as a spare outfielder and pinch hitter with 66 game appearances. He hit .286 with 6 home runs in 126 at bats (5 for 25 as a PH). He completed his Orioles trial in 1964 with 16 games (.154) and was dealt to the Colt 45's on June 15 for Johnny Weekly and cash and played there the remainder of the season (89 games, .254 8-for-10 in stolen bases).

The speedy Gaines played a career number of games in 1965 for Houston with 100 hitting .227 (8 for 32 as a pinch hitter) and had a .292 OBP with 65 games in the outfield. Joe ended his MLB tour of duty in 1966 when he played 11 games batting 1 for 13. In seven MLB seasons, Joe hit a career .241 in 362 games with a .317 OBP and .379 slugging %. He hit 25 doubles, 9 triples, 21 home runs and had 95 RBI. His pinch hitting total was 28 for 123 and he was 14-for-18 in stolen bases. .

In the minors he played with 12 teams from 1956-61 and 1966-68. He had three seasons hitting over .300 including a .315 mark at Indianapolis (Amer. Assoc.) in 1961.

Joe became a clothing salesman in Oakland and still resides there.

Bob Galasso

Robert Joseph Galasso was born in Connellsville, PA, on January 13, 1952. He pitched for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1971 (6.25 ERA, 5-4).

Bob pitched parts of three seasons in the majors over a five-year period. In July 1977, he first appeared for the Mariners and, for the year, was in 11 games including 7 starts. He pitched 35 innings and gave up 57 hits with only 8 walks for a 9.00 ERA.

In 1979, he pitched for the Brewers in 31 relief appearances. This time, his walk total accelerated to 26 in 51 innings. He allowed 64 hits and a 4.38 ERA. Back with the Mariners in 1981 for 13 games (1 start), he completed 31 innings with a 4.83 ERA. That was the end of his MLB career.

Over three seasons, Bob pitched in 55 games finishing 118 innings and allowed 153 hits and 47 walks with 63 strikeouts. His life-time ERA was 5.87 with a .312 OAV. As a minor leaguer from 1970-81, and 1984, he played on 15 teams. He had three seasons with ERAs under 3.00 and he pitched eight years in AAA. In 1989-90, Galasso pitched in the Senior Pro Baseball League.

Bob had lived in Alpharetta, GA, and now resides back in his hometown of Connellsville, PA.

Bob Gallagher

Robert Collins Gallagher was born on July 7, 1947, in Newton, MA. He played for the Sioux Falls Packers in 1970 (.193, 5 HR, 17 RBI). From 1966-68, Gallagher led the Alaska Goldpanners semi-pro team to three straight state titles. His grandfather was major leaguer Shano Collins. Bob attended Stanford University.

Bob first arrived to the majors with the Red Sox in May 1972 as he appeared in 7 games going 0 for 5 as a left handed pinch hitter. He moved to the Astros in 1973 for 73 games and a .264 batting average with 42 games in the outfield and 1 at first. He was 7 for 29 as a pinch hitter.

In 1974, he appeared in 107 games for Houston hitting only .172 in 87 at bats (6 for 40 as a pinch hitter). On Oct. 24, he was traded to the New York Mets for Ken Boswell. His MLB swan song came in 1975 for the Mets with 33 games as he had 2 hits in 15 plate appearances (1 for 10 as a PH.).

In those four MLB seasons, he played in 213 games with only 255 official at bats and 125 appearances on defense. His career batting average was .220 with a .268 OBP and .275 slugging %. His fielding average was .985 and he was 14 for 84 as a pinch hitter.

In the minors from 1969-72 and 1974-76, he played with 12 teams. He hit over .300 for 2 seasons and played AAA baseball for four years.

Bob has taught high school social studies at Santa Cruz (CA) high school for over 25 years. He lives in Santa Cruz.

Aubrey Gatewood

Aubrey Lee Gatewood was born in Little Rock, AR, on November 17, 1938. He played with the Duluth-Superior Dukes in 1960 (2.65, 9-5). Aubrey attended Arkansas State.

Aubrey was selected in the December 1960 expansion draft by the Angels from the Tigers. In December 1961, he was drafted by the Mets from a AAA team, thus becoming the only player drafted for an expansion of both leagues.

However, he went back to the Angels' organization and came up with them for 4 games in September 1963 for 3 starts and one relief appearance. His first appearance was a start where he 4-hit the Red Sox. In 24 innings, he gave up 12 hits and 16 walks while striking out 13 for a 1.50 ERA. He also played part time with the Halos in 1964 for 15 games (7 starts) with 60 innings allowing 59 hits and only 12 walks for a 2.24 ERA.

Those two good partial years earned a complete season with the Angels in 1965. In 46 games (3 starts) and 92 innings, he gave up 91 hits, 37 walks and a 3.42 ERA. Born chips in his right elbow kept Aubrey out of the majors until 1970 when he got his last chance with the Braves in 3 games and an ERA of 4.50.

In a career scattered over four years, he pitched in 68 games and 178 innings giving up 166 hits and 67 walks with 75 strikeouts. The right hander's ERA was 2.78 and he had a OAV of .250. A scouts view: "Aubrey Gatewood is a good example of a knuckleball pitcher who would have spent more time in the big leagues if he had been able to put up similar stats throwing conventional pitches."

In the minors from 1960-64 and 1966-71, he pitched for 20 teams. He had two years with ERAs under 3.00 and had eight seasons in AAA.

Aubrey entered the insurance business in Little Rock and lived in North Little Rock until his death there on June 5, 2019..

Bob Gebhard

Robert Henry Gebhard was born in Lamberton, MN, on January 3, 1943. He played for the St. Cloud Rox in 1965 (1.91 ERA, 11-2). He led the league in win/loss % that year. Bob attended the University of Iowa.

Bob first arrived in the majors in August 1971 and pitched in 17 games for the Twins. In 18 innings, he allowed 17 hits and 11 walks for a 3.00 ERA. In 1972, he was in 13 games giving up 36 hits and 13 walks in 21 innings for a 8.57 ERA.

His MLB career ended with the Expos in 1974 with one appearance. In 31 life-time games, he finished 41 innings giving up 58 hits and 24 walks with 26 strike outs. His career ERA was 5.93 and he had a OAV of .328.

In the minors from 1965-71 and 1973-75, he played with 9 teams. In 7 seasons his ERAs were close to or below 3.00. He played for 5 years in AAA.

Bob continued in baseball with the Expos' organization in 1976-86 as a minor league pitching coach and the director of their farm system. He was a major league coach for them in 1982 and then became an assistant to the Minnesota Twins' General Manager in 1987. In 1992, he was named the General Manager and Senor Vice President of the expansion Colorado Rockies. In 1999 he left that position and joined the front office of the St. Louis Cardinals as a special assistant. In November 2004, he agreed to become an assistant general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks and in August 2005 he became their interim general manager.

During the winter of 2005-2006, Gephard was named vice president and special assistant to the Diamondbacks' general manager. In Feb. 2010 he suffered a mild heart attack and had surgery to insert two stents. He lives in Littleton, CO, where in the off-season he indulges in the hobbies of woodworking and renovating garages.

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Oscar Georgy

Oscar John Georgy was born on November 25, 1916, in New Orleans. He pitched for the Crookston Pirates in 1937 (2.91 ERA, 14-7).

On June 4, 1938, Oscar appeared in his only major league game. The Giants used him in relief on that day and he pitched one inning allowing 2 hits and one walk. He struck out none, but left with an ERA of 18.00 and a OAV of .400.

His minor league record is much longer as he played from 1936-41 for five lower minor teams with his year at Crookston being his best, by far.

Oscar died on January 15, 1999, in New Orleans and he was buried at Greenwood Cemetery there.

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Steve Gerkin

Stephen Paul Gerkin was born in Grafton, WV, on November 19, 1912. He pitched for the Duluth Dukes in 1953 (3.72 ERA, 10-3). He attended St. Martins High School in Baltimore, Maryland.

Steve pitched one year for the Philadelphia A's in 1945 and left with an unfortunate 0-12 record. That year the right hander appeared in 21 games including 12 starts for 102 innings. He allowed 112 hits and 27 walks with 25 strike outs. His ERA was 3.62 and he had a .285 OAV.

He first pitched professionally in 1936 at Martinsville of the Bi-State League and semi-pro until 1943 when he was with Lancaster (Tri-State) where he led the league in wins (20-11, 3.77). He split the 1945 season between the A's and with Lancaster (6-4, 3.00). In 1946 and 1947 he led the Western International and American Association in appearances with 47 and 83 for Salem and Tacoma and the Minneapolis Millers. His records those years were 18-16/4.30 and 10-2/4.27. In 1948, he was with Rochester (29g, 4-4, 3.35) and Columbus (20g, 3-3, 4.75). He was named the American Association's MVP in 1947 and was on leagues' All Star teams in 1943, 1946, 1947 and 1953.

In the July 1948 publication "Baseball Digest", Steve was highlighted in an article titled "He Pitched in 137 Games in One Year!" by Clarence Young. It summarized his 1947 year which started with 10 exhibition games, 83 regular season games in the American Association ("a new record for a pitcher anywhere"), 3 games that were rained out, 4 playoff games and 37 in the Cuban Winter League. At one point, he was used in 8 straight games for Minneapolis with the eighth being a start of which he left in the 5^th inning. "I was simply worn out" he was quoted as saying. In a Millers-Louisville game, he relieved Earl McCowan in the first inning with no outs and a runner at second. He got out of that jam and pitched 2-hit ball the rest of the way. The article stated that he did not think it was necessary to warm up before coming into a game. "Oh, I might have been in the bullpen in the first or second inning, then go back onto the bench and then be called into the game in the seventh or eighth innings."

On May 2, 1948, pitching for Columbus, he replaced Ira Hutchinson in the fifth with the scored tied 5-5, no one out and a runner at third. The next three batters grounded out and the runner did not score which eventually led to a victory for Gerkin and Columbus 6-5.

Gerkin played in the Mexican League in 1949 (18-6) and then not professionally until 1953 as, during those years, he had become married and started a family. From 1949-1952, he also pitched semi-pro at Esterville (managed in 1950), IA, and Sleepy Eye, Fairmont and Rochester, MN. He also pitched in Alexandria, MN, in 1953.

Steve served in the U.S. Army in World War II (served 9 months and 13 days as a private in the Headquarters Company - 59th Armored Infantry Battalion) and became a chef in Maryland and lived in Lancaster, PA, before retiring to Florida. His death came in the Veteran's Hospital in Bay Pines, FL, on November 8, 1978. He was cremated.

[Steve Gerkin photo courtesy Jason Deyo]

Patsy Gharrity

Edward Patrick Gharrity was born on March 13, 1892, in Parnell, IA. He appeared briefly on the Eau Claire Bears in 1938 as their player/manager.

Patsy caught from 1916-23 and 1929-30 for the Washington Senators. He was their full time catcher from 1919-1921 playing in 111, 131 and 121 games and hitting .271, .245 and .310. In his MLB career, he played in 676 games (439 at catcher, 110 at first and 35 in the outfield) and batted .262 with a .331 OBP. His slugging % was .366. He was Walter Johnson's roommate and favorite catcher.

Patsy was a major league coach with the Senators (1929-32) and the Indians (1933-36) which were managed by Walter Johnson. He then was a minor league manager in '38 and a major league scout. On October 10, 1966, he was found dead lying on a Beloit, WI, street. He was buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Beloit.

Wally Gilbert

Walter John Gilbert was born in Oscoda, MI, on December 19, 1900. He played with the Duluth Dukes in 1935-36, the Winnipeg Goldeyes and Superior Blues in 1938 and the Wausau Lumberjacks in 1939-42 as their player/manager. Wally attended Valparaiso University.

Wally first came up to the majors in 1928 with the Dodgers for 39 games hitting .203. From 1929 through 1931, he was their starting third baseman playing in 143, 150 and 145 games. His batting averages during those years were .304, .294 and .266. He finished his career with the Reds in 1932 in 114 games hitting .214. He was a right handed hitter with little power and led the league in errors with 26 in 1930 and assists in 1931. On May 30, 1931, he had 6 consecutive hits in the second game of a double header against the Giants. During the 1931 season, he did not hit a home run in 552 at bats.

In those 5 years, he played in 591 games with a career average of .269, an OBP of .322 and slugging % of .341. After leaving the majors, he played in the minors from 1933-38 before becoming the manager of the Wausau club.

Fort ten years, Gilbert played football for the NFL's Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos. He was their starting tailback, leading scorer and top pass interceptor. Gilbert once dropped kick a football 61 yards and once, when the Eskimos were playing at Rock Island, Ill., Gilbert punted from the back of the Duluth goal out of bounds on the Rock Island 2-yard line. Wally was also a basketball player on touring teams throughout the U.S., an excellent curler and a fine golfer.

In 1942, he worked for U.S. Steel, which was in full war time production mode. In 1943, he managed and played for the Duluth Marine Iron team in the Twin Port League, the only Class E league in Organized-Baseball history. That same year he was diagnosed with an abscessed lung from breathing steel particles. After surgery to remove a lung, doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, had little hope that he would survive the night.

He survived, but, losing his lung meant he could never work again. The all-around athlete had to now stop every few steps to catch his breath. In 1957, "The Sporting News" named him third baseman on its all-time Dodgers team.

Gilbert died at St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth, MN, on September 8, 1958, and was buried at the Sunrise Memorial Park in Duluth. He was named to the Duluth Arena Hall of Fame in 1969.

Paul Gilliford

Paul Grant Gilliford was born on January 12, 1945, in Bryn Mawr, PA. He pitched for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1965 (1.20 ERA, 3-1).

Paul had a two-game stint with the Baltimore Orioles in September 1967 completing 3 innings and allowing 6 hits, 1 walk and an ERA of 12.00. He struck out 2, allowed one home run and had a OAV of .429. His scouting report was that he had average stuff, movement and control.

In a rather short minor league career from 1965-69, he played with eight clubs. The lefty had ERAs under 3.00 in four of those seasons and spent one season in AAA. On June 14, 1968, pitching against St. Petersburg as a Miami player, he completed 11 scoreless innings in relief in a 29-inning game. Gilliford had pitched 7 innings the night before.

Paul became a production control supervisor at Wood Plastics Co. in Malverne, PA, where he still lives.

Hal Gilson

Harold Gilson was born in Los Angeles on February 9, 1942. He pitched for the St. Cloud Rox in 1961 (10.36 ERA, 1-4) and 1962 (5.78, 5-10). Hal attended San Jose City College.

Hal played for two major league teams in 1968 which completed his MLB trial. In 13 games for the Cardinals, he pitched 22 innings giving up 27 hits and 11 walks for a 4.57 ERA. He started off his career not allowing a single run in his first six appearances. On June 15, he was traded to the Astros for Ron Davis where he pitched for 2 more games where he gave up 7 hits and 1 walk for a 7.38 ERA.

In a career 15 games, the lefty completed 25 innings allowing 34 hits and 12 walks while striking out 20. His OAV was .327 and he had an ERA of 4.97.

His minor league experience was with 10 teams from 1961-68. He had two years with ERAs under 2.00 and three years at the AAA level.

Hal formerly lived in Oakland, CA, Chandler, AZ, and now lives in Phoenix.

Danny Godby

Danny Ray Godby was born in Logan, WV, on November 4, 1946. He played for the Sioux Falls Packers in 1968 (.259, 6 HR, 22 RBI). Danny attended Bowling Green.

Godby played football, basketball, and baseball at Chapmanville High School (WV). He was on the all-Logan County team in basketball as a guard and was a three-year starter. Godby briefly was a member of the Bowling Green State University basketball team. The team topped the 100-point mark in six straight games during the season.

He received a partial baseball scholarship for his sophomore year at Bowling Green and was their starting center fielder. He made the All-Mid-American Conference first team as both a junior and senior.

After nearly eight years in the minors, he was called up late in the '74 season by the Cardinals and played in 13 games with 13 at bats, 2 hits and 3 walks (.154 average/.313 OBP). He was 1 for 6 as pinch hitter and played in the outfield in 4 games. That was his only major league experience. On March 25, 1975, he was traded to Boston for Danny Cater but never played for the Red Sox.

In the minor leagues from 1966-77, he played with 12 teams. He hit over .300 in 3 seasons and played at AAA for 9 years. In 1975, Godby injured his knee banging into a fence in Richmond, VA, and he also suffered through a nagging ankle injury. He continued to play through the pain, but hit only .242.

After receiving no offers for his baseball services in 1978, he returned to Chapmanville, where he continued to teach [he had taught in previous off-seasons] and served as the assistant basketball coach at Chapmanville the high school. From 1976 to 1997 he was the part-owner of Dan and Dave's Sporting Goods of Logan and he took over as head coach of the basketball team in the 1978-79 season and held the job until the 1984 season. He also was an assistant baseball coach for 20 years and the teams won state titles in 1987 and 1997.

Godby entered politics in 1989 and was elected a Logan County commissioner, a position he has held ever since (as of 2010). He has now retired from teaching after more than 40 years and was named the county's Man of the Year in 1994. He lives in Chapmanville.

You may read more on SABR's bio pages: http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=3477&pid=5214

Dave Goltz

David Allan Goltz was born on June 23, 1949, in Pelican Rapids, MN. He pitched for the St. Cloud Rox in 1968 (1.61 ERA, 10-3). Dave attended Morehead State (MN).

He was the first native Minnesotan originally signed by the Twins to reach their major league roster [Another Minnesota-born player, Bob Gebhart, first played minor league ball in 1965 and appeared in a Twins game in 1971, but he may have been added to the 40-man MLB Twins' roster after Goltz]. Goltz was discovered by a scout in 1966 while throwing in his parents' back yard and his raise to the majors was thwarted by arm trouble and a stint in Vietnam. In 1971, he had a 14-3 minor league mark and pitched a 7-innings no-hitter for Lynchburg (Carolina).

Dave finally came up with the Minnesota Twins in July 1972 and pitched in 15 games (11 starts) the remainder of the season. He had an ERA of 2.67 and a OAV of .224. The next season he was used more as a reliever (22 of 32 games) giving up 138 hits in 106 innings with a 5.25 ERA.

Spending some time in AAA in 1974, he still got into 28 games including 24 starts for the Twins decreasing his ERA to 3.25 in 174 innings. In 1975, he was a full time starter with 32 and 243 innings and record of 14-14 with a 3.67 ERA.

In 1976, his ERA decreased to 3.36 with 35 starts and another 14-14 record. In 249 innings he allowed 239 hits and 91 walks. Dave had his career year in 1977 with a 20-11 record (tied for league lead in victories) and a 3.36 ERA with 303 innings pitched. He allowed 284 hits and 91 walks with 186 strike outs and, on August 23, one-hit the Red Sox.

Due to rib and finger injuries in 1978, his starts were limited to 29, but he had a career low ERA of 2.49 in 220 innings and a 15-10 record. Returning to good health in 1979, he started 35 games and finished 250 innings, but his ERA increased to 4.16 as he allowed 282 hits. On Nov. 15, 1979, he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 1980, for the Dodgers, he started 27 games and relieved in 8 more for a total of 171 innings for a 4.31 ERA and 7-11 record. Used mostly as a reliever in 1981 (26 games, 7 starts) he completed just 77 innings for a 4.09 ERA. He had his first experience in post season, that year, appearing in 2 World Series games for 3 1/3 innings allowing 4 hits and 1 walk for a 5.40 ERA.

In 1982, he started the year with the Dodgers and pitched 4 innings in 2 games, was released, and then signed with the Angels where he appeared in 28 games with 7 starts. He finished 86 innings with a 4.08 ERA. He appeared in one game of the ALCS for 3 2/3 innings giving up 4 hits and 2 walks for a 7.36 ERA. In '83, he finished his MLB career with the Angels in 15 games allowing a 6.22 ERA. His exit was caused by a torn rotator cuff.

Over his 12-year career, he pitched in 353 games for 2,040 innings giving up 2,104 hits and 646 walks with 1,105 strike outs. His ERA was 3.69 and he had a .269 OAV.

In the minors from 1967-72 and 1974, he played with 8 teams. His ERAs were under 3.00 in 3 of those seasons.

After baseball, Dave originally sold real estate and then started Midwest Insurance Agency in Fergus Falls and Rothsay, MN, which has operated since 1988. He resides in Fergus Falls and coached the varsity baseball team at Minnesota State Community and Technical College--Fergus Falls for two years and has also coached Little League for a time.

Jesse Gonder

Jesse Lemar Gonder was born in Monticello, AR, on January 20, 1936. He played for the Wausau Lumberjacks in 1956 (.296, 14 HR, 68 RBI).

Jesse first arrived on the major league baseball scene in September 1960 with the New York Yankees. Used mainly as a pinch hitter (1 for 5) in 7 games he had 7 at bats and got 2 hits. In 1961 the left handed swinger had another short stay with the Yankees as he was used exclusively as a pinch hitter going 4 for 12 with 3 walks.

In 1962 he moved to the Reds' organization, but only got into 4 MLB games - again as a pinch hitter going 0 for 4. In 1963, he finally got some extended time in the majors and behind the plate. With the Reds, for 7 games, he was 10 for 32 as a batter and then, on July 1, Gonder was traded to the Mets for Charlie Neal and Sammy Taylor. With New York he was used as a catcher in 31 games and batted .302 in 126 plate appearances. He was 10 for 34 as a PH that year.

In 1964, Jesse spent his only year as a semi-starter with 97 games on defense for the Mets as a catcher. He batted .270 with 43 games and he had official at bats as a pinch hitter (8 for 43). He hit 7 home runs and had 35 RBI with a .331 OBP and .979 fielding %. He only played in 53 games for the Mets in 1965 (31 behind the plate) with an average of .238. On July 21, he was sent to Milwaukee for Gary Kolb for whom he played in 31 games (.151). His pinch hitting record that year was 13 for 52 as he led the league in PH appearances.

Jesse moved to the Pirates for his last two MLB years. In 1966, he was used as a catcher in 52 games and batted .225 while going 2 for 12 as a pinch hitter. He closed out his MLB experiences in 1967 played in 22 games batting .139.

Jesse played 8 seasons and hit .251 in 395 games. His OBP was .312 and he had a slugging % of .377 with 26 home runs and 94 RBI. He was 39 for 167 as a pinch hitter (20% of his big league at bats) and appeared in 250 games as a catcher. His career fielding percentage was .981. The rap on Gonder was his defensive deficiencies and lack of speed.

In the minor leagues from 1955-62 and 1967-69, he played with 17 teams. He hit very near or better then .300 for 8 seasons and played 9 years in AAA. In 1962, he won the Pacific Coast batting and RBI crowns and was named league MVP.

Jesse became a twenty-year transit driver for Golden Gate Transit in Oakland, CA, retiring in the mid-1990s. After a brief illness, he died in Oakland on November 14, 2004. Cremation followed.

"Daddy was extremely outspoken, and when he played baseball, that wasn't very popular," his daughter said. "He was honest and competitive, a straight shooter. You knew where you stood with him. After retirement it was all bowling and poker. He was a very good father, a devoted family man. His grandchildren were the apple of his eye."

Tony Gonzalez

Andres Antonio (Gonzalez) Gonzalez was born on August 28, 1936, in Central Cunagua, Cuba. He played for the Wausau Lumberjacks in 1957 (.342, 2 HR, 11 RBI).

Tony first became a major leaguer in April 1960 for Reds and stayed in the majors for 12 years. In 39 games for the Reds in '60, he hit .212 in 99 at bats. He then was traded to the Phillies on June 15 with Lee Walls for Harry Anderson, Wally Post and Fred Hopke where he appeared in another 78 games hitting .299 as a outfield regular. The left-handed hitter was 5 for 29 as a pinch hitter. He then reeled off 8 straight years of playing more then 100 games for the Phils with 6 over 120 games.

From 1961-68, he hit .277, .302, .306, .278, .295, .286, .339 and .264 as a full-time Phillies outfielder. He did have a back injury 1962, but otherwise was very dependable at the bat and on the field as led the league in outfielder fielding % in 1962, 1964 and 1967 (he did not have an error from August 31, 1961 to June 27, 1963 - 421 chances in 205 games). In '62, he had no errors in 276 chances as he was the first center fielder ever to field 1.000 and only the third outfielder overall. He also stole more then 10 bases in 4 of those seasons and hit 20 home runs in 1962. In '67, his .339 average was second in the NL and the majors. During the 1964 season, Gonzalez was the first major league baseball player to wear a batting helmet with a pre-molded ear-flap. [He was in the league's top-ten in hit by pitches.]

In 1969, he went to the expansion San Diego Padres, but only played in 53 games (.225) before being traded to the Braves on June 12 for Walt Hrinak, Van Kelly and Andy Finlay where in 89 games he batted .294. Tony got his only post-season experiences with the Braves playing 3 games of the NLCS going 5 for 14. In game one, he homered off the Mets' Tom Seaver, but also made the final error of the Braves' defensively messy 8^th inning. [With two outs and the bases loaded, he let J.C. Martin's single get by him in center field and 3 runs scored.] Gonzalez' .357 average in the series tied him with Hank Aaron to lead the club's hitters and his 4 RBI tied him with Rico Carty.

In 1970, he continued being an outfield regular for the Braves as in 123 games he hit .265 before being sold to the Angels on August 31 where, in 26 more games, he batted .304. In 1971, he finished his MLB career getting into 111 games for the Angels hitting .245 and going 10 for 29 as a pinch hitter.

Tony had a very good career playing over 100 games in 12 straight seasons. He played in 1,559 games and hit a life-time .286 with a .353 OBP and .413 slugging %. His career fielding average was .987 which put into the top 20 All-Time for outfielders. He had an average, though accurate, arm with excellent range as an outfielder. As a hitter, he hit for average with occasional power, drew many walks and was a good bunter.

He had 6 minor league years, from 1957-59 and 1972-73, with six teams hitting .300 or better in four seasons.

Tony stayed in baseball as a Mexican League manager in 1968 and a minor league coach for the Angels and Phillies. He lives in Miami.

John Goryl

John Albert Goryl was born in Cumberland, NJ, on October 21, 1933. He played for the Eau Claire Bears in 1952 (.294, 8 HR, 25 RBI) when he was an infield mate with Hank Aaron and in 1954 (.314, 9, 90).

John first came up to the Bigs in 1957 for the Cubs getting into 9 games during the month of September and hit .211 in 38 at bats. In 1958, he stayed the whole year with the Cubs acting as their utility infielder in 83 games (44 at third and 35 at second) and batted .242. Only part of his 1959 season was with the Cubs as he hit .188 in 25 games. On April 8, 1960, he was traded to the Dodgers with Ron Perranoski, Lee Handley and $25,000 for Don Zimmer. Goryl never played for the Dodgers.

It took three years to return to MLB when in 1962, 1963 and 1964 he was the Twins' utility infielder playing in 37, 64 and 58 games at second, third and short. His averages those years where .192 (26 at bats), .287 (150 AB's - 9 home runs) and .140 (114 AB's). In 276 career MLB games, his batting average was .225 with an OBP of .306 and slugging % of .371. His fielding % was .960.

In the minor leagues from 1951-57, 1959-61, 1965 and 1967, he was with 15 teams. He hit over .300 in five seasons.

John was a Twins' system minor league manager from 1966-68, 1970-78 and 1980-81, a major league coach for Minnesota (1968-69 and 1979-80) and Cleveland (1982-88 and 1997-98). He was also the major league manager of the Twins in 1980 (23-13) and 1981 (11-25). From 1999-2003, he served as the Indians' Defensive Coordinator and in 2004 he became their Advisor to Player Development.

Goryl lives in Apopka, FL.

Julio Gotay

Julio Enrique (Sanchez) Gotay was born in Fajardo, PR, on June 9, 1939. He played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 1958 (.323, 24 HR, 95 RBI). He won the league's home run crown that year.

Julio first wore a major league uniform in August 1960 and played in 3 games that season for the Cardinals going 3 for 8 at the plate. In 1961 he was in 10 games with a .244 average playing at shortstop.

In 1962, the Cardinals gave the shortstop job to Julio. In 127 games he hit .255 with a .316 OBP and a .956 fielding %. For whatever reason, he did not satisfy their needs and was traded to the Pirates on Nov. 19 with Don Cardwell for Dick Groat and Diomedes Olivo. In 1963, he only played in 4 MLB games and in 1964 only 3 games as he spent nearly complete seasons in AAA.

In 1965, he was sent to the Angels where he again spent most of the year in AAA.. In 40 MLB games, he hit .247 as a utility infielder playing 23 games at second, 9 at third and one at short. In 1966 he went to the Astros' organization and only saw the big leagues' light-of-day for 3 games. It was a better story in 1967 as he split the year between AAA and Houston and saw action in 77 games for the MLB club, batting .282 and playing 3 infield positions. From June 18-20, Julio had 8 consecutive hits.

The 1968 season was only his second (and last) complete year in the majors. For the Astros, he played at second for 48 games and was 8 for 25 as a right-handed pinch hitter. His average was .248. His MLB career ended in 1969 for Houston with 46 games and a .256 average (6 for 30 as a PH).

In 389 MLB games, he had 988 at bats with only 6 home runs and a hitting average of .260. His OBP was .309 and he had a .944 fielding percentage playing 153 games at short, 126 at second, 17 at third and 2 in the outfield. His pinch hitting totals were 25 for 90. He was known as an extremely superstitious ballplayer who feared touching a cross.

As a minor leaguer from 1957-61, 1963-67 and 1969-71, he played with 16 teams. He hit over .300 for 7 seasons and was in AAA for 10 years.

Julio became a physical education teacher in Ponce, PR, and a coach in the Puerto Rican Winter League. He lived in Ponce for many years and died there on July 4, 2008. His burial was at Nuevo Municipal de Florencio in Fajardo, PR.

Jim "Mudcat" Grant

James Timothy Grant was born on August 13, 1935, in Lacoochee, FL. He played on the Fargo-Moorhead Twins in 1954 (3.40 ERA, 21-5).

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The following is from Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia:

"Jim 'Mudcat' Grant enjoyed a long and productive career as a righthanded pitcher for six major league teams. He had many solid years, but 1965 was his year to remember, a year in which he earned the undying affection for all Twins fans.

"Florida-born Grant was nicknamed by a minor league teammate in 1954 who mistakenly thought he was from Mississippi, which is sometimes referred to as the 'Mudcat State'. The name followed him through his entire major league career, which began in 1958 as a part-time starter for the Cleveland Indians. In six-plus years in Cleveland, Grant compiled very average numbers, with his best year 1961, when he went 15-9 with a 3.86 ERA. Two years later he was selected to his first All-Star Game, although a weak finish saw his final record at 13-14.

"In 1964 Grant was traded to Minnesota for Pitcher Lee Stange and outfielder George Banks. He went 11-9 for the Twins that year, but he really turned it on the following season. In 1965 Grant led the American League with 21 victories and a .750 winning percentage, as well as with six shutouts. His pitching helped Minnesota to a franchise-record 102 wins and the AL pennant.

"Grant opened the 1965 World Series with an 8-2 win over Don Drysdale and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Drysdale returned the favor in Game 4, but Grant bounced back on two day's rest to beat the Dodgers in do-or-die Game 6. Grant helped his own cause by hitting a three-run homer while allowing only six hits. Sandy Koufax blanked the Twins the next day to win the word championship.

"After a 13-13 season in 1966, he was moved into a long relief role with the Twins, and in late 1967 [during the off season] he was traded to the Dodgers. For the remainder of his career Grant was primarily a reliever - and well-traveled one at that. He pitched for both the Expos and Cardinals in 1969, compiling an 8-11 record with seven saves.

"Sold to Oakland for the 1970 season, he saved 24 games for the A's before being traded again, this time to the Pittsburgh Pirates for outfielder Angel Mangual in September. The 1971 season, in which he was traded back to the A's, was his final one."

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With the Indians from 1958-64, he pitched in 44, 38, 33, 35, 26, 38 and 13 games before being traded to the Twins during the '64 season. His ERAs during those years were 3.84, 4.14, 4.40, 3.86, 4.27, 3.69 and 5.95. He was a part-time starter from 1958-60 and a full time one from 1961-63.

After his trade to the Twins on June 15, 1964, for George Banks and Lee Stange, he turned his season around with 26 games (23 starts)and a 2.82 ERA. With the Twins until 1968, he pitched in 41, 35 and 27 games with ERAs of 3.30, 3.25 and 4.72. He played in his second and last All-Star Game in 1965. On Nov. 28, 1967, he was sent to the Dodgers with Zoilo Versalles for John Roseboro, Ron Perranoski and Bob Miller.

For the Dodgers in 1968 he appeared in 37 games including 4 starts and had an excellent 2.09 ERA. The expansion Expos grabbed him for the 1969 season, but in 11 games (10 starts) his ERA increased to 4.80 in 51 innings [he did, however, get the win in the first ever Expos' victory]. They then traded him to the Cards on June 3 for Gary Waslewski and they used him 30 times for a 4.12 ERA. On Dec. 5, he was sold to Oakland.

In 1970, the A's played him in 72 games for a 1.82 ERA and with Pittsburgh (traded for Angel Mangual), on September 14, he was in 8 games with 2.25 ERA. The Pirates kept him until Aug. 10 and he was used 42 times with a 3.60 ERA. He finished that year and his career with15 games with the A's (purchased for cash) for a 1.98 ERA. He appeared in his second post-season for them relieving in 1 game and 2 innings without allowing a run.

In 14 MLB seasons, Jim's record was 145-119 in 571 games and 2,442 innings. He gave up 2,292 hits and 849 walks with 1,267 strike outs. His career ERA was 3.63 with a OAV of .248.

In the minors from 1954-57 and 1972, he played with 5 teams. Two of those years were spent in AAA.

After leaving baseball, Jim performed as the lead singer (and with muttonchop sideburns) in a band named "Mudcat and the Kittens", worked for the North American Softball League and was also the head of the Speaker's Bureau for the Cleveland Cavaliers. As a broadcaster, he did Indians' TV games in 1973-74 and 1977. Jim also worked on broadcasts for the Dodgers and Athletics and has been an executive in the Indians front office.

Mudcat has recently spearheaded an effort to organize a foundation ("12 Black Aces") to commemorate the 12 black American pitchers who have won 20 games in a major league season [now 13]. They wanted to establish a traveling museum and fantasy camps. A book about the group was published in the spring of 2006.

He has had to deal with diabetes, arthritis and knee problems over the years, but these did not detracted from his legendary good humor and generosity. He lived in Los Angeles and occasionally, in his later years, performed his nightclub musical act and gave speeches across the country. He passed away on June 11, 2021, in L.A.

Jimmy Grant

James Charles Grant was born in Racine, WI, on October 6, 1918. He played for the 1937 Wausau Lumberjacks and the 1939-41 Grand Forks Chiefs. He hit .275 in 1940 and ..331 in 1941.

Jimmy came up with the White Sox in 1942 for 12 games with a .167 average. He was back with the Sox in 1943 as he played third in 51 games and 58 in total with a .259 average. Sold to the Indians on Aug. 11, he batted .136 for the Tribe in 15 games.

In 1944 the left handed batter led the league in pinch at bats going 5 for 32 and had an overall .273 for the Indians. He also saw action at second and third bases in 24 games. In his 3-year career, he played in 146 games and had 354 at bats with an average of .246, 5 home runs, a .322 OBP and .367 slugging %. His fielding average was .907 in 70 games at third and 20 at second.

As a minor leaguer from 1937, 1939-42 and 1945-49, he played with 16 teams. He hit over .300 for 6 seasons.

Jimmy became a self-employed contractor in Racine before becoming a foreman for the Bukacek Construction Company also in Racine. He retired in 1969 because of ill health and was being treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, when he died at the St. Mary's Hospital there on July 8, 1970. He was buried at the West Lawn Memorial Park in Racine.

Ken Griffey (Sr.)

George Kenneth Griffey was born in Donora, PA, on April 10, 1950. He played for the Sioux Falls Packers in 1970 (.244, 2 HR, 24 RBI).

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The following is from Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia:

"Until his son came along, Ken Griffey, Sr. was the second-best lefthanded hitter from Donora, PA, also the hometown of Stan Musial. Griffey was an unsung star on Cincinnati's 'Big Red Machine' of the 1970's. He and his son Ken Jr. became the first father and son to play simultaneously in the major league in 1989, and they were Seattle Mariners teammates in 1990 and 1991. He said that playing ball with his son was his greatest thrill.

"Griffey starred in football, basketball, baseball, and track at Dorona High School, and he was already starting a family with his high school sweetheart when the Reds drafted him in the 29^th round in June 1969. He fit the Reds' preferred player profile with his great speed and family responsibilities. In his first pro season, Griffey led Gulf Coast League hitters in doubles and outfielders in errors and he would struggle with his defense and his loneliness throughout his apprenticeship. 'I was out on the streets of Sioux Fall, SD, and I survived.' Griffey said. 'I had to learn everything on my own.'

"..In 1973...he grew from a skinny teenager into a barrel-chested adult who could reach first base in 3.5 seconds. He earned a promotion to the majors in August 1973 and hit a blistering .384 in 25 games to help the Red win the NL West crown. He started two games in right field and doubled in the Reds' Championship Series loss to the New York Mets.

"But Griffey began 1974 back in the minors. He returned to Cincinnati after 43 games, then hit only .251 and was a defensive liability. With coach Ted Kluszewski tutoring him at the plate and George Scherger working on this defense, Griffey turned it around after that year. He became a competent outfielder and hit .300 or better in five of the next seven seasons.

"Griffey became a regular in Cincinnati in 1975 after Pete Rose shifted from outfield to third base. On that star-studded squad, he says 'I just did my job and kept my mouth shut.' The Reds clinched the division on September 7 and in their playoff sweep of the Pirates, Griffey knocked in three runs with a double in the opener and stole three bases in game 2. He also started the winning rally in the 10^thinning of Game 3, bunting with two strikes against Ramon Hernandez and later scoring the winning run.

"Griffey was also a key factor in the classic 1975 World Series against the Red Sox. In Game 2 he doubled in the winning run in the ninth; he doubled Rose home with the first run of game 4, and he had two hits and a walk in Game 6. In the fifth inning of Game 6, with the Reds down 3-0, Griffey tripled in two runs and scored the tying run on Johnny Bench's single. In the seventh inning of Game 7, he walked and stole second, then scored the tying run on Rose's single. In the ninth inning Griffey drew a leadoff walk and scored the winning run on Joe Morgan's single, giving the Reds their first world championship since 1940.

"In 1976 Griffey had his best season in the majors. He hit a career-best .366, but was edged out for the batting title by Bill Madlock on the final day of the season. He also stole a career high 34 bases. He was selected to the All-Star Game for the first of three times.

"Knee trouble caused Griffey to miss much of the 1979 season, including the NLCS, but he bounced back in 1980. In that year's All-Star game, he homered off Tommy John, singled to begin a rally in the NL's comeback victory and was a unanimous selection as the game's Most Valuable Player.

"Following the 1981 season Griffey was traded to the Yankees for two minor league pitchers. [His game suffered with the Yankees because he was part of a first base/outfield platoon and he suffered from injuries]. In the next four and a half years, he twice batted above .300... On June 30, 1986, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He enjoyed a revival in Atlanta, where, in only 80 games, he hit 12 homers for a combined career-best total of 21 and stole a dozen bases. In 1987 he started most of the time but was also the league's top pinch hitter, going 11 for 18.

"In 1988 he was released after a slow start and rejoined the Reds as a part-time first baseman and outfielder. Then in 1990, at the club's urging, rather then being handed his release, Griffey was placed on the voluntarily retired list to allow Cincinnati to add pitcher Chris Hammond to it's roster. It was widely speculated that Griffey would join the Mariners to play with his son, but his status precluded his move. With high-level paper shuffling, and some embarrassment to the Reds, Griffey was granted his release and signed with the Mariners on August 29, 1990. The Griffeys started side-by-side in left and center fields for the Mariners on August 31 and singled back-to-back in their first at bats.

"Griffey Sr., hit .472 with 14 RBI's in his first 10 games with the Mariners and he won the first Player of the Week award of his career in September when he batted .632 with seven RBIs and started a 12-game hitting streak... After hitting .377 for the Mariners in 1990, he earned a place on the 1991 squad but suffered a neck injury during spring training that eventually required surgery. He played only 30 games before going on the DL in June, and he announced his retirement in November. 'I surprised myself being in the game for 19 years,' Griffey said, 'I hung around long enough for Junior.' "

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In 19 MLB seasons, Ken played in 2,097 games hitting a career .296 with a OBP of .361. His fielding average was .981 with 1,703 games in the outfield, 172 at first and 14 at DH. As a pinch hitter he was 71 for 252. He was always known as a heads-up, all-around player who was most proficient at the plate.

In the minor leagues from 1969-74, he played with 7 teams. He hit over .300 in 1971-74 and led the International League in stolen bases in 1973.

After his retirement as a player, he became a Mariners minor league instructor and then became their MLB batting coach in 1993 and returned to minor league instruction in 1994. He moved on to the Colorado's coaching staff in 1996, but returned to Cincinnati as a coach from 1997-2001.

Griffey battled heath problems in the summer of 2006 (prostate cancer) and, in the fall, started attending "scout school" in Arizona at his request. . Through the 2008 season he was a special assistant to the Reds' GM which included scouting. In 2010, he was the batting coach for the Reds' "low A" club and will manage their "high -A" club in 2011. He lived in Windermere, FL, and now resides in Winter Garden

Ivy Griffin

Ivy Moore Griffin was born in Thomasville, AL, on November 16, 1898. He played for the Eau Claire Bears as their player/manager in 1939 (.261, 2 RBI) and 1940. He was with Winnipeg in 1942. Griffin attended the Alabama Polytechnic Institute.

Ivy first appeared on the major league scene in 1919 with the Philadelphia A's where, at the end of the season, he appeared in 17 games batting .294 and played first base. He returned in 1920 as their starting first baseman playing in 129 games and hitting .238 with a .281 OBP. The left handed hitter finished his MLB career in 1921 with 39 games for the A's batting .320. In 185 games over 3 seasons, Ivy batted .257 with a .301 OBP

He was a minor leaguer in 1919, 1922-40 and 1942. Ivy played with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1922-29 hitting over .300 every year. He then was with Little Rock in the Southern Association from 1930-32 again hitting .300 or better each season. In the lower minors in 1933-34 he continued his over .300 streak. In his minor league career 2,300 games, he batted .320.

In 1935, he became a minor league manager in the lower minors and continued to play first base. It was the first year he did not hit .300 and he continued as a player/manager through the 1939 season, however, he played briefly in 1940 and 1942. Toward the end of WWII, (1945) he again became a minor league manager through 1946 and then again in 1950, 1951 and 1955. He was a scout for the Cubs in 1953 and, other then his 1955 managing stint, remained at that job until his death, due to an automobile accident, on August 25, 1957 in Gainesville, FL. Burial was at the Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile, AL.

Tom Griffin

Thomas James Griffin was born on February 22, 1948, in Los Angeles. He pitched for the Bismarck-Mandan Pards in 1966 (5.67 ERA, 3-5).

Even though he was not a great minor-leaguer, Tom made the major leagues in 1969 for the Houston Astros and made 31 starts for them with a 3.54 ERA in 188 innings. He was the 1969 National League Rookie Pitcher of the Year and he recorded 200 strikeouts, joining Don Wilson and Larry Dierker to form the second 200-strikeout teammate trio in baseball history. In 1970 and 1971 he split the years with the Astros and their AAA affiliate, but pitched in 23 and 10 games respectively. His ERAs were 5.74 and 4.78 and on April 19, 1970, he one-hit the Padres. Griffin also battled arm trouble during his Astros' years.

In 1972 he began an 11-year stretch of complete MLB seasons. In the years 1972-73, he was used mainly as a reliever (39 games - 3.24 ERA and 25 games - 4.15. On May 7, 1974, he pitched a one-hitter over the Pirates and finished a career-best 14-10 that year. In 1975 he was limited to 17 games (5.33) due to a hand injury. On Aug. 3, 1976, he was sold to the Padres after appearing in 20 games for the Astros (6.05) where he made 11 starts (2.94 in 70 innings). He stayed with San Diego in 1977 with 20 starts and 18 relief appearances for a 4.46 ERA.

In 1978, the righthander played a year for the Angels where he got infrequent use (24 games/4 starts) and completed a 4.02 ERA. Moved to the Giants in 1979, Tom pitched in a career high 59 games including only 3 starts and completed 94 innings with 82 strike outs and 46 walks with a 3.91 ERA. Again used as a reliever in 1980, he appeared in 42 games for a very good ERA of 2.76. His last Giants year was 1981 when he went back to being a starter (22 starts) and he compiled a decent 3.76 ERA in 129 innings. On Dec. 11, 1981, he was traded to Pittsburgh for Doe Boyland.

His MLB career ended poorly in 1982 for the Pirates as he made 4 starts and 2 relief appearances completing 22 innings for an 8.87 ERA. During his 14-year major league stay, Tom pitched in 401 games and 1,494 innings allowing 1,407 hits and 769 walks with 1,054 strike outs. His career ERA was 4.07 and he had a .249 OAV. His record was 77-94 and he was a good-hitting pitcher with 10 home runs in 405 at bats.

In the minors from 1966-68 and 1970-71 he played for 7 teams with 4 being in AAA.

After baseball, Tom entered the investments business. He lives in Poway, CA.

Ross Grimsley

Ross Albert Grimsley II was born on January 7, 1950, in Topeka, KS. He played for the Sioux Falls Packers in 1969 (2.80 ERA, 9-4). Ross attended Jackson State Community College.

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The following is from Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia:

"Free-spirted lefthander Ross Grimsley was one of those pitchers who had three speeds: slow, slower, and slowest. Some suspected that he occasionally aided the flight of the baseball with a foreign substance. Tom Boswell of The Washington Post once wrote about Grimsley's alleged chicanery: 'He is said to have enough greasy kid stuff in his ultra-long curly hair to give A.J. Foyt a lube job and oil change.' That aside, Grimsley still won 124 games in 11 years in the big leagues and a couple of games in the 1972 World Series.

"Grimsley signed with the Reds in 1969 and was in the big leagues two years later. He won 10 games during his rookie season, then improved that to 14 wins with a 3.05 ERA in 1972. He then came up big in the postseason. With the Reds trailing two games to one in the Championship Series , Grimsley beat the Pirates 7-1, on a complete-game two-hitter. Then, after losing Game 2, of the World Series as a starter against the A's , he picked up relief wins in Games 5 and 6.

"But the Reds were perhaps the most conservative team in baseball and Grimsley, a child of the 1960s, did not fit in. After going 13-10 in 1973 he was traded to the Orioles for Merv Retenmund [and Junior Kennedy]. Grimsley responded to the change with a terrific 1974 season, going 18-13 with a 3.07 ERA, four shutouts and 17 complete games.

"The next two seasons were not as successful, but he rebounded in 1977, going 14-10 with 11 complete games. His timing was perfect; he was a free agent after the season. Grimsley signed with the Montreal Expos and had his best season in 1978 going 20-11 with a career high 19 complete games. He retired in 1982, having returned to the Orioles for his final season..."

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Grimsley was named the best rookie lefthander of 1971 by "Baseball Digest". In his 4 years with the Orioles (1974-77) he was used as a starter except in 1976 (28 games/19 starts) and compiled ERAs of 3.07, 4.07, 3.95 and 3.96. With the Expos in 1978-80, he was used mainly as a starter and had ERAs of 3.05, 5.35 and 6.31. In 1978, he became the first Expo pitcher to win 20 games, was named Montreal Player of the Year and Tennessee's top pro athlete. The 1980 season was a partial one with the Expos as he was traded to the Indians on July 11 for Dave Oliver where he was in 14 games with 11 starts and had a 6.75 ERA. After spending 1981 in AAA, he made his final MLB appearances in 1982 with the Orioles (5.25).

He was chosen for the 1978 All-Star Game and pitched a career 345 games and 2,039 innings allowing 2,105 hits and 750 walks in his 11-year stay in the majors. His life-time ERA as 3.81 and he had a OAV of .270.

Ross also played in the minors from 1969-72, 1981-82 and 1984-85 for 8 teams with 3 seasons of ERAs under 3.00.

His father, Ross I, played pro baseball from 1946-61 with 7 years spent in AAA. He had 7 MLB games as a relief pitcher for the White Sox in 1951 (3.86). Recent major league pitcher Jason Grimsley does not appear to be related to him.

Ross II stayed in baseball as a minor league instructor. In 1989, he was the pitching coach for the Braves class "A" team and in 1992 was the Mariners "AAA" pitching coach. From 1995-96, Ross was the Orioles "AAA" pitching coach and in 1998, he was the Phillies "AA" coach. Since 1999, Grimsley has been the pitching coach in the Giants systems from class "A" to "AAA".

He formerly lived in Memphis, TN, and now resides in Owings Mills, MD.

Steve Gromek

Stephen Joseph Gromek was born on January 15, 1920, in Hamtramck. MI. He played for the Fargo-Moorhead Twins as a position player (.214, 1 HR, 11 RBI) in 1940.

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The following is from Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia:

"Wartime in the mid-1940's brought uncertainty and uneasiness to most Americans, but for players like Steve Gromek it brought opportunity for stardom. During his first three seasons with the Cleveland Indians, Gromek became the club's workhorse. He led the staff with 204 innings pitched, posted a 10-9 record, and showed signs that he was ready for greatness.

"He reached that level in the 1945 season, compiling a 19-9 record and a 2.55 ERA and being selected for the All-Star Game. With his pinpoint control, he shot ahead of everyone else on the Tribe's pitching staff, including highly touted Allie Reynolds.

"The following season, however, the big righthander lost 15 of 20 decisions as his ERA skyrocketed to 4.33. Gromek became a reliever over the next six years, and made only occasional starts. His record was not outstanding except in 1948, when he went 9-3 for the world champion Indians. Gromek played a key role in the Series, pitching a complete-game 2-1 victory in Game 4 against Boston Braves' star pitcher Johnny Sain.

"In 1953 Gromek was traded to the Detroit Tigers [in a 8-player deal]. Seemingly inspired by the move back to his native state, in his first full season with the Tigers Gromek rang up 18 victories with a 2.74 ERA. It proved to be his last All-Star caliber season. He finished his career three years later as a mob-up man out of the bullpen."

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Steve spent nearly 13 seasons with the Indians from very limited use in 1941-43 to his trade to the Tigers during the 1953 season. With the Indians from 1944-52, he appeared in 35, 33, 29, 29, 38, 27, 31, 27 and 29 games with ERAs of 2.56, 2.55, 4.33, 3.74, 2.84, 3.33, 3.65, 2.77 and 3.67. He was the mark of consistency. During a 1945 game he pitched a complete game without one assist from his defense. The 27 outs came as a result of 15 outfield fly balls, 4 infield pop-ups, 4 strikeouts, 2 pop-ups to the catcher and two ground balls to the first baseman who handled them unassisted.

[The picture of Gromek hugging Larry Doby, after he had homered in the 1948 World Series, was a landmark in baseball's long battle to integrate successfully].

For the Tigers in 1953-57, he pitched in 19, 36, 28, 40 and 15 games with ERAs of 4.51, 2.74, 3.98, 4.28 and 6.08. In his MLB career, he played in 447 games and 2,064 innings allowing 1,940 hits and 630 walks while striking out 904. His ERA was 3.41, he had a OAV of .247 and his life time record was 123-108.

In the minors from 1939-43, he played for 7 clubs including 3 as a full time position player (infield) and 2 as an infielder/ pitcher. In 1941, he was 14-2 in the Michigan State League.

Gromek became an insurance salesman in Birmingham, MI. He died from complications of diabetes on March 12, 2002, in Clinton, MI. Burial was at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield MI.

Don Gullett

Donald Edward Gullett was born in Lynn, KY, on January 6, 1951. He played for the Sioux Falls Packers in 1969 (1.96 ERA, 7-2) leading the league with the lowest ERA.

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The following is from Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia:

"When Don Gullett showed up in Tampa in 1970 for spring training with the Reds, he had only 78 innings of class A ball on his resume. When asked about the powerful 19-year-old lefthander, Pete Rose said, 'Gullett's the only guy who can throw a baseball through a car wash and not get the ball wet'.

"Gullett made the Reds that spring and for a while he was arguably the National League's best lefthander. He had a tragic flaw: he threw across his body instead of driving toward home plate with his right shoulder leading. Some pitchers - Tommy John, for example - could get away with that delivery, but not Gullett. He retired in 1978 at the age of 27 with a rotator cuff that was damaged beyond repair.

"...He pitched almost entirely in relief for Cincinnati as a rookie, going 5-2 with a 2.43 ERA and 76 strikeouts. His season highlight came on August 23, when he struck out the first six Mets he faced. He then picked up two saves in the Championship Series sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"Gullett moved into the starting rotation in 1971 with a new and improved curveball. He was an instant star, going 16-6 with a league-leading .727 winning percentage. He contracted hepatitis the following year and struggled much of the season, although he pitched well in a World Series start against Oakland.

"Healthy again in 1973, Gullett, went 18-8, starting 30 times and picking up five wins in 15 relief appearances. As a full-time starter in 1974, he won 17 games in 35 starts, working a career high 243 innings despite some back problems. A broken thumb limited him to 22 starts in 1975, but he still finished with a 15-4 record, a career-low 2.42 ERA and led the league with a .789 winning percentage. He then won a game in both the NLCS and the World Series.

"In 1976 Gullett was limited to 23 starts because of a pinched nerve in his neck and the beginning of his rotator cuff problems. Nonetheless, he was 11-3 and started and won Game 1 in the World Series sweep of the Yankees.

"That winter, Gullett was in the first class of free agents. He jumped to the Yankees for a six-year deal worth almost $2 million. The Yankees won their second straight pennant and Gullett was 14-4, but his shoulder limited him to 158 innings. He started the Series opener for the third straight season and saw Sparky Lyle blow the win for him in the ninth. He took a battering and the loss in Game 5, but his team still won the world championship for the third straight year.

"Gullett's shoulder [rotator cuff] worsened the next season and he made only limited appearances. Dr. Frank Jobe, the man who rebuilt Tommy John's elbow in 1974, operated on Gullett's shoulder that winter, but it was too late. He retired to his farm in Kentucky, finishing with an incredible .686 winning percentage."

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In Don's injury shortened 9-year career, he pitched in 266 games and 1,390 innings giving up only 1,205 hits and 501 walks with 921 strikeouts. His career ERA was 3.11 and he had a OAV of .233. His life-time record was 109-50. He only played one minor league season.

Hall of famer, Willie Stargell, said of the young Gullett: He "throws nothing but wall-to-wall heat."

Don was pitching coach at Class AA Chattanooga in 1990, at Class AAA Nashville in 1991 and then was a roving minor league pitching instructor in 1992. He began the 1993 season as the Reds' bullpen coach but was named pitching coach on May 24 and remained at that job until June 21, 2005. Gullett was then an instructor for Gullett Baseball Instruction (a baseball academy located in the Cincinnati area) whose president is Don Gullett Jr. Gullett Sr. died on February 4, 2024 in Columbus. Burial was at the Mt. Zion Cemetery in South Shore, KY.

Bruno Haas

Bruno Phillip Haas was born on May 5, 1891, in Worcester, MA. He was the player/manager of the 1933, 1937-38 Winnipeg Maroons/Goldeyes, the 1942 Grand Forks Chiefs and the 1946 Fargo-Moorhead Twins. He played both as a position player (RHB) and as a pitcher (LHP). Bruno was one of the founding fathers of the Northern League in 1933.

Bruno's only major league experience came in 1915 for the Philadelphia A's when he played 6 games as a pitcher (14 inn, 23 hits, 28 walks, 7 so, 11.93 ERA, .404 OAV) and 3 games as an outfielder (1 for 12, 1 walk). Those were the first professional games he ever played. His only one start came on June 23, 1915, when he set a record by walking 16 men and throwing 3 wild pitches in a 15-7 loss to the Yankees. He quit full-time pitching the next year.

He played in the minor leagues from 1916-17 and 1919-32 before he became a minor league manager. From 1919-31 he played in the American Association and 11 of those seasons (1920-30) were with the St. Paul Saints. He hit over .300 in 9 of his A.A. years and his lowest batting average was .285. On June 7, 1925, he had 6 hits in 6 trips to the plate. In 2,246 minor league games, he hit .308. To help keep himself in shape in the off season, during those years, Haas often ice skated ( he was even a backup goalie for St. Paul of the American Hockey Association for a short time). Known as a tough guy on the field with a temper, he was suspended for three games in 1928 by American Association President Hickey for using profanity in a game against Toledo.

He managed in the Northern League from 1933-34 and 1937-38, 1942 and in 1946-48. Bruno also managed Burlington of the Central Association in 1948 and Wausau of the Wisconsin State League in 1950. Conflicts with umpires punctuated his minor league managerial career. He was a scout for the A's in 1951-52.

Haas joined the U.S. Navy Aviation Service in 1918 and was discharged in 1919. He spent his winters in Florida where he eventually worked as a contractor. Haas died on June 5, 1952, in a hospital in Sarasota, FL, from cancer of the left ureter and anemia, of which he had been suffering for more than 6 months [SABR member Frank Russo researched Bruno in "The Sporting News" archives and refuted a much-repeated story that he had died from injuries suffered while falling from a roof]. He is buried at the Hope Cemetery in Worcester, MA.

Bob Habenicht

Robert Julius Habenicht ("Hobby") was born in St. Louis on February 13, 1926. He pitched for the 1946 Duluth Dukes (0-1). Bob attended St. Louis University.

Bob's brief MLB visits were in 1951 and 1953. In 1951, he appeared in relief for the Cardinals in 3 games completing 5 games and allowing 5 hits and 9 walks with 1 strike out for a 7.20 ERA. In 1953, he played his last major league game making a relief appearance for the Browns. He lasted 1 2/3 innings giving up 1 hit and 1 walk.

In 4 career games playing for both of his home town teams, he pitched 6 2/3 innings allowing 6 hits and 10 walks with 2 strikeouts and an ERA of 6.75. In the minors from 1944, 1946-55, he pitched for 14 teams. Seven of those seasons were spent in AAA.

Bob served in the military in 1945 and, after baseball, became an attorney in St. Louis and Richmond, VA. He served on the Richmond city council from 1964-68 and was vice-mayor from 1966-68. Bob died on December 24, 1980, in Richmond and was Interred Riverview Cemetery there.

Rich Hacker

Richard Warren Hacker was born on October 6, 1947, in Belleville, IL. He played for the Mankato Mets in 1967 (.221, 0 HR, 9 RBI) and led the league in fielding for shortstops. Rich is the nephew of Warren Hacker who was a 12-year MLB veteran from 1948-1961, graduated from New Athens (IL) High School in 1965 and attended Southern Illinois University where he was the team MVP in 1967 and was a member of the NCAA All District 4 Third Team

On March 31, 1971, Hacker was traded from the Mets to Montreal with Ron Swoboda for Don Hahn. He had a short 16-game MLB career after July that year with the Expos. In 33 at bats, he had 4 hits (..121) with 1 double, 2 RBI and 3 walks (.194 OBP). He played 16 games at shortstop.

In the minor leagues, from 1967-1973 and 1979, he played with 9 teams hitting over .300 in 1 season.

In 1974-75, Hacker worked as a purchasing agent for Allied Chemical and hated it. When the plant closed, he went back to school at Southern Illinois University. Late in 1975, he was named the baseball coach at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg, Illinois. Hacker coached there for three seasons (1976-78) winning a state championship in in 1977.

During the summers of 1977 and 1978, Hacker coached in the Alaskan Summer League. In 1979 Rich was hired as a scout by the San Diego Padres. He scouted pitcher Mark Thurmond and signed him for the Padres. The manager of the Amarillo Gold Sox in the Texas League, suffered a heart attack in 1979, so the Padres sent Hacker there to help out both as a manager and a player.

Hacker continued to scout for the Padres in 1980 and was hired by the Toronto Blue Jays to scout in '81. He also coached the Blue Jays'' Gulf Coast League team in Bradenton, Florida, that year. Rich joined the Cardinals organization in November 1981 as special assignment scout and minor league manager. For the 1982-83 and 1985 seasons, Rich was the manager of the Johnson City Cardinals in the rookie Appalachian League. In 1984 he managed the Erie Cardinals to a second place finish in the class A NY-Penn League. From 1986-1990, Hacker was a major league coach with the St. Louis Cardinals and from 1991-1994 with the Toronto Blue Jays.

On July 12, 1993, he was hospitalized in serious but stable condition with injuries sustained in an automobile accident near St. Louis. [He was driving home to Belleville, IL, in a borrowed van when he encountered two vehicles drag-racing across the Martin Luther King Bridge. One of the vehicles struck Hacker's vehicle head-on and he suffered a fractured right ankle and severe head injuries. Taken to the intensive-care unit at St. Louis University Hospital, Hacker was in a coma for a few days but eventually regained consciousness. Rich fully recovered from his injuries.

In 1994, he returned to the Cardinals as a coach with the main task being the creation of hitting charts for opposing teams during games. In 1995 he was not rehired by Toronto and, in 1996, rejoined the Padres as an area scout, a position he held until he retired at the end of 2003. He was responsible for scouting amateur players in the Northeastern states from New Jersey to Maine during this time.

Since retirement, Hacker has spent time enjoying his family and living in his hometown of Belleville, IL. He is also an avid bow hunter.

Bob Hale

Robert Houston Hale was born in Sarasota, FL, on November 7, 1933. He played for the Aberdeen Pheasants in in 1953 (.332, 8 HR, 100 RBI).

Apparently, Hale was called up to the Baltimore Orioles in 1955 mostly based on this three-hit game against the O's when his team, York (Piedmont), played an exhibition game against them. That season he played in 67 games, had 182 at bats, and a .357 batting average. He was 10 for 26 as a pinch hitter and played 44 games at first base. During the rest of the 50's (1956-1959), Bob was up and down between the Orioles and their AAA farm teams.

In 1956, he was in 85 games (207 at bats) for a .237 average (6 for 36 as a pinch hitter and 51 games at first). Bob hit .250 in 42 games and 44 at bats in 1957 with a 9 for 35 pinch hitting record. He had only 20 at bats in 19 games for the 1958 Orioles hitting .350 (5 for 15 as a pinch hitter) and in 1959, he was in 40 games (54 at bats) with a .185 average coming mainly as a pinch hitter (7 for 30).

In 1960, he was traded to the Indians where he played his first full year in the majors. Used in only 5 games at first base, he hit .300 in 70 games and 70 at bats with a league leading 19 for 63 pinch hitting total (also was an Indians' record). Bob began his 1961 season with the Indians (.167 in 36 pinch hitting tries) and, on July 26, was sold to the Yankees where he went 2 for 13 as a pinch hitter. That ended his major league career.

Forty percent of his career at-bats were as a left handed pinch hitter (he hit .248 in that role and .273 total). Bob played in 376 games with 626 at bats. His life time OBP was .305 and his slugging percentage was .335.

In the minors from 1952-1959 and in 1962, he played for 9 teams. Bob hit over .300 in 5 of those seasons and played at AAA for 4 years.

After baseball, he earned his masters degree at DePaul University and his doctorate at Northwestern U. where he also coached their baseball team. He was a high school principal at an elementary school in Park Ridge, IL, and in 2002 was listed as a scout for the Cubs. He died on September 8, 2012, in Park Ridge and was buried in the Town of Maine Cemetery there.

Irv Hall

Irvin Gladstone Hall was born in Alberton, MD, on October 7, 1918. He was the Aberdeen Pheasants player/manager in 1949 (.342, 11 HR, 80 RBI) and 1950 (.301, 2, 60). He won the Northern League batting crown in 1949.

Irv was the Philadelphia A's first string shortstop in 1943 when he hit .256 with a .292 OBP in 151 games. Despite 40 errors as a rookie, he was always known as a "heads-up" fielder. In 1944 he played in 143 games with 97 games at second base and 40 at short. His batting average was .268 with a .309 OBP.

Hall played, in 1945, 151 games at second base with a league-leading "fielding range" (as per "Total Baseball"). He hit .251 and had a .307 OBP. He finished his MLB career in 1946 as the A's utility infielder playing in 63 games and hitting .249.

In his four-year career, he played in 508 games with a .261 average, .302 OBP and .311 slugging %. His life-time fielding average was .977.

As a minor leaguer from 1937-1942 and 1947-1951, he played with 17 teams. He hit over .300 in four of those seasons.

Irv became a minor league manager for the Browns in 1948-50 and the Phillies in 1951. He earned his master's degree in engineering from Johns Hopkins University twenty years after leaving baseball and was employed in the engineering department of Glenn L. Martin Co. in Middle River, MD. Hall worked on the Mace missile project and also coached the Martin Bombers baseball team. In 1968, he joined the Baltimore County Bureau of Engineering and worked as a mechanical engineer until retiring in 1987. He died in his sleep on December 12, 2006, in Baltimore. Burial was at the Dulaney Valley Memorial Garden in Timonium MD.

Jack Hallett

Jack Price Hallett was born on November 13, 1914, in Toledo, OH. He pitched for the Crookston Pirates in 1935 (9-14).

Jack first came up with the Chicago White Sox in 1940 for 2 starts in September. He allowed 14 hits and 6 walks in 14 innings with 9 strike outs and an ERA of 6.43. He stayed the complete year with the Sox in 1941 appearing in 22 games including 8 as a starter. He finished 75 innings with 96 hits and 38 walks given up. His ERA was 6.03, he had a OAV of .306 and he struck out 25. On Dec. 9, he was traded with Mike Kreevich to Philadelphia for Wally Moses, but he never played for the Phillies.

Most of Jack's 1942 season was spent at the Pirates' AAA farm team, but he did get 3 starts for the Pittsburgh going 22 innings and allowing 23 hits and 8 walks with 16 strikeouts for a 4.84 ERA. Due to his World War II service, he only played in 9 games and 48 innings for the Bucs in 1943. He allowed 36 hits and 11 walks for a very good 1.70 ERA. After entering the U.S. Navy during the season, he served through the 1944 and 1945 seasons.

Hallett came back in 1946 and performed well for the Pirates as in 35 games and 115 innings, as he gave up 107 hits and 39 walks with 64 strikeouts. The right hander had a 3.29 ERA and .267 OAV. His last taste of the majors came in 2 games for the Giants in 1948 (4 inn, 3 h, 4 w, 3 so, 4.50 ERA).

In his 73-game MLB career, he pitched 278 innings allowing 280 hits and 106 walks with 128 strikeouts, an ERA of 4.05 and OAV of .270. His win/loss record was 12-16.

In the minors, he played from 1933-1940, 1942, and 1947-1949 for 16 teams. He had three seasons with ERAs near or under 3.00 and spent 6 years in AAA.

After his baseball career, Jack was the sales manager for a Buick dealership in Toledo for 12 years and then sold real estate for six more. He died at the Medical College Hospital in Toledo on January 11, 1982 and was buried at the United Church of Christ Cemetery in Holgate, OH.

Pete Hamm

Peter Whitfield Hamm was born on September 20, 1947, in Buffalo. He pitched for the St. Cloud Rox in 1967 (4-1, 2.57 ERA). Earlier in 1967, he was 4-0 with an 1.00 ERA while helping Stanford University to the Pac 8 Conference title, NCAA District 8 championship and 3^rd place in the Collage World Series.

Pete had two rather short MLB trials for the Twins in 1970 and 1971. In July 1970, he came up and pitched in 10 relief appearances the rest of the year completing 16 innings and gave up 17 hits and 7 walks with 3 strikeouts, an ERA of 5.51 and OAV of .262. In 1971, he appeared in 13 games including 8 starts for a total of 44 innings allowing 55 hits and 18 walks with 16 strikeouts. His ERA was 6.75. On Dec. 5, 1972, he was sold to the White Sox, but never played for them.

In his MLB career, the right hander was in 23 games and finished 60 innings for a 6.41 ERA and .296 OAV. In the minors he also had a rather short career playing from 1967-1972 for 8 teams. He had 6 seasons with ERAs at or lower then 3.00.

Pete now lives in Santa Cruz, CA.

Vern Handrahan

James Vernon Handrahan was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, on November 27, 1936 (based on SABR research in 2016). He played for the Eau Claire Braves for a short time in 1960 and for the complete 1961 season (2-9, 4.50 ERA).

Not surprisingly, he was a hockey player as a youth, but an injury on the ice at age 16 turned his athletic interests toward baseball. When he was 19, he played in a summer college league in Nova Scotia and attracted the interest of Milwaukee Braves scout Jeff Jones who signed him to pitch in their organization beginning in 1959. After a successful 1960 season in class "D", he moved up to the Northern in 1961.

On Aug. 29, 1962, he struck out 19 batters in a game for Boise (Pioneer) using a slider very effectively and went on to lead the league in strikeouts. He was drafted out of the Milwaukee organization, after that season, by Kansas City.

The lefty had 2 stints with the A's in 1964 and 1966. After making the club out of spring training in 1964, he made 18 appearances and pitched 36 innings with 33 hits and 25 walks allowed. He struck out 18, had a 6.06 ERA and .252 OAV having pitched from June to August in AAA.. On August 1, he was one of six A's hurlers to pitch an 11-inning 1-0 shutout over Cleveland recording the save. In 1966, he was in 16 games for 25 innings giving up 20 hits and 15 walks with 18 strike outs, a 4.26 ERA and .227 OAV.

In his 34 major league games, he finished 61 innings for a life-time 5.31 ERA and .242 OAV.

In the minors from 1959-1970, he pitched for 17 clubs. He had four years with ERAs under 3.00 and was in AAA for eight years. In a game in 1967 against Knoxville, Handrahan came within one out of a perfect game. He retired after spending spring training with the Tigers in 1971. "The Tigers gave me my walking papers," he said years later. "I could have stuck around for a couple of years, but when you are in your mid-30s, it's hard to keep a job unless you have a super pitch. I hated to give it up. Baseball," he said, "is the good life."

Vern became a Canadian Postal worker delivering mail in his hometown of Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island where he resided after retirement, but he continued as a scout for the Montreal Expos organization and was a coach in the City Baseball League. Handrahan died in Charlottetown on November 2, 2016, and was buried at the Roman Catholic Cemetery on Prince Edward Island.

Harry Hanebrink

Harry Aloysius Hanebrink was born on November 12, 1927, in St. Louis. He played for the 1948 Eau Claire Bears (.290, 16 HR, 77 RBI).

Harry only spent one complete season in the majors and also played in three partial ones. In 1953, the left handed batter appeared in 51 games as a pinch hitter (2 for 25) and utility infielder for the Milwaukee Braves. His season average was .237 with a .291 OBP in 80 at bats. He was gone from MLB until 1957 when he was in 6 games for the Braves going 2 for 7 at the plate and playing 2 games at third.

The season of 1958 was his most memorable as he was with the Braves the whole year through the World Series. In 63 games, he batted .188 in 133 at bats (5 for 19 as a PH) and added "outfielder" to his resume. His OBP was .270 and he had a slugging % of .301 as he hit 4 home runs. Harry appeared as a pinch hitter twice in the Series going 0 for 2.

On March 31, 1959 he went to the Phillies with Gene Conley and Joe Koppe for Stan Lopata, Ted Kazanski and Johnny O'Brien where he was in 57 games and hit .258 with 97 at bats (11 for 41 as a pinch hitter). His OBP was .273 as he played second, third and the outfield. That was the end of his MLB career.

In 177 major league games, he batted .224 while going 19 for 89 as a pinch hitter. His OBP was .279 and his slugging % was .315.

In the minors from 1948-1957 and 1959-1961, he performed with 16 teams. He was in AAA for 8 years having 20 or more home runs in 2 of those seasons.

Harry served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. After baseball, he was a real estate broker for 20 years with Dolan Realtors in St. Louis. In 1992, he became a shuttle bus driver for QuickPark at Lambert Field. On September 9, 1996, he died at the DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton, MO, after suffering an aneurysm. He is buried at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis.

Red Hardy

Francis ("Frank") Joseph Hardy was born in Marmarth, ND, on January 6, 1923. He pitched for the 1942 Eau Claire Bears (3-4, 3.74 ERA) and the 1946 St. Cloud Rox (7-0, 1.70). Red attended South High School in Minneapolis and played ball there for teams sponsored by the Minneapolis Park Board at Powderhorn Park. His catcher for many of those games was Don Wheller who also caught him for Eau Claire in 1942, St. Cloud in 1946 and with the Minneapolis Millers in 1948. Don also reached the majors. Red attended University of St. Thomas (MN).

Red played only two MLB games for the New York Giants in 1951. In those relief appearances he completed 1 1/3 innings and allowed 4 hits and 1 walk with no strike outs. His ERA was 6.75.

As a minor league player in 1942 and 1946-1951, he played on 10 teams. His ERA was under 3.00 in two of those years and he played seven seasons in "AAA".

Red served his country in the military from 1943 through 1945 (U.S. Navy pilot). After baseball, he entered the jewelry business in Phoenix, AZ, and died there on August 15, 2003. Burial was at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery in Phoenix.

Larry Harlow

Larry Duane Harlow was born on November 13, 1951, in Colorado Springs. He played for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1971 (.304, 3 HR, 34 RBI). Larry attended Mesa Community College.

Larry started his MLB career in September 1975 for the Baltimore Orioles playing in 4 games as an left handed hitting outfielder while going 1 for 3 at the plate. His next MLB appearances came in 1977 for the O's playing in 46 games and having 48 at bats (.208). He appeared in more games in 1978 then in any other season (147) as he hit .243 with 460 at bats as a regular outfielder. His OBP was .326 and he had a slugging % of .354.

Harlow began the 1979 season as a regular with the Orioles, but after 38 games (.268), he was traded to the California Angels for Floyd Rayford and cash and he hit .233 in 62 games and 159 at bats. That year his OBP was .350 and with the Angels he appeared in 3 ALCS games going 1 for 8. The hit was during a ninth-inning rally in game 3 when he doubled off the Orioles' Don Stanhouse to drive in Brian Downing for the Angels' first-ever playoff victory.

In 1980, for the Angels, he was in 109 games with a decent .276 average and .377 OBP. His 1981 season was his last in MLB when he played in 43 games batting .207.

In Larry's 6-year career (449 games), his batting average was .248 with a .344 OBP and .339 slugging % in 1,094 at bats. He was 6 for 39 as a pinch hitter and his life-time fielding average was .971 as an outfielder. Former Twins manager and Orioles' pitching coach Ray Miller said of Harlow: "There was a guy who never had remarkable statistics, but damned if he wasn't the most graceful player I ever saw."

As a minor league player from 1971-1977 and 1983-1984, he played for 11 teams. He had two seasons where he hit over .300. Harlow played in Japan in 1982.

In 1989-90, he played in the Senior Baseball League. He lives in Norco, CA.

Toby Harrah

Cobert Dale Harrah was born in Sissonville, WV, on October 26, 1948. He played for the Huron Phillies in 1967 (.256, 3 HR, 22 RBI). Toby attended Ohio Northern University.

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The following is from "Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia":

"If you look at the numbers, Toby Harrah had a notable career in his 16 years with the Senators, Rangers, Indians and Yankees. He played 2,155 games and accumulated 1,954 hits, 195 homers, 918 RBIs, 1,115 runs, 238 stolen bases and 1,153 walks - but he never played on a winner. The two major league records he did set were unfortunately negative. In 1977 he had no assists in a 17-inning game at third base and in 1976 he had no chances in a doubleheader as a shortstop.

"<He> played one year on a football scholarship at Ohio Northern U. and then signed with the Phillies as a free agent in 1966. The Senators drafted him in 1967 after he hit .256 with three homers and 207 at bats in the Northern League.

"By 1971 Harrah was the Senators' shortstop. During his rookie year he hit .230 with two homers. In 1972 (the year the Senators became the Texas Rangers), Harrah started to show some power with a .259 average. He hit 10 homers in 1973, despite missing five weeks with a broken finger. He enjoyed his breakout year in 1974 when he hit .260 with 21 homers and 74 RBIs.

"The following year he averaged .293, with 20 homers and a career-high 93 RBIs; he also tallied 98 walks and 23 stolen bases. In 1977 Harrah slugged a career-high 27 homers and led the AL in base on balls with 109. During the season he moved to third base - he was only 28, but he had lost too much range to handle shortstop.

"In 1978 Harrah slumped badly, hitting .229 with 12 homers and 59 RBIs. After the season, he was traded to the Indians for Buddy Bell, another third baseman. Harrah spent five years with the Indians. During this time Cleveland finished sixth three times, seventh once and tied for fifth once. He had only nine homers in his last season and was traded to the Yankees in 1984 [with Rick Browne for George Frazier, Otis Nixon and Gary Elston]. After one year in New York, platooning at third with Mike Pagliarulo, he was traded back to the Rangers. Harrah retired in 1986 after hitting .218 in 95 games."

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Toby first appeared in a MLB game in 1969 when he played in 8 September games for the Washington Senators but had only one at bat and one game at shortstop. With the Senators/Rangers from 1971-1979 he played in 127, 116, 118, 161, 151, 155, 159 and 139 games and batted .230, .259, .260, .260, .293, .260, .263 and .229. He was also chosen for the All Star games in 1975 and 1976. He was obviously overmatched when he first played regularly in 1971, but after that season Harrah spent the winter studying with veteran shortstop Chico Carrasquel in South America and his performance improved thereafter. His 1972 year was shortened by an appendectomy and a shoulder injury which also caused him to miss the All Star game.

In 1974, he led shortstops in putouts and tied in errors. His manager, Billy Martin, said at the time: "I don't know how a guy could cover more ground, and he also has that great arm." In 1975, "TSN" named him to their season's AL All Star team. Toby, during the 1975 year, led AL shortstops in putouts, total chances and errors. He set an odd record on June 25, 1975, by taking no chances defensively at short during both game of a doubleheader. On September 17, 1976, while playing third, he played 17 innings without an assist - which also set a record. He set a career high in 1978 by stealing 31 bases.

With the Indians from 1979-1983, he played in 149, 160, 103, 162 and 138 games hitting .279, .267, .291, .304 and .266. He was chosen for the 1982 All Star game. Harrah scored 100 runs in 1980 and 1982. In 1982, besides hitting .304, he had 25 homers and finished second in the AL with a .400 on-base percentage. In 1983, he led AL third basemen in fielding. [At third base, he almost always guarded the line, which, of course, cut down on his range. He said is was more important to cut off potential doubles than singles.] During his Indians' days, Toby played in 476 consecutive days until a Dennis Martinez pitch broke his hand in April 1983.

The Yankees planned to platoon him with Graig Nettles in 1984, but Nettles protested and was traded to the Padres. NYC pressures surfaced and Harrah lost his starting position to rookie Mike Pagliarulo. Before the 1985 season, he was traded to the Rangers for Billy Sample and a minor league pitcher. He was Texas' regular second baseman in '85 hitting .270 with 113 walks (second in the majors) and was third in the AL with a .437 OBA.

His career batting average was .264 with a .368 OBP and .395 slugging %. He was 238 for 332 as a base stealer. In the minors from only 1967-1970, he played on 5 teams. Harrah was noted for his good eye at the plate, regularly in the top ten in the league for bases on balls, and often among the leaders in reaching base safely. He also had better than average power for a defensive infielder, hitting 195 career home runs.

Toby managed the Rangers' AAA Oklahoma City farm club in 1987 and 1988 and then coached for the Rangers from 1989 through 1992. He was the Rangers' manager for the second-half of the 1992 season (33-44) and stayed with the team as a coach through 1994. In 1995 he became manager of the Mets' AAA affiliate and was named the International League's manager of the year for his 86-56 record. He returned to major league coaching with the Tigers for the 1996 and 1997 seasons, the Reds for 1998 and the Rockies for 2000-02. From January 2003 through 2005 he was the bench coach for the independent Ft. Worth Cats and was a special consultant and hitting instructor at Texas Wesleyan (a university in the NAIA). In 2006 he was a roving minor league coach for the Detroit Tigers and now their minor league hitting coordinator .

Harrah lives in Azle, TX, which is in the Ft. Worth area.

Roric Harrison

Roric Edward Harrison was born in Los Angeles on September 20, 1946. He played for the Bismarck-Mandan Pards in 1966 (3-7, 4.98).

On August 24, 1969, Harrison was traded by the Astros to the Seattle Pilots with Dooley Womack for Jim Bouton. On April 5, 1971, he was traded to Baltimore with Marian Jackson for Marcelino Lopez. Harrison won 15 games in the International League that year, but he wrenched a knee in the playoffs which cost him a promotion to the O's [the knee would cause him problems the rest of his career]. He finally made his first appearances in the major leagues in 1972 for the Orioles. In 39 games, including 2 starts, he finished 94 innings giving up only 68 hits and 34 walks with 62 strikeouts and a 2.30 ERA/.209 OAV. On Nov. 30, 1972, he was traded to the Braves in the Earl Williams deal and made 22 starts and relieved in 16 more games for a total of 177 innings. He allowed 161 hits and 98 walks for a 4.16 ERA/.242 OAV with 130 strikeouts.

In 1974, he started 20 games for the Braves and compiled a 4.71 ERA in 126 innings while giving up 148 hits and 49 walks. He struck out 46 and had a .294 OAV. He made 15 appearances (7 starts) with the Braves (4.77 ERA) in 1975 before being traded to the Cleveland Indians on June 7 for Blue Moon Odom and Rob Belloir where he started 19 games with a 4.79 ERA. On April 7, 1976, he was sent to the Cardinals for Harry Parker, but never played for St. Louis.

Roric finished his major league career in 1978, with the Twins, when he made 9 relief appearances for an ERA of 7.50. In 140 MLB games, he completed 590 innings, gave up 590 hits and had 257 walks with 319 strikeouts. The right hander's ERA was 4.24 and he had a .261 OAV. Harrison had several knee operations with the first coming in 1969.

In the minors from 1965-1971 and 1976-1978, he pitched for 13 teams. Six of those seasons were spent in AAA.
Roric served in the military in 1967. He formerly lived in San Clemente, CA, and now resides in Newport Coast.

Bill Hart

William Woodrow Hart was born on March 4, 1913, in Wiconisco, PA. He played for the Duluth Dukes in 1937 (.269, 18 HR, 77 RBI).

Bill played 3 partial years with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1943, he came up in September and was in 8 games playing third base and shortstop and was at the plate 19 times with 3 hits (.158). In 1944, he was in 29 games with 23 at shortstop for a .176 average. In his last year of 1945, he played in 58 games with 161 at bats and an average of .230. He was at third base for 39 games and at short for 8. In 95 MLB games, he batted .207 with a .272 OBP and .307 slugging percentage.

In the minors from 1935 and 1937-1952 he played with 18 teams. He hit over .300 in six seasons and was a AAA player for three years. For seven seasons he hit 15 or more home runs.

After his playing days were over, he managed minor league baseball for a short while, then worked as a machine operator for the Reifs and Nestor Company of Lykens. PA. . Hart died from cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcoholism on July 29, 1968, at the Holy Spirit Hospital in Lykens and was buried at the Wiconisco Cemetery in Wiconisco, PA.

Chuck Hartenstein

Charles Oscar Hartenstein ("Twiggy") was born in Seguin, TX, on May 26, 1942. He pitched for the St. Cloud Rox in 1964 (8-5, 3.27). Chuck attended Texas University.

Chuck was first a major leaguer in September 1966 as he made 5 relief appearances for the Chicago Cubs with a 1.93 ERA in 9 innings. In 1967 he was in 45 Cubs' games for a total of 73 innings. He allowed 74 hits and 17 walks with 20 strikeouts and a 3.08 ERA/.278 OAV. He finished his Cubs career in 1968 with a 4.54 ERA in 28 games. On Jan. 15, 1969, he was traded with Ron Campbell to Pittsburgh for Manny Jimenez.

In 1969, for the Pirates, the sinkerballing reliever appeared in a career high 56 games. In 96 innings he gave up 84 hits and 27 walks with 44 strikeouts, a 3.95 ERA and .241 OAV. For the Bucs in 1970, he pitched in 17 games (4.56 ERA) before being sold to the Cardinals on June 22 where he made 6 appearances for 13 innings and had an 8.78 ERA. He made a third stop that year with the Red Sox as, in 17 games, he allowed 6 home runs in 19 innings which contributed to a poor 8.05 ERA.

Chuck was then gone from the majors until 1977 when he finished up with the Blue Jays (purchased on Nov. 5, 1976, from San Diego) for 13 games (27 innings) and gave up 40 hits and 6 walks with 15 strikeouts and an ERA of 6.59. Again, his home run allowed total was high at 8. In a career 187 MLB games (all in relief) he completed 297 innings and gave up 317 hits and 89 walks for a 4.52 ERA and .280 OAV.

In the minor leagues from 1964-1968 and 1970-1976 he played for 12 teams with 10 years in AAA. He had 6 seasons with an ERA at or below 3.00.

Chuck stayed in baseball as a minor league pitching coach and a major league coach for the Indians (1979) and the Brewers (1987 through 1989). He was a scout for the Angels in 1990 and the pitching coach at the University of Texas in 1992-93. He had worked during the off seasons as a real estate salesman and retired in in Austin, TX.

In 2015, he told interviewer Kevin Glew, “Physically I’m deteriorating, but my mind is still as dull as ever. I’m just having a ball sitting here and drinking Budweiser and being around my family.” [Was he kidding?] Chuck died on October 2, 2021, in Austin and was cremated. His cause of death was probably cancer.

Clint Hartung

Clint Clarence Hartung ("The Hondo Hurricane") was born on August 10, 1922, in Hondo, TX. He played for the Eau Claire Bears in 1942 (3-1, 3.51 as a pitcher and .358, 12 HR, 61 RBI as a position player).

After 4 years in the U.S. Army Air Corps (1943-46) and a big buildup from his great play on military teams [Cynics, at the time, said he should "not bother playing, just get ready for the Hall of Fame.], Clint arrived in the majors with the New York Giants in 1947. He played in 23 games as a pitcher (.4.07 with 20 starts and 138 innings) and batted .309 in 94 at bats with 7 games as an outfielder. Used strictly as a pitcher in 1948, he appeared in 36 games with 19 as a starter. His ERA was 4.75 and he had a OAV of .258 in 153 innings. His batting average fell to .179.

During the 1949 season, the Giants used the 6'5", 210 pound, Hondo in 33 games (25 as a starter) as he completed 154 innings allowing 156 hits and 86 walks for a 5.00 ERA. In 1950, his ERA got worse to 6.61 as he was used in 20 games with only 8 coming as a starter. He was also used in the outfield twice and at first base in one game (..302).

In 1951, the Giants only used him as an outfielder and pinch hitter. He batted .205 with 12 appearances in the outfield and 7 as a pinch hitter (3 for 7). In the World Series, Clint had 4 at bats with no hits and played outfield defense in 2 games. The 1952 season was his last as he hit only .218 with 24 games in the outfield and 3 as a pinch hitter.

As a pitcher, he pitched in 112 MLB games finishing 511 innings and giving up 529 hits and 271 walks with 167 strikeouts. His career ERA was 5.02 and he had a .269 OAV. As a batter, he hit .238 in 378 at bats with 14 home runs and 43 RBI. He appeared as an outfielder in 45 games, 1 as a first baseman and 31 as a pinch hitter (10 hits). He lacked the control to be an effective pitcher and struck out too much to play regularly as a position player.

In the minor leagues in 1942 and 1952-1955, he played for nine teams with four years in AAA. He hit over .300 in two seasons.

Clint became a foreman for Marathon Oil in Sinton, TX. He died at his home there on July 8, 2010, from congestive heart failure. Burial was at the Sinton Cemetery. .

Joe Hatten

Joseph Hilarian Hatten was born on November 17, 1916, in Bancroft, IA. He pitched for the 1939 Crookston Pirates (14-14, 3.02 ERA, 26 complete games, 244 inn, 299 strike outs).

Hatten's dad ran a harness store in Bancroft which had a population of 900. Joe was the 3^rd of 11 children. "I broke into baseball at Mankato, Minn, 80 miles from Bancroft," remembered Hatten. "The Minneapolis team was playing an exhibition game in Mankato and I went over with a friend. Andy Cohen was the manager of the Miller, and I asked and received permission to pitch batting practice." He was asked how he did by a "TSN" reporter in April 1946. "Oh, I guess I must have done all right. A couple of weeks later I received a telegram from the Minneapolis front office, offering me a contract. But I was too green for the American Association and they sent me to Crookston in the Northern. League."

In 1940 he was with Anniston (Southeastern) and had a 7-18 record. "I had a sore arm. Guess I threw too hard at Crookston for a kid. After pitching for the Millers in 1941, the Dodgers traded Van Lingle Mungo for him and sent Joe to AAA Montreal in 1942. He had a 4-2 record before being called into the Navy on May 17. He was in the service for 42 months and ten of those were at sea. The rest of the time he pitched often in service games.

After the war (1946), Hatten did not sign a major league contract as soon as the Dodgers wished and he was considered a hold-out. However, by April he finally agreed and was added to their roster.

Joe was a front line starting pitcher with Brooklyn for 4 seasons and continued in the majors as mainly a reliever for 3 more years. His first major league experience was in 1946 as he played in 46 games with 30 as a starter. He finished 222 innings giving up 207 hits and 110 walks with 85 strikeouts, a 2.84 ERA, .253 OAV and a 14-11 record. In 1947, he also was in 42 games with 32 starts and 225 innings pitched. His ERA increased to 3.63, but his record improved to 17-8. [Hatten was the Dodgers starting pitcher in the game when Jackie Robinson made his debut.] He appeared in 4 games of the World Series, including 1 start, pitching 9 innings with 12 hits and 7 walks allowed for a 7.00 ERA.

In 1948, for the third straight year, he pitched in 42 games and again started 30 times. He completed 209 innings with a 3.58 ERA and a 13-10 record. The 1949 season was the last year that the Dodgers used him as a full time starter as his ERA escalated to 4.18 in 37 games including 29 starts for 187 innings. In the World Series, he relieved in 2 games for 1 2/3 innings allowing 4 hits and 2 walks for a 16.20 ERA.

The lefty was used mainly in relief in 1950 in 23 games (8 starts) for 82 innings and a 4.59 ERA and .294 OAV. In 1951, he began the year with the Dodgers for 11 games (6 starts) with a 4.56 ERA in 49 innings and then was traded to the Chicago Cubs on June 15 in a 8-player deal where he pitched in 23 games with 6 starts. His ERA was 5.14 in 75 innings.

His MLB career closed in 1952 with 13 games for the Cubs including 8 starts. In 50 innings, he gave up 65 hits and 25 walks for a 6.08 ERA. In his career, he made 233 appearances and completed 1,087 innings giving up 1,124 hits and 492 walks with 381 strikeouts. His life-time ERA was 3.87 with a .271 OAV and a 65-49 record.

As a minor leaguer in 1939-1942 and 1952-1960, he played with 14 teams. He had five years with ERAs near or under 3.00 and played 11 years in AAA. He did not retire until he was nearly 44 years of age.

He became a postal worker in Redding, CA, and died there at the Redding Medical Center from prostate cancer on December 16, 1988. He was buried at the Inwood/Ogburn Cemetery in Shingletown, CA.

Phil Haugstad

Phillip Donald Haugstad was born on February 23, 1924, in Black River Falls, WI. He pitched for the Grand Forks Chiefs in 1946 (15-13, 3.34 ERA).

Haugstad was a fastball-type pitcher for Alma Center High School in WI where he pitched three no-hitters. Like most fastballers, control was a problem. In a September 1949 article in "TSN", it was said that his standard m.o. was to walk 2 or 3 and hit at least one batter in the first inning of his games. He had a violent motion throwing himself a fair distance toward home pate with every pitch. In 1949 he claimed that he had learned much at spring training that year as he said: "I think I've got the control problem about licked." He had a good year at St. Paul in '49 as he won 22 games for the Saints which was the first time the team had a 20-game winner since 1936.

Phil had one complete MLB season and three short tastes of the majors. He came up with the Dodgers in September 1947 and appeared in six games for 12 2/3 innings giving up 14 hits and four walks with an ERA of 2.84. In 1948, he was in only one game and one inning allowing no runs.

His next major league experience was in 1951 when he stayed the whole season with the Dodgers. In 21 games including one start he finished 31 innings allowing 28 hits and 24 walks with 22 strikeouts. His ERA was 6.46 and he had a .233 OAV. On May 25, 1952, Phil was sold to the Reds for the waiver price and finished his MLB career with 9 games for 12 innings and a 6.75 ERA.

In his 37 MLB games, the right hander completed 56 innings giving up 51 hits and 41 walks with 28 strikeouts for a 5.59 ERA and .241 OAV. His minor league career occurred from 1946-1950 and 1952-1955 for 10 teams. His best year was in 1949 for the St. Paul Saints where he went 22-7 with a 2.85 ERA.

Phil served as an airplane mechanic for the U.S. Army Air Corps in WWII. After pro baseball, Phil owned and operated a logging and pulping business in his home town of Black River Falls from 1955 to 1991 where he also helped out with local town teams. He died at the Black River Falls Memorial Hospital on October 21, 1998, and is buried at Riverside Cemetery.

Wynn Hawkins

Wynn Firth Hawkins ("Hawk") was born on February 20, 1936, in East Palestine, OH. He pitched for the Fargo-Moorhead Twins in 1955 (10-12, 4.43 ERA). He was the all-time leading basketball scorer at Baldwin-Wallace University.

Wynn's first major league appearances came in April 1960 for the Cleveland Indians. That season he pitched in 15 games including 9 starts finishing 68 innings while giving up 68 hits and 39 walks. He struck out 39 and had a 4.23 ERA. On June 17, he was 0 and 2 on Ted Williams when he tried to waste an inside slider, but Ted hit it over the left-center field fence for his 500^th home run. In 1961, he had his career year as he stayed with the Indians for the complete season. Wynn made 21 starts and was used as a reliever in 9 games completing 133 innings and allowed 139 hits and 59 walks with 51 strikeouts and a 4.06 ERA/.270 OAV.

His 1962 season was shortened due to military service as he made only three appearances for 3 2/3 innings and a 7.36 ERA in his MLB swan song. He was sold to the Mets on Nov. 27, 1962, but never played for them. Wynn played in 48 MLB games (30 starts) for 203 innings giving up 216 hits and 99 walks with 90 strikeouts, a 4.17 ERA and a .274 OAV.

In the minor leagues from 1955-1960 and 1962-1964, the right hander pitched for 10 teams. He had 5 seasons with ERAs near or under 3.00 and spent 4 years in AAA.

Wynn scouted for the Indians and, in the late 1960's, was their traveling secretary. He then became a security officer with General Motors while he lived in Lordstown, OH. He lived in Cortland, OH, and was an avid golfer on courses in Northeast Ohio. He died in Corland on February 11, 2021.

.

Hal Haydel

John Harold Haydel was born in Houma, LA, on July 9, 1944. He pitched for the St. Cloud Rox in 1963 (12-9, 2.60) after being obtained by the Cubs from the Houston Colt 45s on March 28 with Merritt Ranew.and Dick LeMay for Dave Gerard and Danny Murphy.

Hal came up with the Minnesota Twins in September 1970 for 4 relief appearances for 9 innings with a 3.00 ERA. In 1971, the right hander was in 31 games for the Twins for a 4.27 ERA in 40 innings. He gave up 33 hits and 20 walks while getting 29 strikeouts and a OAV of .243. They were his last MLB games.

In 2007, Hal described his first major league game: “In my first major league game, Luis Tiant was pitching and hurt himself in the first inning. So they called out to the bullpen for me to come in. It was against the Milwaukee Brewers. I went in and there were 40,000 people in the stands...I was nervous, yet controlled enough to say 'Hal, this is the big moment that you've been waiting for all your life, so why do you want to be nervous? Why?' I kept telling myself that but couldn't get my legs to stop shaking.

“I ended up pitching seven innings and gave up a few runs and we won 8-3. But my claim to fame is that in my first time at-bat, I hit a double. And then, in my second time at-bat, I hit probably the longest ball that's ever been hit at Metropolitan Stadium for a home run, and that's not true but you can print that. (Laughs)”

As a minor leaguer from 1962-1972, he played for 12 clubs. Haydel played six years in "AAA".

His comments about his pitching: “My big thing was my fastball. I could throw it very hard, and could make it sink and slide. And I was probably in the neighborhood of 93 to 95 mph. That was the pitch I could always do best. My curveball was mediocre. My slider got me by, and my changeup,well, I'm still trying to find that one.”

After his professional career, he became the manager of Trapp Chevrolet in Houma were he lived. He also coached little league baseball for many years and enjoyed fishing and golf. After many years of illness, Haydel died on September 12, 2018 in Houma. He was buried there at the St. Francis de Sales Cemetery #2.

Don Heffner

Donald Henry Heffner was born on February 8, 1911, in Rouzerville, PA. He played a few games for the 1947 Aberdeen Pheasants as their player-manager.

Heffner claimed his proudest baseball moment came in 1930 when, as a minor leaguer, he pitched for an All Star team of pro players against the Baltimore Black Sox [a black team]. He beat the Sox' star pitcher Pud Flornoy 1-0 in a 5-inning game.

Don came up to the New York Yankees as a utility infielder from 1934-1937 playing in 72, 10, 19 and 60 games with batting averages of .261, .306, .229 and .249. On Feb. 15, 1938, he was traded to the Browns with $10,000 for Bill Knickerbocker and was the starting second baseman for the St. Louis Browns in 1938-1941 for 141, 110, 126 and 110 games batting .245, .267, .236 and .233. He also played 19 and 18 games for the Browns in 1942-1943 hitting .167 and .121.

On June 14, 1943, he was sold to the Philadelphia A's where he appeared in 52 games and a .208 average. On Oct. 11, he was traded to Detroit with Bob Swift for Rip Radcliff and his MLB career ended in 1944 with 6 games for the Tigers as he hit .211. In his MLB career 743 games, his batting average was .241 with a .317 OBP and .303 slugging %. His fielding % was .973 with 595 games at second, 89 at short, 11 at third and 1 in the outfield.

In the minors from 1930-1933, 1935 and 1947, he played for seven teams with five years at "AAA".

Don managed in the minor leagues from 1947-1950, 1952-1957, 1962-1963 and 1969 including Aberdeen for whom he directed a first place finish (82-36) and a playoff championship in 1947 and five years as a manager at AAA. He was a major league coach for the A's (1958-1960), Tigers (1961), Mets (1964-1965) and Angels (1967-1968). He also managed the Chicago Cubs for part of the 1966 season (37-46, 8^th).

Heffner died on August 1, 1989, at the Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, CA, due to pneumonia and a heart attack. He was cremated and buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, CA.

Ellie Hendricks

Elrod Jerome Hendricks was born on December 22, 1940, in Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands. He played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 1962 (.211, 3 HR, 22 RBI) and 1963 (.280, 3, 12).

Hendricks had a childhood accident which delayed his athletic development when his father's car rolled over his feet, crushing his insteps, which had to be rebuilt. Thus he could not play baseball well until age 13. He remembered his baseball education: "I was introduced [to the game] by my uncle, Wilburn Smith, who at the time was one of the star players, shortstop, second base. He was well established in the islands. Lealdo [another uncle who was a local legend] and I became very, very close friends - he was more of a father figure to me. The Texaco Stars were a club, you had to be a member. They ushered me in and nurtured me. It was probably the best thing that happened, because I matured fast and I learned the game playing with those guys." Lealdo helped Ellie get playing opportunities in the local St. Thomas men's league.

In March 1959, Hendricks signed a pro ball contract with the help of Hank Aaron. "Hank came down on a tour after the 1958 World Series, a hitting exhibition. Bill Steinecke, who was then a scout/manager in the Braves minor-league system, him and Luis Olmo, they all came with Hank. On Friday afternoon, I was asked by my principal, would I be willing to go catch the exhibition? I said, 'When!?' There was supposed to be a clinic that Saturday, and I didn't go because I had my chores to do around the house. That Sunday, I knew there were two games, it was in all the papers. But since I did not go to the clinic, I decided I was not going to go to the games. But I went to church that morning, and after church I went out to the ballgame, just to see it, because it was against St. Croix, sort of an all-star thing. And while I was there, Hank saw me sitting in the stands. Everyone in the stands was asking 'Why aren't you down there?' because Hank was a big name. We were not used to seeing major-leaguers, professionals for that matter, spending time with us. So he saw me and said 'Why aren't you out here?' and I told him 'I didn't go to the workout yesterday, so it's not fair to the guys who went and were chosen.' He said 'Well, I want you. So go and get your uniform..."

Hendricks continued: "So I put on my uniform, and still sat in the stands. In the seventh inning, we had the bases loaded, and Mr. Steinecke called me in to pinch-hit for my cousin, Gene Francis, and he was leading the league in hitting! But as fate would have it, I hit a double and drove in three runs. After the game, they asked me to sign a contract. I said 'I couldn't, my mom'll kill me,' but my uncle said, 'Go ahead, I'll sign for you.'"

In 1959 at McCook (Nebraska League), Ellie had his first exposure to the knuckleball [thrown by Phil Niekro] and hit .235 in 25 games. At Wellsville (NYP) in 1960 he hit .235 again in 73 games with a .965 fielding average. The Braves did not consider him a prospect and released him in December. He played winter ball in the Puerto Rican league and worked at a car rental in St. Thomas during the Summer of 1961. That next winter he played for Santurce backing up Valmy Thomas and played for Vern Benson also a St. Louis' farm club manager. Of the time he spent with Thomas, Ellie has said: "Valmy may not know how much he helped me as a player. I would ask him certain things about catching, and he would never answer me, but I watched him and I learned from him...invariably, he would do something and he would look over my way, as if to say, 'I hope you got that.'"

The Benson connection got him his job at Winnipeg in 1962 and 1963, but he was again released on June 13, 1963. Before the 1964 season, he was recommended to the Jalisco (Mexican) manager by his best friend pitcher William de Jesús. From 1964 through 1967, Ellie hit 10, 35 and 23 home runs, had 45, 98 and 87 RBI, hit .292, .285 and .301 in 67, 128 and 122 games. He was also the interpreter in mound conferences as manager Jim Rivera could not speak Spanish. He also played some games in the States in 1966 at El Paso (Texas) hitting .268 in 18 games. Returning to Jalisco in 1967, Hendricks had a monster year hitting 41 home runs with 112 RBI and a .316 batting average.

While playing in Mexico he was noticed by Earl Weaver who managed Santurce. When Hendricks also became a regular in the Winter Puerto Rico league, Weaver insisted that the Orioles draft him in 1966 but the Angels had a working agreement with Jalisco and so they held Ellie's rights. However, in November 1967, they selected him from the Angels' AAA farm team in Seattle for whom he played 13 games in '67 (.222).

Ellie finally became a major leaguer in 1968 after nine years of pro ball. For the Orioles that year, the left handed hitter, played in 79 games and batted .202 with 183 at bats as he began platooning at catcher with another Northern League veteran, Andy Etchebarren. This Earl Weaver approved arrangement lasted through the 1971 season. During that time, Ellie played in 105, 106 and 101 games hitting .244, .242 and .250. He led the league in fielding in 1969 (.998) and played in each of the league championship series and World Series during those years. In 1969, he was 2 for 8 in 3 games of the ALCS and 1 for 10 in 3 World Series games. In 1970, Ellie was 2 for 5 in the ALCS and 4 for 11 in 3 World Series games. In the 1971 post season, his ALCS record was 2 for 4 and his World Series mark was 5 for 19 in 6 games.

Hendricks began the 1972 season with the Orioles and after 33 games (.155 ) was traded to the Cubs on Aug. 18 for Tommy David where he appeared in 17 games and hit .116. Baltimore wanted him back for the 1973 season and arranged a trade on Oct. 27 for Francisco Estrada. Earl Williams was the starting catcher in 1973, but Ellie got into 41 games hitting .178. The year of 1974 was much the same with 66 appearances and a .208 average as a backup. He was in 3 games of the ALCS hitting 1 for 6.

John Thorn, in his book "The Pitcher", rated Hendricks the all-time best at the required catching skills. The best examples may be how Hendricks was attuned to the O's pitchers of that time including Jim Palmer, a thinking man's power pitcher, and Mike Cuellar, a mostly junk-baller who, after hurting his arm, had to out think batters.

In 1975, he was the back-up to Dave Duncan and increased his playing time to 85 games for a .215 average and again led the league in fielding percentage at .995. In 1976, the Orioles traded him after 28 games (.139) [on June 15 in the Tippy Martinez deal] to the Yankees where he acted as the prime back up to Thurman Munson and hit .226 in 26 games. In the ALCS that year he was in 1 game going 1 for 1 as a pinch hitter. In the World Series he was in 2 games as a pinch hitter and was 0 for 2.

His 1977 season was split between the Yankees (.273 in 10 games) and their AAA affiliate. Toward the end of the year, he was named the Orioles' bullpen coach. During the 1978 season, he was activated to replace Gary Roenicke and was 6 for 18 in 13 games. Ellie also made his only pitching appearance on June 26 recording 2 1/3 scoreless innings allowing 1 hit and 1 walk. In 1979, he was activated in September for one last time with his last at bat coming on the 19^th when he was 0 for 1 and caught part of the game.

In his 12-year career, he hit .220 in 711 games and 1,888 at bats with a .308 OBP and a .361 slugging %. His life-time fielding percentage was .990 (in the top 15 to 20 All-Time) and he threw out 41% of potential base stealers. He also hit .273 in 24 post season games and had a pinch hitting career mark of 25 for 119.

Throughout his years in the majors, Hendricks consistently went back to Puerto Rico for Winter baseball, which he always viewed as "his secure place". He was called "El Madamo" there which was a reference to his African-Caribbean origin. His peak year there was 1968-1969, when he won the MVP award.

His major league career was once threatened by a serious injury. In 1972, he suffered shoulder pains and weakness in his right hand and a tightening sensation of his right forearm. Ellie was examined by a Baltimore neurosurgeon but he failed to find a cause. Eventually, it was determined that a calcium deposit at the base of his neck was responsible for the partial paralysis. "It's a funny thing, not even being able to button your shirt...I couldn't even hold my car keys to open the door last summer," Hendricks said in a1973 interview. "I couldn't hold a cigarette to my mouth. I had numbness in all my fingers. Last year was a complete waste." The cause of the calcium deposit? It was probably from a Winter league game against Caguas in 1968-69. He was knocked cold by a back swing that caught him in the back of the head and then, later that season, he was hit again while playing the same Criollos team.

Ellie was the Orioles bullpen coach for 28 years - through the 2005 season. No one was in an Orioles' uniform that length of time as he outdistanced Brooks Robinson's former record of 21 years. He twice replaced Frank Robinson as the Orioles' acting manager in 1988, due to Frank's back problems, and compiled a 4-11 record. As one of the most popular Orioles ever, he operated two 3-week baseball camps for youngsters at McDonogh School in Ownings Springs, MD from 1984-2005. In 1992, he created an organization award, in his name, for players whose level of community involvement was worthy of special recognition. Ellie was chosen as Man of the Year in the Orioles organization in 1989, he received the first Jack Dunn Memorial Service Award, he was selected the Special Olympics Man of the Year in 1987 and Man of the Year by the Baltimore chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews in 1983. He served as an Orioles primary public speaker and community representative each off-season. Hendricks also funded Little League Baseball Camps for 25 years offering instruction to children. In his final years, he lived in Randallstown, MD.

In 2003, he survived a bout with testicular cancer. On April 14, 2005, the Orioles were preparing to leave Florida after a three game series and Ellie told team trainer Richie Bancells that he felt dizzy and had numbness on the left side of his face. Bancells insisted that he seek immediate medical treatment and it was found that Hendricks had suffered a mild stroke. He returned to the team on May 5 - quite a bit lighter but with his same broad smile. At the end of the season, the Orioles announced that he will not return as a coach in 2006 because of his health. On December 21, 2005, Ellie died at the Baltimore-Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, MD, from a sudden fatal heart attack which he suffered at a dinner at the BWI Marriott in Linthicum, MD. Just two days prior, he had played Santa to some 100 children at the Orioles' annual dinner for underprivileged children His remains were buried at the Ashbury United Methodist Church Cemetery in Arnold, MD.

The team wore a black patch with the number 44 on their uniform sleeves in memory of Hendricks during the 2006 season. It is felt by many that something more lasting would be in order like retiring his number or erecting a statue or plaque in the bullpen.

[A much more complete biography is available at: http://bioproj.sabr.org ]

Ramon Hernandez

Ramon (Gonzalez) Hernandez was born on August 31, 1940, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. He pitched for the Grand Forks Chiefs in 1959 (3-6, 7.73 ERA) and 1960 (4-3, 3.23).

As a tough left handed sidearming screwballer, Ramon had steady major league employment from the early to mid 1970's. He first arrived as a reliever with the Atlanta Braves for 46 games during the 1967 season. He pitched 52 innings allowing 60 hits and 14 walks while striking out 28. His ERA was 4.18 and his OAV was .296. He moved to the Cubs in 1968, but only made 8 appearances (9.00) as he was with their AAA farm club nearly the whole season. Then he was "lost" in the minors until 1971 when he was brought up by the Pirates for 10 games with good results - 12 innings, 5 h, 2 w, 7 so, 0.73 ERA, .122 OAV.

Ramon then started a string of productive years with Pittsburgh. From 1972 through 1975, he pitched in 53, 59, 58 and 46 games completing 70, 90, 69 and 64 innings with 1.67, 2.41, 2.75 and 2.95 ERAs. He also appeared in 3 NLCS series during those years. In 1972, for 3 games (3 1/3 inn), his ERA was 2.70, in 1974 it was 0.00 in 2 games (4 1/3 inn) and in 1975 he was in 1 game (2/3 inn) with a 27.00 ERA.

In 1976, he played nearly the whole year with the Pirates (37 games, 3.56 ERA), but was sold to the Cubs on Sept. 8 where he made 2 appearances (no earned runs in 1 2/3 inn). He started the 1977 season with the Cubs, however, he was sent to the Red Sox after 6 games (8 inn, 8.22 ERA) on May 28 for Bobby Darwin. For the Sox, Ramon was in 12 games with a 5.68 ERA -- his last MLB games.

In 337 games over 9 years, he pitched 430 innings allowing 399 hits and 135 walks with 255 strike outs. His career ERA was 3.03 and his OAV was .245 with 46 saves. In 1972, he was the best relief pitcher in the National League, that's how good. In 1973 and '74, he was the best left-handed reliever in the league.

According to mlbblogs.com: "By the end of the 1960s, he had developed a bad reputation around the baseball world. Most scouts frowned upon him because they believed him to be older than his listed age. Some of his managers considered him a disciplinary problem, especially Don Zimmer, who once managed him at San Juan in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Zimmer was scared of Hernandez, who rarely smiled, said little, and carried a gun with him. He also liked to break the manager's rules. So infuriated by Hernandez' flouting of team regulations, Zimmer vowed not to pitch the left-hander during the team's late-season drive toward the Winter League playoffs.

After his trade to Pittsburgh, "The little left-hander immediately drew the attention of fans and media with his slinky sidearming delivery, roundhouse curve, and funky screwball. As Hernandez became an effective reliever with the Pirates, he also garnered a reputation as the silent man in the clubhouse. He rarely conversed with players and reporters. His fellow relievers good-naturedly kidded him in the Pirate bullpen, but Hernandez said little in response, perhaps in part because of his limitations with the English language. Or maybe he just wanted to be left in his own little corner of the world.

"Although he remained quiet, Pirate players did not seem to resent Hernandez. According to his countryman Roberto Clemente--and fellow native of Carolina, a small town in Puerto Rico--Hernandez achieved a level of acceptance in the Pirate clubhouse. "The big thing about Hernandez is that he knows he is welcome here," Clemente told Charley Feeney of The Sporting News. "He doesn't speak English real good, but the players on this club let him know they like him, just by an occasional smile, or a jab in the ribs."

In the minor leagues from 1963-1966 and 1968-1972 he played on 15 teams. He had four seasons with ERAs under 3.00.

Ramon became a liquor store operator in his home town of Carolina. He died in Ponce, PR, on Feb. 4, 2009. His cause of death is still publicly unknown

Rudy Hernandez

Rudolph Albert (Fuentes) Hernandez was born on December 10, 1931, in Santiago, Dominican Republic. He was a position player for the St. Cloud Rox in 1951 (.262, 7 HR, 69 RBI). Rudy switched to pitching in 1954.

It took 11 years for Rudy to reach the majors. In 1960, for Washington, he appeared in 21 games as a reliever completing 35 innings allowing 34 hits and 21 walks with 22 strikeouts for a 4.41 ERA and .262 OAV. When the Senators franchise moved to Minnesota, he stayed behind and played with the expansion Senators for 7 games in 1961. In 9 games and 9 innings, he gave up 8 hits and 3 walks for a 3.00 ERA. They were his last appearances in the majors.

Rudy appeared in 28 MLB games for a career 4.12 ERA and .259 OAV. Rudy was the first Dominican pitcher in Major League baseball two months before Juan Marichal. As a minor leaguer from 1950-1954 and 1957-1964, he played with 19 clubs. The right hander had 2 seasons with ERAs at or below 3.00 and was at the AAA level for 6 years.

He served in the military in 1955 and 1956 and, after baseball, owned and operated a clothing store in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Rudy later worked in the Sports and Recreation department in Puerto Rico for at least 15 years and is also a scout for the Chicago Cubs in Puerto Rico. He lives in Condado, PR.

Jesus Hernaiz

Jesus Rafael (Rodriguez) Hernaiz was born on January 8, 1945, in Santurce, PR. He pitched for the 1969 Huron Cubs (2-3, 3.35 ERA).

Jesus' only MLB season was in 1974 for the Philadelphia Phillies as he appeared in relief for 27 games with 41 innings completed. He gave up 53 hits and 25 walks while striking out 16. The right hander's ERA was 5.88 and his OAV was .323.

As a minor league player from 1967-1969, 1971-1979 and 1982-1983, he played for 20 teams. He played 7 seasons in "AAA" and had 5 years with ERAs under 3.00. An excellent fastball pitcher, Jesús played from the 70's to the early 90's in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Hernaiz lives in Carolina, PR.

Dennis Higgins

Dennis Dean Higgins ("Denny") was born in Jefferson City, MO, on August 4, 1939. He pitched for the Duluth-Superior Dukes in 1959 (9-11, 3.59).

Dennis' first year in the majors, 1966 with the White Sox, was a good one. As a reliever in 41 games and a starter in one other, he completed 93 innings allowing only 66 hits and 33 walks with 86 strikeouts for an ERA of 2.52 and OAV of .202. He suffered from an eye injury in 1967 (detached retina) as he played all but 9 games in "AAA". For the Sox, he had a 5.84 ERA in 12 innings.

On Feb. 13, 1968, the man with a herky-jerky motion and live fastball was traded to Washington in the Ron Hansen deal. That next season, the right hander was with the Senators for 59 appearances and 100 innings giving up 81 hits and 46 walks while striking out 66 for a 3.25 ERA and .226 OAV. The 1969 season was pretty much of a carbon copy as he was in 55 games for 85 innings allowing 79 hits, 56 walks and struck out 71 to compile a 3.48 ERA/.252 OAV and had 16 saves. He was third in the balloting that year for Fireman of the Year. On Dec. 5 he was traded with Barry Moore to Cleveland for Dave Nelson, Horacio Pina and Ron Law.

His 1970 season with the Indians had his ERA increased to 3.99 in 58 games and 90 innings and his OAV held steady at .248. Denny's MLB status changed in 1971 and 1972 as he spent most of those years in "AAA". On July 15, 1971, he was sold to St. Louis and for them he appeared in 3 and 15 games for 7 and 23 innings compiling 3.97 and 3.42 ERAs. The 1972 season was the end of the line even though he was sold to the Padres on Sept. 1.

In 7 complete and partial MLB seasons, Dennis appeared in 241 games and 410 innings giving up 346 hits and 223 walks while striking out 339. His career ERA was 3.42, his OAV was .233 and he had 46 saves.

In the minors, he played in 1958-1965, 1967 and 1971-1972 for 12 teams. He had 4 years with ERAs under 3.00 and was in "AAA" for 4 years.

Denny owned Central Missouri Athletic Goods, a sporting goods store in Jefferson City until 2007 and coached several youth baseball teams. He died on November 3, 2023, in Jefferson City and was buried there at Resurrection Cemetery.

Tom Hilgendorf

Thomas Eugene Hilgendorf was born on March 10, 1942, in Clinton, IA. He pitched for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 1961 (4-4, 4.03 ERA) and 1962 (11-9, 2.66).

After nearly a decade in the minors, Hilgendorf first pitched in the majors in August 1969 for the St. Louis Cardinals. During that season he made 6 relief appearances for 6 innings allowing 3 hits, 2 walks and striking out 2. He had a 4.42 ERA and .150 OAV. In 1970, the lefty was with the team for 23 games and 21 innings for a 3.92 ERA. On July 10, 1972, he was traded to Cleveland for Jim Clark.

For the Indians in 1972 the forkballer played in 19 games including 5 starts. He finished 47 innings with a good 2.68 ERA. The next 3 years were the only complete seasons he spent in the majors. With the Indians in 1973 and 1974, he made 48 and 35 appearances and pitched 95 and 48 innings for records of 3.14 ERA/.242 OAV and 4.84 ERA/.302 OAV. On June 4th,1974, during the Indians infamous "ten-cent beer night" and was hit by a thrown steel folding chair in the riot that ended the Indians game in a forfeit. However, the next night, concussion and all, he came on in relief to pick up a save in the Indians rout of the Rangers. On March 6, 1975, he was traded to Philadelphia for Nelson Garcia.

He ended his MLB career with the Phillies in 1975 with 53 games and 97 innings for an excellent 2.14 ERA. In 184 major league games, he finished 314 innings allowing 302 hits and 127 walks while striking out 173. His life-time ERA was 3.04 and he had a .255 OAV.

A minor leaguer in 1960-1965, 1968-1972 and 1976, he played with 16 clubs. He had 6 seasons with ERAs near or below 3.00 and was in AAA for 7 seasons.

Tom was a manager of a truck stop facility in Cottage Grove, OR,. Later he moved to Camanche, IA, where he was a carpenter. Hilgendorf died on March 25, 2021, at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, IA. His remains were cremated.

Chuck Hiller

Charles Joseph Hiller ("Iron Hands") was born on October 1, 1934, in Johnsburg, IL. He played for the Minot Mallards in 1958 (.281, 8 HR, 58 RBI). He graduated from St. Thomas University of St. Paul, MN, in 1956.

Chuck first came up with the San Francisco Giants in 1961 for 70 games. He batted .237 in 240 at bats with a .330 OBP. In 1962, he became the Giants' starting second baseman and played in his only post-season. During the regular season, he hit a good .276 with 48 RBI and a OBP of .344, but led the league in second baseman errors with 29 . In the World Series he was 7 for 26 with a home run and 5 RBI. The home run was a grand slam to help win game 4 [first grand slam ever hit by a NL player in a Series].

His playing time was down in 1963 to 111 games as his batting average slid to .223 with a OPB of .262. In 1964, Hal Lanier became the starting second sacker and Chuck played in 80 games with 22 appearances as a pinch hitter (5 hits). His Giants' career ended in 1965 after 7 games as he was sold to the New York Mets on May 12. He hit .238 in 100 games for the Mets as he also played 4 games in the outfield and 2 at third base.

In 1966 he shared second with Ron Hunt, played 14 games at third, 9 in the outfield and was 15 for 44 as a pinch hitter (led the league). His batting average was .280 with a .332 OBP. After 25 games with the Mets in 1967 (.093), he was traded to Phillies on July 11 for Phil Linz and played in 31 games where he was used mostly as a pinch hitter, but his average was a cool .302. In 1968, his MLB career came to an end with 11 games for the Phillies (5 for 11).

In 8 MLB seasons, Chuck hit .243 in 704 games and 2,121 at bats. His OBP was .301 and he had a slugging % of .316.

He also played in the minor leagues from 1957-1961 and 1968 for 6 teams. He hit over .300 in 3 of those years. In 1960, he won the Texas League batting title and was named the league's MVP.

After his playing career ended, he became a minor league manager in 1969-1975, 1980, 1984, 1986 (including a fourth place finish in the International League and two first place finishes in other leagues), a major league coach (Texas 1973, Kansas City 1976-1979, St. Louis 1981-1983, San Francisco 1985, N.Y. Mets 1990) and minor league advisor. He suffered from a long illness prior to his death, on October 20, 2004, in St. Petersburg Beach, FL. Hiller had been living in St. Petersburg and was buried at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Clearwater FL.

John Hiller

John Frederick Hiller was born on April 6, 1943, in Toronto. He pitched for the Duluth-Superior Dukes in 1964 (10-13, 3.45 ERA).

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The following is from "Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia":

"John Hiller was a reliable reliever during his first six years with Detroit and when he suffered a massive heart attack in 1971 most people assumed his career ended there. The Tigers, who released him, certainly thought so. Determined to return to the game, in 1972, Hiller took a job as the Tigers' batting practice pitcher. Management was impressed enough to place him back on the active roster on July 8, 1972. In 1973 he recorded 38 saves - a major league record at the time -- and he won Fireman of the Year as well as American League Comeback Player of the Year.

"The Canadian-born pitcher was discovered on the sandlots of suburban Toronto and in June 1962 Detroit signed him as a free agent...A bullpen pitcher who made an occasional start, Hiller was 23-19 with 13 saves in four full seasons before his heart attack. He returned in 1972 at age 29 to save three games and win one with a 2.03 ERA. He topped the season off with a Championship victory in relief over Oakland, although the A's took the ALCS in five games. During the next seven post-heart attack seasons he went 63-55 with 109 saves for Detroit..."

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Known as a quick worker on the mound, John first pitched in the majors in September 1965 giving up no runs in 5 games and 6 innings. The left hander returned for 1 game in 1966 giving up 2 hits, 2 walks and 2 runs in 2 innings.

From 1967 through 1970, he appeared in 23, 39, 40 and 47 games with ERAs of 2.63, 2.39, 3.99 and 3.03. In 2 World Series games in 1968, John did not fare well giving up 6 hits and 3 walks in 2 innings for a 13.50 ERA. During a game in 1968, he tied a major league record by striking out the first 6 batters he faced. After his heart attack in 1970, John had an operation which removed 7 feet of intestine to relieve his cholesterol problem.

With his return in 1972, John had 8 more years of very productive pitching appearing in 24, 65 (led league), 59, 36, 56, 45, 51, and 43 games with ERAs of 2.03, 1.44, 2.64, 2.17, 2.38, 3.56, 2.34 and 5.22. His career ended in 1980 with 11 games and an ERA of 4.40. He pitched in 3 games of the 1972 ALCS completing 3 1/3 allowing 1 hit and 1 walk for a perfect 0.00 ERA. Hiller also was chosen for the 1974 All-Star Game.

In his 15 MLB years, John pitched in 545 games (All-time Tigers record) for 1,242 innings allowing only 1,040 hits and 535 walks while striking out 1,036. His life-time ERA was 2.83, he had a OAV of .229 and recorded 125 saves. In the minors from 1963-1967, he pitched for 6 clubs.

After retiring from baseball, he returned to Duluth and entered the insurance business and owned a pet store for one year. Hiller then tried to return to the Tigers as a roving pitching coach, but a circulatory blockage behind one knee ended that [He was the "AAA" pitching coach for the Tigers in 1986]. In Lakeland, FL, a surgeon told Hiller his leg would have to be amputated. In response, John headed home to Iron Mountain in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. He still resides in Iron Mountain.

Chuck Hinton

Charles Edward Hinton was born on May 3, 1934, in Rocky Mount, NC. He played for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1959 (.358, 20 HR, 108 RBI). He won the Northern League batting championship that year.

At Booker T. Washington High School, Hinton played basketball and football eventually being named to the school's Hall of Fame. After his freshman year, the school did not have a baseball program, but he played semi-pro from the age of 14. After graduation, he played for the Maryland Wildcats which was also a semi-pro club. Then he was given a full scholarship at Shaw University in Raleigh, NC, where he played three sports. In 1956, after a try-out at Griffith Stadium in Washington, Baltimore signed him and he played at class "C" ball in Arizona that year. Before the '57 season, he was drafted and was in the Army through 1958.

From his book "My Time At Bat": "...thirty of us were sent to Aberdeen, SD, to play for manager Earl Weaver. That season was pure joy...I had never seen so many white people. In fact, Joe Pullium and I were the only black players on the team...And I even got to catch a few games...I do not think I was ever below .330 batting average all year. I had a hard time, but I did catch and, at the end, pass the league's leading hitter. In fact, I think it was next to the last day when I did. I ended up with a .358 average and a win by two points. The team finished second in the league. I also had twenty-one home runs and 108 RBIs. I was hard not to have fun. Besides league champion..., I was the Rookie of the Year and the league's Most Valuable Player. "

After his great year in Aberdeen, the Orioles tried to "hide" the graceful Hinton in the minors by feigning an injury, but the expansion Washington Senators drafted him anyway and picked up a future All-Star outfielder. He first played for the Senators in May 1961 and was a starting outfielder immediately. He played in 106 games that season hitting .260 with a .339 OBP and was 22 for 27 in stolen bases. In 1962, he was in 151 games even playing second base in 12. His average increased to .310 with 17 homers and 75 RBI for a .365 OBP and .472 slugging %. He was successful in 28 of 38 base stealing attempts.

During the 1963 season, he played third base in 19 games, first in 6 and short for 2 with the rest of his 150 games being in the outfield. Chuck's average dropped to .269, OBP to .344 and slugging % to .426. He homered 15 times, had 55 RBI and stole 25 in 34 attempts. In his All-Star year of 1964, he batted .274 in 138 games with only 2 games at third, 11 HRs and 53 RBI.

On Dec. 1, 1964, Hinton was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Bob Chance and Woodie Held which started three decent years as a Tribe starting outfielder. From 1965-1967, he played in 133, 123 and 147 games batting .255, .256 and .245 and driving in 54, 50, 37 runs. Chuck's base steals dwindled from 17 to 6 during those years and he was no longer a big threat in that category. On Nov. 29, he was sent to California for Jose Cardenal.

In 1968, Chuck was basically a back-up with the Angels at first, outfield, third and second for 116 games hitting only.195 with a .261 OBP. On Apr. 4, 1969, the Indians got him back for Lou Johnson as he continued in a back up role, for them, in 94 games batting an improved .256 with a .308 OBP.

Hinton finished his MLB career, with the Indians, in 1970 and 1971 with 107 and 88 games batting .318 and .224 with games played at first, outfield, second, third and even 5 at catcher. Over his 1,353 games career he had played all positions except pitcher. His batting average was .264, he hit 113 home runs with 443 RBI in 3,968 at bats. His life time OBP was .335 with a .412 slugging %. He stole a total of 130 bases in 180 tries and was 45 for 215 as a pinch hitter. .

In a short 4-year minor league career, he won batting crowns in two of those years and played for four teams.

After his MLB career, he was the baseball coach at Howard University in Washington, DC, from 1972-1999 wining the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference championships in 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1984, 1986 and 1998.[the baseball program was not active from 1977-1984]. He also worked for the D.C. Department of Recreation from 1963-1999. In 1982, he was a founding father of the Major League Baseball Player's Alumni Association and has stayed active in the organization as long as his health allowed. He was a long time D.C. Resident and he died at his home there on January 27, 2013, from complications of Parkinson's disease. He was buried at the Quanico National Cemetery in Quantico, VA.

Larry Hisle

Larry Eugene Hisle was born on May 5, 1947, in Portsmouth, OH. He played for the Huron Phillies in 1966 (.433, 3 HR, 13 RBI). He was an orphan who was recruited for Ohio State University by the governor of Ohio and signed by the Phillies while still enrolled. On Oct. 21, 1971, he was traded from the Phillies to the Dodgers for Tom Hutton.

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The following is from "Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia":

"Although Larry Hisle had a solid rookie year, it took several years before he became a consistent power hitter in the major leagues. In his rookie year of 1969 he hit.266, swatted 20 home runs and chalked up 56 RBIs. Although he received Rookie of the Year votes, he finished far behind winner Ted Sizemore. [All that while being weakened from a 1968 bout with hepatitis].

"The sophomore jinx struck Hisle the next year and even though he managed 10 home runs his hitting slumped to .205. When he failed to improve by mid-1971 he was shipped to the minor leagues [in the Dodgers organization]. He got another try in 1973 with the Minnesota Twins [obtained on Nov. 29, 1972, from St. Louis for Wayne Granger]. This time Hisle began to connect more regularly. During the next five years he steadily improved his average to .298 and was gradually converted to a designated hitter. In 1977, he finally had his first year above .300. He also regularly swatted homers, knocking 28 out of the park that year and batted in a league-best 119 runs. That season he represented Minnesota at the All-Star game.

"Never on the best terms with thrifty Twins' owner Calvin Griffith, Hisle, now at the top of his game, left Minnesota as a free agent and signed a multimillion-dollar deal with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1978. Hisle had another All-Star year, hitting .290 with 34 home runs and 115 RBIs. He finished third in Most Valuable Player balloting. The next year it was all over. Hisle was injured early in the season and never recovered. He stayed with the Brewers as a DH but saw limited action. After riding the bench for most of 1982 while his Brewer teammates won the AL championship, Hisle retired from play..."

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Larry's first major league games were with the Phillies in 1968 where, in 7 games, he was 4 for 7. Then came his great rookie year in 1969 and the two down years of 1970-1971 described above. For the Twins from 1973-1977, he played in 143, 143, 80, 155 and 141 games batting .272, .286, .314, .272 and .302. His lack of playing time in 1975 was caused by an elbow injury. He never played more then 14 games as a designated hitter during those years.

After his All-Star year of 1978 and due to a shoulder injury in 1979 [tore his rotator cuff while making a throw], he only saw action in 26, 17, 27 and 9 games for the Brewers from 1979-1982. The right hand hitter's batting averages, during those years, were .281, .283, .230 and .129 as he saw action as an occasional DH. Brewers' manager George Bamberger called him "the kind of player kids should look up to" and "without a doubt one the necest men I've ever known."

In 1,197 MLB games, Larry batted .273 with 4,205 at bats with a .350 OBP and .452 slugging %. He hit 166 home runs and had 674 RBI. Defensively, he played 1,017 games in the outfield and was used as a DH 135 times. Hisle was known as fleet afoot, with a strong arm and excellent power.

In the minor leagues for only 5 years (1966-1968 and 1971-1972) he played for 5 teams hitting over .300 for all of them.

After his retirement, Larry became a scout and minor league instructor for the Brewers' organization. From 1992 through 1995, he was a major league coach with the Toronto Blue Jays. Hisle is currently employed with the Milwaukee Brewers and holds the title of Manager of Youth Outreach, and is the President of Major League Mentoring (a youth program in Milwaukee). He lives in Mequon, WI.

Glen Hobbie

Glen Frederick Hobbie was born on April 24, 1936, in Witt, IL. He played for the Superior Blues in 1955 (2-4, 3.05 ERA) and the 1956 Duluth-Superior White Sox (0-2, 10.50).

Hobbie played his first MLB games in September 1957 for the Cubs. He had 2 relief appearances without much success (10.38 ERA). From 1958 through 1963, he was a mainstay ace for the Cubs pitching corps starting 16, 33, 36, 29, 23 and 24 games and relieving in 39, 13, 10, 9, 9 and 12 more games. In three of those years (1959-1961) his innings pitched were 234, 259 and 198. The right hander's ERAs were 3.74, 3.69, 3.97, 4.26, 5.22 and 3.92. He won 16 games in 1959 [including a 1-0 one hitter on April 22 in which Stan Musial spoiled a no-no with two out in the 7^th inning] and 1960. In 1961, Hobbie strained his shoulder and his performance went down hill from there. After 8 appearances (4.26), on June 2, 1964, the Cubs sent him to the Cardinals for Lou Burdette.

After 13 more games with 1964 St. Louis (5.65), his major league career was over. Glen pitched in 284 MLB games completing 1,263 innings allowing 1,283 hits and 495 walks with 682 strikeouts. His career ERA was 4.20, he had a .264 OAV and a 62-81 record.

In the minor leagues from 1955-1957 and 1965, he played with 5 clubs.

Glen became a plant superintendent for a roller skate manufacturer in Litchfield, IL (Roller Derby Skate Company) and resided in Hillsboro, IL. He died on August 9, 2013, at the Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, IL, and was buried at the Witt Cemetery, in Witt IL.

Joe Hoerner

Joseph Walter Hoerner was born in Dubuque, IA, on November 12, 1936. He pitched for the Duluth-Superior White Sox in 1957 (16-5, 2.58 ERA) and the Duluth-Superior Dukes in 1959 (1-3, 5.29). Joe was named the league's Rookie of the Year in '57.

Hoerner spent his early years in Key West which was a farming community near Dubuque. His father, Walter, was a farmer who later became a deputy sheriff, and his mother, Gladys Marie (Woodrich), was a homemaker. Sports was a family tradition as one of their sons', Bob, played minor league ball in the Cubs organization and another, Jim, had a tryout with the White Sox. Two of Joe's cousins were well known football players - Dick Hoerner was an All-Pro running back in the late 1940s--early 1950s, and Mike Reilly was a very good lineman with the Minnesota Vikings in the early 1970s.
Joe played on the Dubuque Senior High baseball team as an outfielder, but coach James Nora also gave him action as a pitcher. In his last high school season of 1954, Hoerner won a state tournament quarterfinal game in relief and the semifinal one with a one-hitter. [His catcher was brother Jim.] He nearly did not live to enjoy that championship season. Earlier in the year, after attending a rodeo, he dropped off his date and headed for home. Joe apparently fell asleep and smashed his car into a tree which caused a separated shoulder and broken ribs. [Based on events later in his life, there may have been other injuries which escaped detection.] His father was on duty at the Dubuque County Sheriff's Department when the emergency call arrived.

Hoerner decided not to attend college, but did play semi-pro baseball and worked in the auto accessories department at the local Sears-Roebuck store in Dubuque, where his older brother Bob managed the appliance department. While playing for Dyersville in 1956, the Chicago White Sox took interest and offered him a contract for the 1957 season at Duluth.

In 1958 he played at Davenport (Three-I - Class B). While pitching a home game one night, with his new bride watching in the stands, he delivered a pitch and suddenly felt his heart racing. He gasped for breath and collapsed on the mound. An ambulance rushed him to a hospital and he remained unconscious for between two and three hours, during which he received his church's last rites. "I think I was given up for gone," he told an interviewer years later. His parents learned of the incident on that evening's television newscast. Hoerner recovered and his symptoms disappeared and, surprisingly within days, he was pitching again. However, he continued to experience blackouts -- but only while pitching. His doctors were baffled as they performed many tests and could not locate the problem.

For 1959 he was assigned to Charleston (Sally League - Class A). Unfortunately, Hoerner spent as much time in medical buildings as baseball parks. He pitched only 28 innings all season including some games for Duluth. Finally, physicians came to the conclusion that the muscles near his heart were weak. Maybe caused by an undetected injury from his auto accident? Hoerner thought so as he once said: "It [the accident] smashed everything else on my left side, it just might as well have put a crimp in my heart." Some doctors urged him to quit baseball which was advice he did not agree with. Other doctors speculated that Hoerner's overhand pitching delivery was somehow constricting an artery which led to his becoming a side arm pitcher.

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The following is from "Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia":

"Using a sidearm delivery, lefty reliever Joe Hoerner appeared in nearly 500 games, even though he was 29 when he pitched in his first full season in the major leagues. In the early 1960s, after doctors told him that he had a weak heart, he developed a sidearm motion that was suggested by former hurler Ira Hutchinson to reduce the strain on his vascular system.

"Although Hoerner pitched during parts of 1963 and 1964 with the Houston Colt 45s, general manager Paul Richards stated that Hoerner could not strike out righthanders in the major leagues. 'In those days when Paul Richards opened his mouth it was like God speaking. People believed it even if it wasn't true.' Hoerner said. The Cardinals drafted Hoerner off the Houston minor league roster after the 1965 season and gave him a chance to pitch in the majors. Hoerner was a hard thrower who successfully kept the ball down and away from righthanded hitters. He recorded a 19-10 record with 60 saves during four years with the Cardinals. He had a 1.54 ERA in 1966 and lowered it to 1.48 in 1968, and despite Richards' comments, Hoerner proved very effective against righthanders. Slugger Hank Aaron never got a hit off Hoerner in 22 at bats.

"Hoerner saved game 3 of the 1968 World Series but lost game 5 in relief of Nelson Briles when he gave up two runs in less than an inning's work. The Tigers came back to win the final game of the Series..."

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[This story from his 1964 season is apparently true: In a start against the Dodgers' Don Drysdale, the opposing pitcher came to bat in the seventh inning. "The Sporting News" reported it as follows: "Hoerner threw him [Drysdale] a pitch that dipped and darted very suddenly just as it came up to home plate. Drysdale, who doubtless had thrown a few himself, recognized it as a spitball and started laughing. He looked out at the mound and caught Hoerner's eye and Hoerner started laughing. Drysdale stepped out of the box and looked around at umpire Vinnie Smith, and the ump was laughing, too. 'I'd say,' Smith chuckled to Drysdale, 'that he threw you a pretty good one.'"]

After his 2 short stints with Houston in 1963 and 1964, he appeared in 57, 57, 47 and 45 games (all in relief) for the Cards in 1966-1969 with ERAs of 1.54, 2.59, 1.48 and 2.87. [Celebrating the 1967 World Series title in visitors' clubhouse, Hoerner suffered a severed tendon in the middle finger of his pitching hand when the champagne bottle he was holding exploded. "I was very, very worried that my baseball career was over," he told an interviewer. Of course, he did recover.] In the 1968 World Series, Hoerner pitched what he considered his most memorable game in the third game. With one out in the bottom of the sixth inning with the Cards in the lead 4-3, St. Louis starter Ray Washburn walked two straight batters. Manager Schoendienst called for Hoerner. He proceeded to limit the Tigers to one hit and one walk the final 3 2/3 innings. It would be the only World Series save of his career. However, in Game 5, he took the loss after he failed to retire any of the four Tigers he faced.

On Oct. 7, 1969, he was traded to Philadelphia in the Curt Flood deal. In 1970, Joe had an All Star year with the Phillies with a 2.65 ERA in 44 games and that was followed by 49 appearances in 1971 for a 1.97 ERA. After 15 games with the Phils in 1972 (2.08) [traded on June 15 with Andre Thornton for Jim Nash and Gary Neibauer], he was with the Braves where he made 25 more appearances with a 6.56 ERA.

The 1973 season was split between the Braves (6.39 in 20 games) and the Kansas City Royals for 22 games (5.12 ERA) [sold to them on July 18]. He stayed with the Royals for 1974 with a decent 3.82 ERA in 30 games. Joe went back to the Phillies for 1975 where he had a good 2.57 ERA with 25 appearances. The 1976 season was his last full year as he pitched 41 games for the Texas Rangers (5.14 ERA). His MLB career ended in 1977 with the Reds in 8 games and a 12.71 ERA.

[Hoerner was a well-known prankster off the field. In an airport one day, he surprised his teammates waiting for their baggage by sliding out the luggage chute. One of his favorite tricks was to startle a teammate by sneaking behind him and slamming a bat against a folding chair and he made "history" by hitting the Astrodome roof with a batted ball - during pre-game warm-ups. He would toss up a ball and slug it with a fungo bat. "Most of his pregame shots have hit the sloping area between home plate and the pitcher's mound, about 175 feet up," "Sports Illustrated" noted, "but some of them have attained the dome's 208-foot zenith." Before a game in Dodger Stadium, Hoerner and some teammates had a competition to break the park's "unbreakable" skybox window. He succeded.

Perhaps Hoerner's biggest prank occurred when he commandeered the Cardinals' bus. After a game in Atlanta, players and other team personnel waited for their charter bus ride to their hotel. The bus driver could not be located. "All of a sudden, Joe says, 'I know how to drive a bus,'" Schoendienst recalled. The manager disembarked, ostensibly to look around for the driver. Nervous about the developments, broadcaster Harry Caray got off, too. "All of a sudden, the bus took off," Schoendienst said. Teammate Dal Maxvill, said, "The problem was, Joe couldn't shift gears very well, so there was a lot of shaking." Hoerner managed to get the bus to the hotel, 10 minutes from the ballpark. However, he cut a turn too closely and damaged the hotel's sign. "When you do things like that and you are a winning team, it is considered 'colorful,'" Maxvill observed. "If you're a losing team, you're called a troublemaker and you're traded."]

His career ERA was 2.99 in 493 major league games and 562 innings. He gave up 519 hits and 181 walks while striking out 412 and he had a .249 OAV with 99 saves.

In the minor leagues from 1957-1965 and 1977, he pitched for 14 teams. He had ERAs under 3.00 in 5 of those seasons.

His playing career came to an interesting conclusion. On August 5, 1977, Hoerner got a mop-up assignment in the first game of a double header -- the ninth inning of a 12-1 Pirates easy victory. He retired the first two batters, then hit Frank Taveras with a pitch. The Pirates shortstop got mad, threw his bat at Hoerner and rushed the mound. When Taveras arrived, Hoerner greeted him with a punch to the face. Umpires ejected both of the combatants. Hoerner never pitched again.

Regarding the end of his baseball career, Hoerner said, "It was fairly easy to accept, really, and after traveling all those years -- in planes, cars and even ... buses -- I really didn't miss that part of the game... It was time to walk away." It allowed him more time for his family, charity events, Kiwanis Club and hunting, fishing, camping and golfing. Joe was instrumental in lining up players for benefit golf tournaments and "Field of Dreams" celebrity baseball exhibitions on the Dyersville, Iowa ball field where the movie was filmed.

During his baseball career, he opened a travel agency with one-time teammate Dal Maxvill. After his baseball years, he continued as a vice president for Cardinal Travel Agency with Maxvill as the president. He often accompanied tour groups to various places including Cardinals' spring training camps, the "Cardinal Cruise" and the National League cities the Cardinals played in. He was also a supporter of the "St. Louis Pinch Hitters" which is a non-profit women's charitable organization in which his wife was active. Hoerner also remained close to the Cardinals organization.

Sadly, he was involved in a fatal boating accident on June 30, 1984 when he was returning from a family outing on the Lake of the Ozarks which is a popular resort area in Missouri. At about 10:30 p.m., Hoerner's boat which he was driving collided with a small runabout that was motionless on the lake and without lights. Two 25-year-old men on the runabout were killed, and three other men were injured. There were also injuries aboard Hoerner's boat as a family friend was hospitalized and his wife was momentarily knocked unconscious and suffered head and back injuries. Joe, who could not swim, was thrown in the lake and nearly drowned. Frantically, his son, son-in-law and daughters Sharon and Jolene helped rescued him. Authorities cited Hoerner on misdemeanor charges of reckless and negligent operation of a motorboat, but he fought the charges. "They wanted Joe to plead guilty," his wife has said, "but he wouldn't plead guilty to something he didn't do." Two decades later, he felt that the authorities tampered with evidence and pushed the case too far in order to generate publicity about boating safety by using a local celebrity's name. The case went to trial and, after three hours of deliberation, the jury acquitted Hoerner. "The trial proved that the evidence was falsified," his wife said.

Hoerner eventually returned to his leisure activities and charitable endeavors. For 19 years, Hoerner volunteered as a fund-raiser and athletics adviser for Maryville University in St. Louis. The University later established a scholarship in his name.

On October 4, 1996, Hoerner died in a farm accident in Hermann, Missouri. Working alone tilling a friend's field, the 59-year-old somehow became pinned between the tractor fender and a tree trunk. (Most media accounts erroneously reported that he was run over by the tractor, his widow has noted.)

His funeral was held in Christ Prince of Peace Catholic Church in suburban St. Louis, where Al Hrabosky, then a Cardinals broadcaster, delivered a eulogy. Hoerner was buried in Resurrection Cemetery, St. Louis.

Cal Hogue

Calvin Grey Hogue was born on October 24, 1927, in Dayton, OH. He pitched for the Aberdeen Pheasants in a few games during the 1946 and 1947 seasons.

Cal had three chances with the Pirates in the early 1950s. In July 1952, the right hander began his MLB experiences which lasted for 19 games and 84 innings that season (including 12 starts). He allowed 79 hits and 68 walks while striking out 34. His ERA was 4.84 and his OAV was .258. In 1953 and 1954, he only played in 3 games each year and had 2 starts in each. For those two years combined, he finished 30 innings giving up 30 hits and 28 walks. He had ERAs of 5.21 and 4.91.

For his major league career, he was 2-10 with a 4.91 ERA in 25 games and 16 starts. Cal's career ERA was 4.91 with a .259 OAV.

In the minors from 1945-1950 and 1952-1957, he played for 17 teams. Three of those seasons were spent in AAA.

Cal became a steam and pipe fitter for S & D Mechanical in Dayton and, after retirement, he continued to live there. On August 5, 2005, he died in Kettering, OH. Cremation followed.

Vern Holtgrave

Lavern George Holtgrave ("Woody") was born in Aviston, IL, on October 18, 1942. He pitched for the Duluth-Superior Dukes in 1962 (13-8, 2.83).

The right hander's only major league game was on September 25, 1965, for the Detroit Tigers. He was scheduled to start the second game of the double header that day, but because the Tigers were still hoping to finish high in the standings, Phil Regan got the start. Things did not go well in the game for Phil and Vern was called in as a reliever in the 4^thinning. He was so nervous during his warm ups that the first pitch went over the catcher's head and stuck in the back stop screen. After that, the first batter, Vic Davalillo, wanted no part of Holtgrave and hardly dug in. Vern struck him out. He then gave up 2 walks, there was an error and Dick Howser got a hit to drive in 2 runs. Vern pitched 2 more innings and did not allow any more runs. He had allowed 4 hits, 2 walks and struck out 2.

Holtgrave pitched Winter ball that year in Puerto Rico, but hurt his shoulder which caused pain with every pitch. In "AAA" the next season, he started favoring his shoulder and then hurt his elbow. His arm also became crooked which caused the Tigers' doctors to give him a cortisone shot, place his arm in a cast and send him home to rest. Nothing much had changed by the next spring training of 1967 and Vern decided to give it up and go to work at the B & O Railroad.

As a minor league player, he pitched for 7 teams from 1961-1966. He had ERAs under 3.00 in 3 of those seasons.

Vern continued to work for the railroad for six years. In 1970, he took a warehouse job with Sears and Roebuck and later he worked in the sales department for Haag Food and Poultry Company. He retired to in Breese, IL, and died in O”Fallon, IL, on May 8, 2023. Burial was in Breese at St. Pominic Cemetery.

Don Hopkins

Donald Hopkins was born on January 9, 1952, in West Point, MS. He played for the 1971 Watertown Expos (.204, 0 HR, 7 RBI). He was sold by the Expos to the A's on March 26, 1975.

Charlie Finley's theory of having a very fast runner available for pinch running in game-winning situations was the reason Don played in 82 games for the A's in 1975. His stats show only 6 official at bats (1 hit) and 2 walks for the year. Don stole 21 of 30 base stealing attempts and scored 25 runs. In 1976, he was in 3 games with no at bats and was 0 for 1 as a base stealer. In his career, he did make 3 putouts as an outfielder.

In the minor leagues from 1970-1977, he played with 12 teams. He hit over .300 in 1 season and played at the "AAA" level for 4 seasons never hitting higher then .264. He led the Northern League and NY-Penn League (1972) in stolen bases. He also led those leagues in outfielder errors.

Don had lived in Tulsa, OK, Lansing, MI, and now resides in Benton Harbor, MI.

Johnny Hopp

John Leonard Hopp was born on July 18, 1916, in Hastings, NE. He played briefly for the Grand Forks Chiefs in 1955 as their player-manager. [The team got off to a 17-40 record and he was replaced.]

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The following is from "Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia":

"John...went by 'Johnny' but there were other nicknames: 'Cotney' - for the cotton-colored hair - and 'Hippity' because of the pleasing alliteration. Whatever Hopp was called, he was a lefthanded-hitting first baseman who batted .303 in his first season as a regular with the Cardinals in 1941. Still, Hopp's career didn't begin in earnest until 1944, after the Cardinals traded Johnny Mize to the New York Giants. Coverted to center field, Hopp hit .336 at the Cardinals went on to win the World Series. He also showed his grace in the field, leading NL outfielders with a .997 fielding percentage.

"The Boston Braves acquired Hopp in 1946 [on Feb 6 for Eddie Jost and $40,000] and he batted .333. Hopp did even better in 1950. Playing for the Pirates [acquired on Nov. 18, 1947] and briefly for the Yankees [sold to them Sept 5, 1950], he batted a career-high .339. He placed himself among baseball's elite that season by getting eight straight hits at one point, four shy of the mark set by Pinky Higgins in 1938. Hopp also distinguished himself by going 6-for-6 in a game on May 14, 1950. His career ended after the 1952 season, which he split between the Yankees and Tigers."

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In Johnny's 14-year and 1,393 game career (1939-1952), he hit .296 with a .368 OBP and .414 slugging %. His fielding average was .985 with 717 games in the outfield and 479 more at first base. He played in the 1946 All Star game and the 1942, 1943, 1944, 1950 and 1951 World Series hitting .160 in 16 games.

Hopp played with an abandon typical of the Cardinals' Gashouse Gang, diving into bases head first like Pepper Martin had before him. He also played minor league baseball from 1936-1939 and 1955 for 4 teams. He hit near or over .300 for 3 of them.

He managed part of the 1955 season at Grand Forks and was a major league coach for the Tigers in 1954 and the Cardinals in 1956. After baseball, he worked in public relations for an insurance company and then became an administrative assistant for Kansas-Nebraska Power and was editor of the employee newsletter retiring in 1970. Hopp died on June 1, 2003, at the Residency, a retirement community in Scottsbluff, NE. He was cremated and interred at Parkview Cemetery in Hastings NE.

Willie Horton

Willie Watterson Horton was born on October 18, 1942, in Arno, VA. He played for the Duluth-Superior Dukes in 1962 (.295, 15 HR 72 RBI). He led the league in total bases.

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The following is from "Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia":

"Outfielder Willie Horton was a long-time fan favorite in Detroit, rewarding their affection by being one of the team's leading sluggers as well as a four-time All-Star. Horton also performed off the field. During the 1967 Detroit riots, Horton did his part to help restore order, climbing onto a truck to exhort fellow African-Americans to desist from looting and violence.

"Brought up to Detroit at the end of the 1963 season, he singled as a pinch hitter in his first major league at bat. Then he smacked a pinch homer off Robin Roberts his second time up. In 15 games he hit .326 but spent most of the 1964 season at Syracuse, where he hit 28 homers and drove in 99 runs. Horton became a regular in the Tigers outfield in 1965, hitting 29 homers and driving in 104 runs. On June 22, 1966, he hit his first major league grand slam and he finished the season with 27 round trippers and 100 RBIs. Hampered in 1967 by ankle problems that required surgery, Horton bounced back the following year to slug a career-high 36 homers. <In> the 1968 World Series...Horton batted .304...and hit a Game 2 home run off starter Nelson Briles...In Game 5, however, it was Horton's fielding that loomed large. In the fifth inning, with the Cardinals ahead 3-2 and Lou Brock on second, Julian Javier singled to left. Horton's throw to catcher Bill Freehan was waiting for Brock, who inexplicably chose not to slide. Coming in standing up, he was an easy out. The play kept the Tigers in the game which they eventually won 5-3.

"Horton battled weight problems - and superstitions - throughout his major league tenure. He used one batting helmet throughout his entire career, repainting it as he went from team to team. He took similar care with his spikes, tenderly placing them on shoe trees after each game to ensure years of wear. During a two-month stretch in 1969, Horton hit three grand slams. On June 9, 1970, he collected three homers in one game against Milwaukee. In 1972 he hit only .231 with 11 homers and made his last post season appearance. He was 1 for 10 in the ALCS which the Oakland A's won in five games.

"The following season Horton rebounded to hit .300 for the last time in his career. His final days in the outfield were in 1974, a season that also featured one of the strangest plays of Horton's career. Predating the Dave Winfield seagull incident in Toronto, one of Horton's pop flies killed a pigeon at Boston's Fenway Park. In 1975, Horton hit 25 homers and drove in 92 runs as a full-time designated hitter. He was traded to the Rangers in April 1977 for pitcher Steve Foucault. On May 15, 1977, he again hit three homers in a game, this time against Kansas City. However, he also led the league's designated hitters in strikeouts.

"Horton was traded to Cleveland the following February. Released that July, he signed with the A's but was traded to Toronto a month later in a deal that sent Rico Carty to Oakland. Granted free agency at season's end, he signed with Seattle in January 1979. Used exclusively as a DH by Mariners manager Darrell Johnson, Horton tied for the league lead in games played. At age 37, he hit 29 homers and drove in 106 runs.. His efforts earned him honors as "The Sporting News" AL Comeback Player of the Year. He re-signed with the club that December and played one more season in the big leagues..."

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Willie was nearly a full time player for the Tigers from 1965 through 1976 - an amazing record. During that stretch, he played in 143, 146, 122, 143, 141, 96, 119, 108, 111, 72, 159 and 114 games. His batting averages were consisting high at .273, .262, .274, .285, .262, .305, .289, .231, .316, .298, .275 and .262. He drove in 69 or more runs in 7 of those 12 years, hit 17 or more home runs in 10 of those seasons and appeared in the 1965, 1968, 1970 and 1973 All-Star games.

For Texas in 1977 (139 games), he hit .289 with 15 home runs and 75 RBI. In his three-team 1978 season (115 games), Willie batted .252 with 60 RBI. In the 1979 season for Seattle, his average was .279 in all 162 games. In his final year of 1980, he batted .221 in 97 games.

His career games played total was 2,028 with 7,298 at bats. His life-time batting average was .273 with 325 home runs, 1,163 RBI, a .335 OBP and .457 slugging %. He was used as an outfielder in 1,190 games (.970 fielding average) and as a DH in 753.

In the minors from 1962-1964 and 1981-1982, he played with 7 teams with 4 years in AAA.

Willie stayed in baseball as a Tigers' minor league hitting instructor and major league coach for the Yankees in 1985 and the White Sox in 1986. In 2004, Horton had a life setback when he was hit by a car, and in 2006 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

He currently helps coach the Tigers during their spring training and, since 2003, is a special assistant to the team's president/GM. A book has been published of his life for the Detroit Biography Series for Young Readers entitled "Willie Horton - Detroit's own Willie the Wonder" by Grant Eldridge and Karen Elizabeth Bush. After living many years in Detroit, he now resides in Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Walt Hriniak

Walter John Hriniak (pronounced Rin-ee-ack) was born on May 22, 1943, in Natick, MA. He played for the 1961 Eau Claire Braves (.311, 2 HR, 50 RBI) as a shortstop. .

Walt first played in the majors in September 1968 for the Braves in 9 games and 26 at bats (9 hits). After 7 games for Atlanta in 1969, the left-handed batter, was traded to the San Diego Padres on June 27 with two other players for Tony Gonzalez where he played in 31 games as their back-up catcher and pinch hitter (2 for 15). He hit .219 that year with a .329 OBP. That was all she wrote for his MLB playing career.

In the minors from 1961-1968 and 1970-1973, he played on 16 teams at every position. He hit .300 or more in 5 seasons and played in AAA for 4 years. Hriniak led Northwest League shortstops in putouts and assists in 1962 and Texas League shortstops in assists and double plays in 1966. While playing in Texas in 1964, he was injured in an auto accident which shelved him for most of the season, but it killed teammate Jerry Hummitzsch.

He was a minor league manager in 1972-1973 and 1976. Walt was well known for his hitting theories which he taught as the batting coach for the Expos (1974-1975), Red Sox (1970-73, 1976-1988) and the White Sox (1989-1995). When Carl Yastrzemski hit his 3000^th hit, he gave Walt a gold watch with the inscription "I couldn't have done it without you." Walt now conducts hitting clinics at locations such as baseball coach's conventions. He has also co-authored a book entitled "Walt Hriniak's Hitting Clinic". Hriniak lives in North Andover, MA.

Jesse Hudson

Jesse James Hudson was born in Mansfield, LA, on July 22, 1948. The lefty pitched for the Mankato Mets in 1968 (9-4, 1.83).

He attended DeSoto High School and was a teammate of Vida Blue's as they formed a left-handed pitching tandem unequaled in the region. On the football field, Hudson was quarterback Blue's favorite receiver.

A September 1969 call-up to the Mets, Hudson sat in the bullpen watching them put on their great final pennant push. After losing the first game of a doubleheader with Pittsburgh on September 19, the Mets' starter Jim McAndrew was hit hard in the second game and reliever Ron Taylor's spot came up with two men on in the seventh which foreced manager Gil Hodges to send up pinch hitter Bob Heise. That's when Hudson got his chance taking over for Taylor with Pittsburgh leading after seven innings, 7-0. The first batter, catcher Jerry May, grounded back to Hudson. Shortstop Freddie Patek walked, but Hudson took care of the lead runner by fielding pitcher Luke Walker's bunt and forcing Patek at second.

Matty Alou, playing center field, then singled to right, moving Walker to second. Second baseman Dave Cash followed with a double to left field, driving in Walker and moving Alou to third. Hudson then had his career highlight - he struck out Willie Stargell to end the rally.

The Mets did not score in the bottom of the eighth, and Hudson opened the ninth inning by striking out John Jeter. Al Oliver then flied out to left, Richie Hebner walked, and then Hudson fanned May looking to end the inning. That was Jesse's only major league appearance. He went two innings allowing 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. His ERA was 4.50.

Again, in 1970, the Mets recalled Hudson late in the season, but he did not get an appearance. They kept him on their 40-man roster in the off-season, but he was apparently regarded as a mid-grade reliever at best, with little chance of making the starting rotation. And, for some reason, there was unsubstantiated rumors of arm trouble after the season ended.

In February 1971, "The Sporting News" reported that he had agreed to terms with the Mets for the '71 year, but that spring Hudson was one of the first pitchers cut and returned to minor league camp. Shortly thereafter, he returned to Louisiana and retired.

As a minor leaguer from 1967-1970, he played on six teams with his last season being at the AAA level where he was 6-7 with a 2.86 ERA. In only one season did he fail to have an ERA under 3.00.

When Bill Johnson, a SABR member, was writing his bio for the SABR web site, Hudson was said to be "a very private man, not generally willing to discuss"...his baseball years. Jessie lives in Mansfield.

More info is available at: http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=6663&bid=3372

Ben Huffman

Benjamin Franklin Huffman was born on July 18, 1914, in Rileyville, MD. He appeared in a few games for Superior in 1950 (no published stats). Ben managed the Blues that season until July 1 or so. He attended Bridgewater College.

Huffman attended a St. Louis Browns' tryout camp in 1937 and made the team. His first pro games were, therefore, major league contests. He stayed with the team the complete season and played in 76 games and had 176 at bats for a .273 average. The left handed batter had a OBP of .323 and slugging % of .341. His fielding average was .970 with 42 games as a catcher and he was 7-for-32 as a pinch hitter. An injury sent him to the minors and he never returned to the majors.

From 1938-1941, he was in the high minors at Hartford, Baltimore and San Antonio with decent batting averages including a .303 in 1939. In 1942, he joined the Navy and served his country, including in the Pacific, until late 1945.

Huffman returned to baseball in the lower minors (Canada-Amer, Three I, Central and Northern) and played there from 1946-1950. He batted .317 and .349 in 1946-1947. From 1946-50 and 1960, he managed teams in the lower minors for the Browns (1946-47) and White Sox (1948-50, 1960).

Ben then worked for the Chicago White Sox and was a scout for 32 years. Some of his signings included Minnie Minoso and Harold Baines. In 1990, he was inducted into the Major League Baseball Scouts Association Hall of Fame.

He died on February 22, 2005, in Luray, VA and was buried at Beahm's Chapel Cemetery there.

Dick Hughes

Richard Henry Hughes was born on February 13, 1938, in Stephens, AR. He pitched for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 1958 (0-2, 2.65) and 1959 (10-3, 4.65). Dick attended the University of Arkansas.

Dick had one amazing year in the majors. He first played MLB in September 1966, at the age of 29, for 6 games (2 starts) for the Cardinals (1.71 ERA). In 1967, he was 16-6 (led league in win/loss %) with 27 starts and 10 relief appearances for 222 innings allowing only 164 hits and 48 walks with 161 strikeouts. His ERA was 2.67 and he had a league-leading .203 OBP.

Hughes started Game Two of the 1967 World Series, at Fenway Park in Boston. He pitched well, surrendering just a solo home run to Carl Yastrzemski, but got into a bit of trouble in the sixth inning, and manager Red Schoendienst went to the bullpen. Dick got another start at home in Game Six and, although he would set a World Series record by allowing three home runs in the 4th inning (Carl Yastrzemski, Reggie Smith and Rico Petrocelli), he actually pitched quite well in the game. In those two starts, his ERA was only 5.00 in 9 innings.

While pitching in a game during 1968 spring training, he injured his shoulder (rotator cuff). In that era, that meant resting the injury, hoping it would heal on its own. It did not. Apparently the right hander's heavy use in 1967 helped cause the injury which ended his big league career after 1968 when he was in 25 games (5 starts) for 64 innings and a 3.52 ERA. In the World Series that year, he gave up 2 hits and no runs in 1/3 of an inning.

He had a minor league career from 1958-1966 and in 1969 playing for 16 teams. He had ERAs under 3.00 in seven of those years.

Dick became a cattle rancher near Stephens where he still lives.

Jim Hughes

James Michael Hughes was born on July 2, 1951, in Los Angeles. He pitched for St. Cloud in 1970 with a 2-4 record, 4.18 ERA, 1.85 WHIP in 14 games (13 starts).

Hughes made it to the majors with the Minnesota Twns for the 1974-77 seasons. He was a regular starter in 1975-76 for 37 games each year with 34 and 26 starts. Jim completed 249 and 177 innings allowing 241 and 190 hits with 127 and 73 walks while striking out 130 and 87. His ERAs were 3.82 and 4.98 those years. In 1974 and 1977, Hughes made appearances in two games each.

His career MLB record was 25-30 in 78 games (62 starts) completing 441 innings giving up 443 hits and 205 walks with 226 K's. His ERA was 4.30 and he had a 1.47 WHIP.

Hughes played in the minors in 1969-74 and 1977-79 for 241 games compiling a 4.01 ERA in 1164 innings. Five of those years were at the AAA level. He also pitched in the Mexican League in 1980-81.

Jim lives in Los Angeles.

Pat Jarvis

Robert Patrick Jarvis was born on March 18, 1941, in Carlyle, IL. He pitched for the Duluth-Superior Dukes in 1962 (0-1, 3.86 ERA) and 1963 (14-6, 2.76). Pat attended Murray State University.

In August 1966, Pat was promoted to the Atlanta Braves and pitched in 10 games including 9 starts the rest of the season. In 62 innings, the right-hander was in 62 innings and allowed 46 hits and 12 walks for a good 2.31 ERA. For the next 7 seasons, he was a full-time major leaguer.

From 1967 through 1970, he was in the starting rotation for 30, 34, 33 and 34 starts and made relief appearances in 2, 0, 4 and 2 games for ERAs of 3.66, 2.60, 4.43 and 3.61 in 194, 256, 217 and 254 innings. During those years, he was the Braves number-three starter behind Phil Niekro and Ron Reed. In 1969, he started game 3 in the NLCS series against the Mets, but got the loss as he gave up 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings (6 strike outs) for a 12.46 ERA.

In 1971, Pat's starts decreased to 23 (plus 12 games in relief) as his ERA increased to 4.10 in 162 innings. His use, in 1972 by the Braves, became nearly all in relief as he appeared in 37 games with only 6 being as a starter. His ERA was again 4.10. On Feb. 28, 1973, he was traded to Montreal for Carl Morton

His last season was with the Expos where he was slowed by a rib injury. Pat did pitch in relief for 28 games and 39 innings for a 3.20 ERA. Over 249 MLB games, he pitched 1,284 innings allowing 1,180 hits and 380 walks for a 3.58 ERA and .243 OBP. He struck out 755.

In the minors from 1962-1966, he pitched for 7 teams. Two of those years were spent in "AAA".

Before baseball, Pat had experience as a rodeo bucking bronco rider and during his years in Atlanta he worked in vocational rehabilitation centers in the area. After leaving baseball, he became the Dekalb County Sheriff in Dunwoody, GA, where he lived for many years. Jarvis' term ended when he was convicted of corruption charges associated with the management of the county jail. Later he ran an organic nursery in Rutledge, GA, and lived in Tucker. Jarvis died on April 24, 2020, in Austin, TX.

Larry Jaster

Larry Edward Jaster was born on January 13, 1944, in Midland, MI. He pitched for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 1962 (4-4, 4.32 ERA) and 1963 (2-2, 2.25).

Larry's first major league games were played in September 1965 for the St. Louis Cardinals. The left hander appeared in 4 games including 3 starts for 28 innings and a 1.61 ERA [all three starts were complete-game victories]. His 1966 season was spent mostly with the Cards where he made 26 appearances (21 starts) completing 152 innings allowing 124 hits and 92 walks for a 3.26 ERA and .227 OAV with 92 strikeouts. He led the league in shutouts with 5 which were all against the L.A. Dodgers [set a record for most consecutive shutouts won from one club in a season].

The next two years, Larry was a full time member of the Cardinal staff. In the 1967 season, he was in 34 games including 23 starts for a 3.01 ERA and .244 OAV for 152 innings giving up 141 hits and 44 walks with 87 strikeouts. He appeared in the World Series allowing 2 hits in 1/3 of an inning, but no runs. During the 1968 season he pitched in 31 games which included 21 starts for 154 innings allowing 153 hits and 70 walks for a 3.50 ERA with 70 strikeouts. Again, he pitched in the World Series in one game giving up 2 hits [including a grand slam by Jim Northrup] and 1 walk, but failed to retire any batters.

In 1969, he was with the Montreal Expos (threw the first pitch at home for the Expos' franchise) for 24 games (11 starts) completing 77 innings and giving up 95 hits and 28 walks with 39 strikeouts, a 5.49 ERA and .302 OAV. On Dec. 2, 1969, he was traded to Atlanta for Jim Britton and Don Johnson. Larry finished with the Braves in 1970 and 1972 pitching in 14 and 5 games respectively for 22 and 12 innings with 6.85 and 5.11 ERAs.

In his 7-year MLB career, he appeared in 138 games for 598 innings allowing 579 hits and 178 walks with 313 strikeouts. His career ERA was 3.64 and his OAV was .256. He played in the minor leagues from 1962-1966 and 1970-1974. His ERAs were under 3.00 in 3 seasons and he played at AAA for 7 years.

Larry attended Northwood University, Michigan State, earned a Bachelors Degree from Georgia State College and a Masters at the U. of New Mexico where he became their baseball coach. He also was a high school teacher and coach in CO and later was a minor league pitching coach for ten years (1986-97) with the Atlanta Braves and also with the Baltimore Orioles (1998-2002 and 2004 to present). He also has been the Orioles pitching coordinator for the Florida minor league facilities.

He has lived in West Palm Beach, FL, and now resides in Jacksonville.

Manny Jimenez

Manuel Emilio (Rivera) Jimenez was born in San Pedro De Macoris, Dominion Republic on November 19, 1938. He played on the Eau Claire Braves in 1958 (.340, 15 HR, 71 RBI). Jimenez was traded by the Braves to Kansas City on Dec. 15, 1961, in the Bob Shaw deal.

Manny made quite a splash during his initial MLB season of 1962 for the Kansas City A's. The left handed batter was a starting outfielder and played in 139 games with a .301 average and .357 OBP. He had 24 doubles, 2 triples and 11 home runs for a .428 slugging percentage and was 7 for 17 as a pinch hitter. He never had stats like that again.

July 1962, A's owner, Charley Finley met with Jiménez and told him to "stop concentrating on hitting for average and concentrate on hitting more home runs." Jimenez went into a slump and lost about 30 points off his average during the last two months of the season. Finley at first denied any interference but later admitted to reporters that he had indeed met with Jiméénez after the manager and coaches had "unsuccessfully tried to do the same thing."

In 1963, he was used in 60 games with 40 appearances in the outfield and was 2 for 15 as a PH. His batting average was .280 in 157 at bats with no home runs. The A's used him in more games (95) in 1964 with 41 official plate appearances as a pinch hitter (9 hits) for a .225 average, but he showed increased power with 12 home runs.

He was in the minors in 1965 and most of 1966 when he only played in 13 games for the A's going 4 for 35 at the plate (.114). Manny also had partial seasons with the Pirates in 1967 and 1968 playing in 50 and 66 games. In '67, he led the league in pinch hits with 12 in 42 chances and, for the year, hit .250 in 56 at bats. Then in 1968, he led the league in pinch hit at bats with 53 (10 hits) and had 66 total at bats with a .303 average. On Jan. 15, 1969, he was traded to the Cubs for Ron Campbell and Chuck Hartenstein.

His MLB career ended in 1969 for the Cubs when he was 1 for 6 as a pinch hitter. In his 7 mostly partial big league seasons he played in 429 games with 1,003 at bats and a .272 career average, .339 OBP and .401 slugging %. His pinch hitting record was 41 for 176.

As a minor leaguer from 1957-1961 and 1963-1970, he played on 14 clubs. He hit over .300 in 7 seasons and spent 8 years in "AAA".

Manny's last known address was in San Pedro De Macoris. He managed in the Dominican summer league in 2006. On December 11, 2017, he died in New York City and his remains were buried at the Cementerio Muncipal San Petro De Macaris.

Dave Johnson

David Charles Johnson was born on October 4, 1948, in Abilene, TX. He pitched for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1968 (4-8, 3.92 ERA) and 1969 (6-2, 2.36). Dave attended McMurray College.

Dave had four partial major league seasons. In 11 relief appearances in 1974 for the Orioles, he finished 15 innings allowing 17 hits and 5 walks with 6 strikeouts and a 2.93 ERA. In 1975, the right hander was in 6 games for 9 innings allowing a 4.15 ERA in a season shortened by a motorcycle accident in which he broke his wrist. In 1976, Johnson played in AAA and on Dec. 29 was sold to Seattle and on May 2, 1977, Johnson was sent to Minnesota for cash.

Returning to majors in 1977, he had his longest stint - 30 games with the Twins. He made 6 starts that year while completing 73 innings giving up 86 hits and 23 walks with 33 strikeouts, a 4.58 ERA and .299 OAV. Dave finished with 6 appearances for the Twins in 1978 with a 7.50 ERA in 12 innings.

He pitched in 53 MLB games for 109 innings giving up 126 hits and 44 walks with 50 strikeouts. His career ERA was 4.64 with a .293 OAV. As a minor leaguer from 1967-1978, he was with 12 teams and had 6 years with ERAs at or below 3.00. He played 6 seasons in AAA.

Johnson lives in Abilene.

Lamar Johnson

Lamar Johnson was born in Bessemer, AL, on September 2, 1950. He played for the Duluth-Superior Dukes in 1970 (.321, 6 HR, 44 RBI). Lamar attended Lawson State Junior College.

Johnson had some good seasons in the big leagues as a professional hitter. In 1974 and 1975, he made a few appearances with the White Sox in 10 and 8 games as a first baseman and DH. In 1976, the RHB got his first prolonged trial hitting .320 in 82 games and 222 at bats.

Then from 1977 through 1980, he became a regular in the White Sox lineup for 118, 148, 133 and 147 games batting .302, .273, .309 and .277 and having as many as 18 home runs (1977). In 1977 he also led the league in pinch hits with 10 in 26 official at bats. During those years, he was used mainly as a first baseman and maintained good fielding percentages (.987 to .992). As Johnson's weight ballooned to 232 pounds, his speed, fielding and offensive numbers suffered.

In 1981, his playing time fell off dramatically as he was in only 41 Sox' games for a .276 average. On Jan. 15, 1982, Johnson signed as a free agent with Texas and finished his MLB career there in 1982 in 105 games batting .259. His career numbers were: 792 games, 2,631 at bats, .287 ave, .342 OBP, .415 slugging %, 64 home runs and 381 RBI.

A choir singer, in 1977 he sang "The Star Spangled Banner" before a Chicago game and then had two home runs and a double which were the only Sox' hits in their 2-1 victory. In the minors from 1968-1975, he played with 10 teams. He had batting averages over .300 in 5 of those seasons.

Lamar stayed in baseball as a minor (Brewers from 1991-94 and Mets in 2004) and major league coach (Brewers 1995-98, Royals from 1999-2002 and Mariners in 2003). In November 2000, he began taking jazz drumming lessons from a famed jazz percussionist. Since 2005, Johnson has been the Mets Minor League Hitting Coordinator and resides in Arlington, TX.

Art Johnson

Arthur Henry Johnson ("Lefty") was born on July 16, 1919 [for many years his birth year was reported as "1916"], in Winchester, MA. He pitched for the Superior Blues for four innings in one game in 1946.

Lefty played in the Northern League after his major league appearances and his military service in World War II. In September 1940, he made one start and one relief appearance for the Boston Braves completing 6 innings allowing 10 hits and 3 walks with 1 strikeout for a 10.50 ERA. He played his only complete MLB season in 1941, for the Braves, appearing in 43 games including 18 starts with a 3.53 ERA in 183 innings. He gave up 189 hits and 71 walks with 70 strike outs for a .270 OAV. He was hurt most of '42 and the injury started in spring training. Johnson was pitching a game and manager Casey Stengel asked him if he wanted to come out. Art told him that he wanted to stay in for just one more inning. With one pitch, Art felt something pop in his shoulder. It was the beginning of an injury from which he never recovered.

His career ended in 1942 as he appeared in 4 games before being called into the military. He had a 1.42 ERA in 6 innings. In his 49 career MLB games, he pitched 196 innings giving up 203 hits and 79 walks while striking out 71. His ERA was 3.68 and he had a .271 OAV.

In the minors from 1938-1940, 1942 and 1946, he played on six teams.

Art was in the U.S. Navy from 1942-1945 (was in the Pacific as a gunner's mate aboard the aircraft carrier USS Langley). He received a Purple Heart after suffering shrapnel wounds to his knees when a kamikaze plane hit the carrier's deck. Johnson then lived in Holden, MA, for many years working in the insurance industry for many years, retiring in 1987 as Owner and President of H. Lincoln Harrison Insurance Agency in Worcester MA.

He died in Holden on April 27, 2008, and was buried at St. Mary's Cemetery there.

Mike Johnson

Michael Norton Johnson was born on March 2, 1951, in Slayton, MN. He pitched for the Sioux Falls Packers in 1969 (1-2, 1.29ERA).

On June 2, 1973, he was traded by the Reds to San Diego with Gene Locklear and cash for Fred Norman. His only MLB action was a partial season with the San Diego Padres in 1974. He appeared as a reliever in 18 games going 29 innings and allowed 29 hits and 15 walks with 15 strikeouts. His ERA was 4.64 and he had a .326 OAV.

The right hander pitched in the minors from 1969-1974 for 7 teams with ERAs under 3.00 for 6 of them.

Mike's last known address was in Faribault, MN.

Vic Johnson

Victor Oscar Johnson was born on August 3, 1920, in Eau Claire, WI. He played for his home town Bears in 1942 (18-7, 3.08 ERA).

Vic had one complete and 2 short MLB seasons. He first came up to the Boston Red Sox in 1944 for 7 games including 5 starts completing 27 innings and gave up 42 hits and 15 walks while striking out 7. His ERA was 6.26.

In his complete major league season of 1945 he pitched in 26 games for the Red Sox (9 starts) allowing 90 hits and 46 walks in 85 innings with 21 strike outs. Vic's ERA was 4.01 and he had a .276 OAV. On Dec. 12, 1945, he was traded to Cleveland with cash for Jim Bagby. His big league career ended in 1946, with the Indians, in 9 games which included 1 start. He finished 14 innings giving up 20 hits and 8 walks for a 9.22 ERA.

Throughout his short MLB career, he was haunted with too many base runners as in 126 innings he allowed 152 hits and 69 walks for a .305 OAV and 5.06 ERA.

In the minors, he played from 1942-1944 and 1946-1949 for 9 clubs with 3 years in "AAA".

Vic worked for the Y.M.C.A. and the recreation department of the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire after his pro baseball career. He died in Eau Claire on May 10, 2005 at Luther Hospital and was interred at Lakeview Cemetery there.

Rex Johnston

Rex David Johnson was born in Colton, CA, on November 8, 1937. He played for the Grand Forks Chiefs in 1960 (.290, 5 HR, 48 RBI). He graduated from USC.

Rex had only one short stay in the majors. In 1964 he played in 14 games for the Pirates getting no hits in 7 at bats. He did walk 3 times for a .300 OBP. In 8 games in the outfield, he handled 2 chances without error and as a pinch hitter, he was 0 for 3.

As a minor leaguer from 1959-1966, he played on 10 teams with 5 years in AAA. He hit 18 home runs in the Southern Atlantic League in 1961. He left baseball after the '66 season because he refused to accept only a $200 a month pay raise.

Rex also was a running back and special teams player with the 1959 Pittsburgh Steelers. After leaving baseball, he joined his family's painting business, in Paramount, CA, and put his USC business administration degree to good use. By the mid-80's, he helped build AA-1 Painting Services' sales, in industrial and commercial painting, to $3 million. He now lives in Los Alamitos, CA.

Hal Jones

Harold Marion Jones was born on April 9, 1936, in Louisiana, MO. He played with the Minot Mallards in 1959 (.325, 35 HR, 127 ERA). He tied for the league lead in home runs and was the leader in RBI.

Hal only had two short trips to the majors with the Cleveland Indians. In 1961, he was in 12 games and hit .171 in 35 at bats with 2 of his 6 hits being home runs. The right handed batter had 18 at bats in 5 games in 1962 getting 5 hits for a .313 average.

In his short 17-game MLB career, he was 11 for 51 (.216) with a .259 OBP and .353 slugging percentage. He played first base in 14 games.

As a minor league player from 1956-1964, he played with 10 clubs (5 in AAA). Hal had 4 seasons where he hit near or higher then .300, slugged more then 20 home runs 5 times and had 97 or more RBI in 5 seasons. He broke Rocky Colavito's home run record at Reading, in the Eastern League, during the 1960 season by hitting 34.

Hal has lived in Los Angeles for many years.

Sherm Jones

Sherman Jarvis Jones ("Roadblock") was born in Winton, NC, on February 10, 1935. He pitched for the St. Cloud Rox in 1953 (0-0, 3.00 ERA).

Sherm never had a full major league season, but had some good moments in the early 60's. The San Francisco Giants brought him up to the majors in August 1960 and he appeared in relief for 16 games completing 32 innings and allowing 37 hits and 11 walks while striking out 10. His ERA was 3.09. On Apr. 27, 1961, the hard-throwing but wild Jones, was traded to Cincinnati with Bob Schmidt and Don Blasingame for Ed Bailey.

With the Reds in 1961 for 24 games, he made 2 starts. His ERA was 4.42 in 55 innings as he gave up 51 hits and 27 walks with 32 strikeouts. In the 5^th game of the World Series, he was one of a record eight pitchers used by the Reds. He finished his MLB career with the lowly 1962 New York Mets (he was the starting pitcher in their first home game) when he appeared in 8 games including 3 starts. He allowed 31 hits and 8 walks in 23 innings for a 7.71 ERA.

In a MLB career of 48 games and recurring arm problems, he gave up 119 hits and 46 walks in 110 innings. He struck out 53, had a .283 OAV and ERA of 4.73. Arm problems limited his potential.

As a minor league player from 1953-1958 and 1960-1965, he played on 15 teams. He had ERAs under 3.00 in 5 of those seasons and played in AAA for 6 years.

Sherm was in the U.S. Army in 1959 and became a police sergeant and investigator for the Kansas City, KS, police department where he lived and retired after 22 years. He was also the athletic director for Turner House, working with inter city youth. From 1989-1992 he was a representative to the Kansas legislature and in 1993-2001 he was a Kansas State Senator. In addition he managed semi-pro teams in the K.C. area.

On February 21, 2007, he died at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. Burial was at the Leavenworth National Cemetery in Leavenworth, KS.

Ken Jungels

Kenneth Peter Jungels ("Curly") was born on June 23, 1916, in Aurora, IL. He pitched for the Fargo-Moorhead Twins in 1936 (11-7, 4.78 ERA) and as a position player he had records of .262, 1 HR, 10 RBI.

After the 1939 season, Ken ended his attempts at being a position player and concentrated on pitching. For 5 years, he was up and down between major and minor league teams. His first appearances were in September 1937 for the Indians in 2 games and 3 innings. He gave up 3 hits and 1 walk.

In 1938, he got into only 9 games and 15 innings for Cleveland giving up 21 hits and 18 walks for a 8.80 ERA. He returned to the Tribe in 1940 for 2 games and 3 innings allowing 3 hits and 1 walks for a 2.70 ERA. In 1941, he made 6 appearances completing 14 innings giving up 17 hits and 8 walks for a 7.24 ERA.

He ended his up-and-down existence in 1942 with the Pirates as in 6 games he allowed 12 hits and 4 walks in 14 innings for an ERA of 6.59. Over those 5 seasons, he was in 25 games finishing 49 innings for a 6.80 ERA allowing 56 hits and 32 walks while striking out 21. His career OAV was .290.

In the minors from 1936-1943 and 1946-1949, he played on 13 teams and was at AAA for 9 years.

Ken was in the service in 1944 and 1945 and became a tavern owner near County Stadium in Milwaukee. On September 9, 1975, he died at St. Joseph's Hospital in West Bend, WI, after suffering a stroke the day before. He was buried at the Wisconsin Memorial Park in Brookfield, WI.

Paul Kardow

Paul Otto Karlow ("Tex") was born on September 19, 1915, in Humble, TX. He pitched for the Fargo-Moorhead Twins in 1935 (16-10) and 1936 (3.-4).

Tex played in only 2 major league games. For the 1936 Cleveland Indians, he was a reliever for 2 innings allowing one hit and 2 walks with a 4.50 ERA. His OAV was .167.

As a minor leaguer from 1935-1940 and 1943-1948, he pitched for 22 teams. After his MLB games, he only made a few appearances in AAA and spent nearly all of his baseball career in the middle to low minors.

Paul lived in San Antonio for 45 years where he became a plumber and died on April 27, 1968, due to cancer. Mission Burial Park in San Antonio was his place of burial.

Ray Katt

Raymond Frederick Katt was born on May 9, 1927, in New Braunfels, TX. He played for the St. Cloud Rox in 1948 (.319, 6 HR, 57 RBI). Ray attended Texas A&M.

Ray was mainly a back-up catcher in the National League during the 1950s. He had 2 short stints with the New York Giants in 1952 and 1953 for 9 and 8 games hitting .222 and .172. In 1954, he spent the whole year with the Giants and hit .255 in 86 games and 200 at bats. His OBP was .320 and he had a .435 slugging % with 9 home runs and 7 doubles. He had the disadvantage of attempting to catch knuckle-baller Hoyt Wilhelm with whom he co-authored four passed balls in one inning of a game on September 10.

He was their starting catcher in 1955, but hit only .215 in 124 games and 326 at bats. Ray had less production at the plate then in '54, but played in 38 more games. After 37 games in 1956 (.228), he was traded to the Cardinals where he hit .291 with 6 home runs in 47 games.

Back with the Giants in 1957, he was their designated back-up appearing in 72 games and hitting .230 with a .302 OBP. In 1958, he was again sent to the Cardinals where, for 19 games, he hit .171. He finished with them in 1959 for 15 games (.292).

In 8 MLB seasons, Ray hit .232 in 417 games and 1,071 at bats. He hit 32 home runs and had a .356 slugging % and a .285 OBP. Katt was known as a sound defensive catcher, but a weak hitter.

In the minor leagues from 1947-1953, 1958 and 1960-1961, he caught for 13 teams with 5 seasons hitting over .300. In 1953, for the Minneapolis Millers, he hit .326 with 28 home runs and 98 RBI. He had 6 seasons in AAA.

Ray was a minor league manager in 1961 for Portland and was a major league coach for the Cardinals (1959-1960) and the Indians (1962). He then coached high school baseball in New Braufels, TX,

before becoming baseball coach an assistant professor, athletic director, head baseball coach and assistant football coach at Texas Lutheran College in Seguin, TX, from 1971-92.. On October 19, 1999, he died due the effects of Lymphoma in New Braunfels.

Ed Kearse

Edward Paul ("Truck") Kearse was born in San Francisco on February 13, 1916. He played for the Grand Forks Chiefs in 1949 (.311, 2 HR, 32 RBI) as the Chiefs' playing manager for part of the year.

Eddie got into only 11 major league games as a catcher for the 1942 New York Yankees. In 26 at bats, he hit .192 with a .276 OPB.

Truck played in the minor leagues from 1936-1942 and 1945-1949 for 15 clubs. He hit over .300 in 3 seasons and spent 7 years in AAA.

In 1949 he managed two minor league teams in Paducah and Grand Forks. Later he became a lumber mill employee in Eureka, CA. On July 15, 1968, he died at the St. Joseph Hospital there due to lung cancer. Burial was at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward, CA.

Ron Keller

Ronald Lee Keller was born in Indianapolis, IN, on June 3, 1943. He pitched for the 1965 St. Cloud Rox (9-3, 2.03 ERA). Ron graduated from Indiana University.

Ron had two short stays on major league rosters. In July 1966, he appeared in 2 games for the Minnesota Twins completing 5 innings allowing 7 hits and 5 walks with 1 strikeout. His ERA was 5.06. He returned to the Twins in 1968 for 7 games and 16 innings when he gave up 18 hits and 4 walks with 11 strikeouts and a 2.81 ERA. His season was cut short with a call into the military. He did not return to pro baseball.

The right hander played in the minor leagues from 1965-1968 for 6 teams with ERAs under 3.00 in 3 of those seasons. He spent 3 years in AAA.

In 1969, Ron established Keller Investment Management Company to serve individual clients as an independent Registered Investment Advisor. He has lived in Indianapolis, Johns Island, SC, and now resides in Cashiers, NC.

Fred Kendall

Fred Lynn Kendall was born in Torrance, CA, on January 31, 1949. He played for the Sioux Falls Packers in 1967 (.301, 2 HR, 32 RBI). He is the father of major league catcher Jason Kendall.

Fred was a fixture at catcher in the major leagues during the 1970s. In September 1969 he made his debut with the expansion San Diego Padres for 10 games and 26 at bats (he got 2 hits). In 1970, he only played 4 games for the Padres going 0 for 4 at the plate. In 1971, he came up from AAA and hit .171 in 49 games and became known as an excellent defensive backstop.

From 1972 through 1976, he was the starting catcher for San Diego playing in 91,145, 141, 103 and 146 games. He hit .216, .282, .231, .199 and .246 during that period without much power. Kendall was named Most Valuable Padre in 1973 and pitcher Randy Jones credited him with much of his success as he caught all of Jones' league-leading 22 victories in '76. On Dec. 8, 1976, the final remaining original Padre, Kendall was traded to Cleveland with John Grubb and Hector Torres for George Hendrick.

With the Indians in 1977, he was their starter in 103 games with a .249 average. On Mar. 30, 1978, he was traded to Boston in the Dennis Eckersley deal and became a back-up at Boston that season (20 games - .195). Fred returned to the Padres in 1979 and 1980 (46, 19 games) hitting .167 and .292.

Over his 12 MLB seasons, he played in 877 games with a .987 fielding average. In 2,576 at bats, he hit .234 with a .288 OBP and .312 slugging %. Fred played in the minor leagues from 1967-1971 for five teams and hit over .300 in 2 of those seasons.

After baseball, Fred was employed with a medical supplies company in San Diego. He eventually returned to the game as a lower-minor league manager from 1992-1995 (manager of the year at Hickory in 1994), a coach for the Tigers from 1996 through 1998 and a Rockies coach from 2000-2002. From 2003-2005, he was a roving catching instructor for the Rockies. Fred has been the bullpen coach for the Kansas City Royals from 2006-2007. He lives in Manhattan Beach, CA. His son, Jason, has been a long-time big league catcher.

John Kennedy

John Irvin Kennedy was born in Jacksonville, FL, on October 12, 1926. He played for the St. Cloud Rox in 1953 (.262, 3 HR, 42 RBI).

John was with the Philadelphia Phillies for only 5 games in 1957 appearing as a third baseman with 2 at bats and no hits. He did score a run as an apparent pinch runner.

He played with Birmingham in the Negro Leagues from 1954-1956 and in the minor leagues during the 1951, 1953 and 1957-1961 seasons. John played on seven minor league teams with his year at St. Cloud being his best performance.

John lived in Jacksonville after leaving baseball and died there on April 27, 1998, after a long illness. He was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville.

Junior Kennedy

Junior Raymond Kennedy was born on August 9, 1950, in Fort Gibson, OK. He played for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1968 (.262, 0 HR, 22 RBI). He is the brother of Jim Kennedy, also an infielder, who played 12 games for the Cardinals in 1970. Junior attended Bakersfield Junior College.

On Dec. 4, 1973, Kennedy was traded by Baltimore to Cincinnati with Marv Rettenmund and Bill Wood for Ross Grimsley and Wally Williams. He first arrived in the majors in August 1974 with the Reds as a second and third baseman in 22 games hitting .158 in 19 at bats. Junior was in the minors all of 1975-1977.

On Oct. 20, 1977, he was sold by the Giants back to the Reds where he finally began a string of 6 full major league seasons. In that '78 season, for the Reds, he played in 89 games as an infielder hitting .255 in 157 at bats. He got an opportunity at second base because of an injury to Joe Morgan. That was also the case in 1979 when he played 83 games (.273).

After Morgan left the team in early 1980, Kennedy was still used more often at second then any other Reds' player as he hit .261 with a .332 OPB in 104 games. However, he eventually lost the second base job to Ron Oester. His 1981 season was spent on the bench playing in only 27 games (.250). On Oct. 23, he was sold to the Cubs for $50,000.

With the Cubs in the 1982 season, he increased his playing time to 105 games (.219) as they used him a second, third and shortstop. Junior was a bench player for the last time in 1983 as the Cubs used him in only 17 games (.136).

During his seven-year MLB career, he played in 447 games with 1,041 at bats. His batting average was .248 with a .328 OPB and .299 slugging %. His career fielding percentage was a good .982. He was 7-for-45 as a pinch hitter.

He played in the minors from 1973-1977 for six teams hitting over .300 in one of those seasons. He led International League shortstops in double plays in 1972 and American Association second basemen in fielding percentage in 1976.

Kennedy managed in the minor leagues in 1984. Junior lives in Bakersfield, CA.

George Kernek

George Boyd Kernek was born on January 12, 1940, in Holdenville, OK. He played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 1961 (.221, 0 HR, 8 RBI) and 1962 (.184, 0, 17). George attended the University of Oklahoma.

George had 30 games of major league play in 1965 and 1966. He arrived with the St. Louis Cardinals in September 1965 and played in 10 games going 9 for 31 as a first baseman and pinch hitter. In 1966, he appeared in 20 games with 50 at bats and 12 hits. When the Cardinals acquired Orlando Cepeda, George eventually went back to the minors. On Oct. 13, 1967, the Cards sold him to the White Sox, but he never played for them.

All told, George hit .259 in his MLB games with a OBP of .318 and slugging % of .346. The left hander fielded .980 at first. In the minors from 1961-1970, he played with 14 clubs with 2 years of averages over .300. His best year was in 1965 in the International League where he hit .295 with 19 home runs and 86 RBI.

Kernek attended classes at the University of Oklahoma in the offseasons as a ballplayer and graduated with a business degree. He did some farming as a ballplayer in Oklahoma, including growing peanuts. He took the player-coach role in 1970 with the thought of staying in baseball as a coach or manager. His career went in a different direction, but he was satisfied with his baseball career. “I think I probably would have played whether I made it to the majors or not,” he said while playing for Indianapolis.

While living in Wayne, OK, George became the vice president of operations for the Harrison Gypsum Co. in Percell, OK. Kernek also went to work for several insurance companies in Oklahoma and eventually started his own Kernek Insurance Agency in Purcell retiring in 2009. He then lived on a ranch near Purcell and traveled frequently, especially to Brazil. In addition he served as president of the Purcell Chamber of Commerce. Death came on August 14, 2022, in Percell.

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Bruce Kimm

Bruce Edward Kimm was born in Cedar Rapids, IA, on June 29, 1951. He played for the Duluth-Superior Dukes in 1970 (.269, 3 HR, 43 RBI). In July, Kimm was named ''Player of the Month'' by the Topps Baseball Card Company. At the end of the year the Duluth fans who voted him ''Most Popular'' player.

On Aug. 17, 1972, he was traded by the White Sox with Bruce Miller to California for Eddie Fisher.

Kimm first came up to the big leagues in May 1976 and caught for the Detroit Tigers in 63 games the rest of the season. He hit .263 with a .329 OBP.. During that year, he was the personal catcher for Mark Fidrych. In 1977, he only appeared in 14 games getting 2 hits in 25 at bats. On Aug. 30, 1979, he was sold to the Cubs, where he finished the season playing in 9 games (1 for 11).

His only complete season was his last - 1980 for the White Sox. The right hander played in 100 games and hit .243 with a .291 OBP. After the season, he played winter ball in the Dominican Republic where he hurt his right shoulder while trying to break up a double play. In the Spring of 1981, with his shoulder still not healed, he retired from baseball.

In his career, he was in exactly 100 MLB games with a batting average of .243, OBP of .291 and slugging % of .291. His fielding average at catcher was .977. As a minor leaguer from 1969-1979, he caught for 16 teams. He had 5 AAA seasons.

In 1981, Bruce drove a bread truck and sold life insurance. Kimm got back to baseball as a minor league manager in 1982-1983, a major league coach for Reds (1984-1988), Pirates (1989-90) and Padres (1991-1992). Also he was a minor league manager in 1993, 1995-96 ('95 manager of the year at Orlando). In 1994, he was a AAA coach. He returned to the majors as a coach for the Marlins (1997-1998) and Rockies (1999). He was an advance scout for the Rockies in 2000, AAA manager at Iowa in 2001-2002 and interim manager of the Chicago Cubs from July 2002-September 2002 (33-45 record). In 2003, he was the third base coach for the White Sox and retired after the season.

Kimm now lives the Norway, IA, area, and is busy with family, golf, hunting, and fishing. His summary of his baseball life? "What a ride."

Bruce was widely regarded as a hard-nosed catcher and a player willing to do whatever it took to win. He was a talented athlete and worked hard every day of his baseball career earning his nicknames of "the Gamer"" and "the Champ. Despite his tireless efforts to motivate the Cubs in 2002, the players did not respond on the field. As is the case in professional sports, it is much simpler to fire the manager than punish the players.

Kimm is one of the founding owners of "Perfect Game" (which includes his son, Tyson, who was a draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1995). It is a scouting and college-preparatory enterprise that organizes and conducts youth baseball tournaments, and manages a scouting service that reports on thousands of players yearly. With tens of thousands of U.S. prospects already in the company's database, the company intends to expand internationally.

Lynn King

Lynn Paul King ("Dig") was born in Villisca, IA, on November 28, 1907. He played for the Sioux Falls Canaries in 1946 (.333, 0 HR, 27 RBI) as their player/manager. Lynn had also played for Sioux Falls of the Nebraska State League in 1933. He attended Drake University.

Lynn had his first major league chances in September 1935 for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was 4 for 22 in 8 games as an outfielder. The left handed batter was back for 78 games in 1936 with 25 of those appearances as a pinch hitter (5 hits) aa he hit only .190 for the season.

He had one more chance in 1939 for the Cards with 89 games (10 for 35 as a pinch hitter) and a .235 average. In 175 MLB games, he hit .208 with a .302 OBP and .237 slugging %. Lynn had 84 appearances in the outfield (.986 fielding ave.). In the minors from 1933-1943 and 1945-1946, he played with 12 teams. He was at "AAA" for eight seasons hitting over .300 in two of them.

King served in the U S Army Air Corps during World War II. and was inducted into the Iowa Hall of Fame for his football and baseball play. He died on May 11, 1972, in Atlantic, IA, after being in failing health for some time. He is buried at the Villisca Cemetery.

Willie Kirkland

Willie Charles Kirkland was born in Siluria, AL, on February 17, 1934. He played for the St. Cloud Rox in 1954 (.360, 27 HR, 105 RBI). He won the league batting championship that year. He served in the United States Army in 1957.

Willie was a starter in eight of his nine MLB seasons. For the Giants in 1958, he played in 122 games and hit .258 with a .338 OBP with 14 home runs and 56 RBI. That season he led the league in double plays by an outfielder. His average increased to .272 in 1959 with 22 homers and 68 RBI. In 1960, his last year with the Giants, he batted .252 with 21 home runs, 65 RBI and a .316 OBP. On Dec. 3, he was traded to Cleveland with Johnny Antonelli for Harvey Kuenn.

With the Cleveland Indians, he was an outfield starter from 1961-1963 hitting .259, .200 and .230 in 146, 137 and 127 games with 27, 21 and 15 home runs and 95, 72 and 47 RBI. On July 9, 1961, he hit 3 straight homers off Cal McLish (all on 2-strike counts), then walked and sacrificed in two more at bats. After the All Star break, he hit a home run in his first official at bat against the Twins, thus tying the major league mark with 4 consecutive home runs. Also in '61, he led the Indians in home runs and RBI (95) and the league in double plays by an outfielder. On Dec. 4, 1963, he was traded to Baltimore for Al Smith.

In 1964, for the Orioles, he played in 66 games (.200) before being sold to the Washington Senators on Aug. 12 with whom he batted .216 in 32 games. His batting average never recovered as he completed his career with the Senators in 1965 and 1966 hitting just .231 and .190 in 123 and 124 games. He was 6 for 35 and 12 for 51 as a pinch hitter in those last 2 years.

Lifetime, he was 36 for 168 as a pinch hitter and batted .240 overall. He played in 1,149 games and had 3,494 at bats with a .307 OBP and .422 slugging percentage. Willie hit 148 home runs and had 509 RBI in his career. His outfielder fielding % was a decent .974. Kirkland had good power and was a very good defensive player.

In the minors from 1953-1956, 1958 and 1967, he played with 8 teams and hit over .300 in three seasons and over 20 home runs in 5 seasons including 40 for Sioux City in 1955, 37 for Minneapolis in 1956 and 34 for Hawaii in 1967. Willie also played in Japan in for Hanshin during the 1968-1973 seasons compiling a .241 average with 126 home runs [Kirkland adjusted well to Japan as he learned to speak Japanese and married a Japanese woman].

After baseball, he became a security officer at General Motors. He lives in Detroit.

Hal Kleine

Harold John Kleine was born on June 8, 1923, in St. Louis. He pitched for the Wausau Lumberjacks in 1942 (15-7, 4.13).

Kleine had two short stints in the majors with the Cleveland Indians. In 1944, the left hander appeared in 11 games including 6 starts for 41 innings allowing 38 hits and 36 walks with 13 strikeouts and a 5.75 ERA. In 1945, he ended his MLB career with 3 games for 7 innings giving up 8 hits and 7 walks while striking out 5. He had a 3.88 ERA that year.

In 14 MLB games, Hal's ERA was 5.48 and his OAV was .254. Playing in the minor leagues from 1941-1950, he pitched for 10 teams with 4 seasons in AAA.

After baseball, Kleine became an adjuster for the Laclede Gas Company. He died on at age 34, on December 10, 1957, at St John's Hospital in St Louis. The cause of death was listed as acute renal failure and bronchopneumonia. He was buried at the Resurrection Cemetery in St. Louis.

Austin Knickerbocker

Austin Jay Knickerbocker was born in Bangall, NY, on October 15, 1918. He played for the Wausau Lumberjacks in 1940 (.337, 22 HR, 100 RBI). He led the league in home runs that season. Austin attended Duke University.

Knickerbocker played in 21 games as an outfielder and pinch hitter (2-for-2) for the 1947 Philadelphia Athletics. In 48 at bats he had 12 hits (.250) with a .294 OBP and .396 slugging %.

As a minor leaguer, he played from 1940-1942 and 1946-1954 for 14 clubs. He hit over .300 in 4 seasons and played at the AAA level for 7 years.

Austin serviced in France, Germany, Italy and Africa for the U.S. Army from 1943-1945. He was a minor league manager in class "D" ball before moving to Clinton Corners, NY, where he became a self-employed carpenter and was involved in local politics. He died on February 18, 1997, at his home after a long illness. Burial was at the Stanford Cemetery in Stanfordville, NY.

Jack Knight

Elma (Elmer) Russell "Jack" Knight was born on January 12, 1895 in Pittsboro, AR. He was the player/manager of Fargo-Moorhead in 1934 (.304, 9 HR). Jack attended Millsaps College.

Jack first appeared in a major league uniform in September 1922 for the St. Louis Browns when he pitched 4 innings of a game allowing 9 hits and 3 walks while striking out one. He returned to the majors in 1925 for the Phillies when he appeared in 33 games, mostly in relief, for 105 innings giving up 161 hits and 36 walks. He struck out 19, had a 6.84 ERA and a .354 OBA.

He returned to the Phils in 1926 for 35 games, with 15 starts, and completed 143 innings while allowing 206 hits and 48 walks while striking out 29. His ERA was 6.62 with a OBA of .347. He was on a personal 8-game losing streak when he came into a game in relief on June 24 and hit his only 2 career MLB homers, in innings 5 and 6, but the Phillies still lost the game.

Knight played his last big league games in 1927 for the Boston Braves as in 3 games and 3 innings, he gave up 6 hits and 2 walks for a 15.00 ERA and .429 OBA.

In his 72 MLB games (27 starts), he finished 255 innings and gave up 382 hits and 89 walks. He struck out 49, had a 6.85 ERA and .353 OBA. The right-hand pitcher batted from the left side and finished with a .216 average.

In 1934, Knight was described in a "Sporting News" news item as: "a conservative man who learned his baseball in the practical way through 17 years in the business." He played in the PCL, Southern Association, Texas League and the Western League. In 1933 he managed a semi-pro team in San Antonio. He also managed Fargo-Moorhead in 1934 and 1937-1939 with his teams finishing 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 5^th.

In sum, he was a minor league manager from 1934-42, 1944-46, 1948-51 and 1954 in the Indians, Dodgers and Cubs organizations (171-232 record in classes "A", "C" and "D"). Knight died on July 30, 1976, in San Antonio, TX. Burial was at Victor Cemetery in Victor, TX.

Ray Knight

Charles Ray Knight was born in Albany, GA, on December 28, 1952. He played for the Sioux Falls Packers in 1971 (.285, 6 HR, 31 RBI). He also pitched (1-1, 11.25 ERA). Ray attended Albany Junior College.

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The following is from "Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia":

"The husband of golf great Nancy Lopez and the hero of the 1986 World Series, Ray Knight seemed to have the world in the palm of his hand after the 1986 season. But either Knight dropped it or the Mets knocked it from his hands, perhaps short-circuiting their dynasty hopes by letting one of their team leaders walk away.

"Knight began in the Cincinnati organization. In 1979 he was Pete Rose's replacement at third base and picked up the slack nicely, batting .318 in his first season as a starter. When his hitting fell off during the next two seasons, the Reds dealt Knight to Houston [on Dec. 18, 1981 for Cesar Cedeno] , where he responded with seasons of .294 and .304. In 1984 he was sent to the Mets [on Aug. 28 for 3 young players] and suffered through an abbreviated 1985 season, batting only .218 in 90 games.

"Knight was almost abandoned during 1986 spring training. The Mets hoped to make room for newcomer Howard Johnson. Responding to advise from batting coach Bill Robinson, Knight switched his batting stance from a couch to a more upright position. The result was a .298, 11-homer, 76 RBI season that won him NL Comeback Player of Year honors. He also emerged as one of the young team's clubhouse leaders, along with first baseman Keith Hernandez and catcher Gary Carter. That season the Mets coasted to an NL East title and overcame the Houston Astros to win the NLCS. In Game 6 of the World Series against the Red Sox, Knight committed a costly error, and it appeared responsibility for the Mets' loss would be on his shoulders. Fate intervened, however, in the form of teammate Mookie Wilson's ninth-inning ground ball through Bill Buckner's legs and Knight scored the winning run that forced a seventh game.

"In Game 7 the Mets fell behind early, but Knight's seventh-inning solo homer off reliever Calvin Schiraldi gave New York the lead for good. 'It was probably my greatest thrill in baseball,' said Knight, and an amazing finish to what had begun as such a gloomy season. 'I went in hearing things like they were going to eat my contract. I've lived with pressure all season, so this didn't seem like that much pressure to me. I was dealing with the fact my career might be over.' Knight had hit .391 for the Series with one home run and five RBIs, and he won the Series Most Valuable Player Award. He was hoping to parlay his honors into a two-year contract in the $1.5-to-2-million range, but the Mets offered the 34-year-old third baseman only one year at $600,000.

"Knight decided not to take it. 'I'm not blaming Davey (manager Davey Johnson). I'm talking about the front office. They tried to get rid of me in spring training... I'd rather play somewhere else for less than come back to where I'm obviously not wanted.'. As Met general manager Frank Cashen explained, 'The fact is, Ray is coming off one good year that followed two bad years.' Other clubs agreed. Knight had to sign with Baltimore for a price comparable to the figure New York had offered him. The Mets, meanwhile, went their underachieving way the rest of the decade."

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Ray first arrived with the Reds in September 1974 for 14 games hitting .182. He was with the team the complete seasons of 1977 and 1978 playing third, second, short and outfield for 80 and 83 games batting .261 and .200. After his first year as a starter (1979), described above, he hit .264 for 162 games in his All Star year of 1980. In the strike-shortened 1981 season, he hit .259 in 106 games.

During his first year in Houston (1982) he was again chosen for the All Star game. He hit .294 in 158 games with 96 of them as a first baseman. As a full-time first sacker in 1983, he batted .304. Back at third most of the time in 1984 he hit .223 before the trade to the Mets on Aug. 24 where he batted .280 in 27 games - all at first base. During his disappointing 1985 season (.218 in 90 games), he played third almost exclusively. As mentioned above, 1986 was a comeback year for Ray.

After signing with the Orioles for 1987, he played 150 games for them batting .256 with a .311 OBP as their starting third baseman although he was used at first for 6 games and as the DH for 14. He was traded to the Tigers on Feb. 27, 1988, for Mark Thurmond and ended his MLB career with the Tigers that year in 105 games batting .217 and used mostly a first baseman. He was 2 for 23 as a pinch hitter.

In his 13-year career, Ray played in 1,495 MLB games with 4,829 at bats and a .271 average, .325 OPB and .390 slugging %. He hit 84 home runs and had 595 RBI. As a pinch hitter he was 18 for 105. In 9 career NLCS games, he hit .211 and in his 6 World Series games, he hit a cool .391.

In the minors from 1971-1976, he played with 7 teams and gave up pitching after the 1973 season. He was in AAA for 4 seasons.

After retiring as an active player, Ray caddied briefly for his wife and then for ESPN as a color analyst. He returned to the majors as a coach for the Reds in 1992-1995 and then became their manager in 1996 (81-81). That term lasted until July 1997 (43-56). He then returned to ESPN until he again became a Reds' coach during the 2002-03 seasons. At one point, in 2003, he became the interim manager compiling a 1-1 record.

Early in 2003, Knight suffered a heart attack, had angioplasty surgery and had a stint inserted in an artery to his heart. He is currently a well-regarded motivational speaker and, since 2008, has been a color commentator and pre/post-game host on Washington Nationals telecasts. Knight still lives in Albany, GA.

Darold Knowles

Darold Duane Knowles was born on December 9, 1941, in Brunswick, MO. He pitched for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1961 (11-5, 3.29 ERA). Darold attended Missouri University.

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The following is from "Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia":

"Although Darold Knowles pitched for eight major league clubs, he is best remembered for his relief role with Oakland in the early 1970s. The left-handed bookend to Rollie Fingers, Knowles set a record that can never be broken under current rules by pitching in all seven games of the 1973 World Series.

"Knowles came up with Baltimore in 1965, played with Philadelphia for a year, pitched for Washington for four and a half more, and registered 27 saves in 1970. In May 1971 he was traded to Oakland. In three-plus years with the A's, during which time the team won three division titles, he won 19 games and saved 30. His value to the team was even greater than his numbers. Knowles often served as a set-up man for Fingers; they each saved two games in the 1973 World Series. Knowles pitched in all seven games, threw 6 1/3 innings, gave up no earned runs, and saved the deciding game.

"After the 1974 season Knowles was traded to the Cubs for Billy Williams. Knowles later pitched for Texas, Montreal, and St. Louis before retiring at age 38 with a career total of 143 saves and a 66-74 record."

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Darold's first taste of the majors came in April 1965 with the Orioles when he pitched in 5 games for 15 innings giving up 14 hits and 10 walks for a 9.20 ERA. On Dec. 6, he was traded to Philadelphia with Jackie Brandt for Jack Baldschun. In 1966, with the Phillies, he was in 69 games and 100 innings allowing 98 hits and 46 walks while striking out 88 with a 3.05 ERA and 13 saves. That year his manager, Gene Mauch, said: "He's got the courage of a daylight burglar." On Nov. 30, Knowles was sent to Washington with cash for Don Lock.

He was with the Senators from 1967 through 1970 for 61, 32 (short season due to military service), 53 and 71 games pitching 113, 41, 84 and 119 innings with ERAs of 2.70, 2.18, 2.24 and 2.04. Darold played in the 1969 All Star game, but, in 1970 lost a MLB-record 14 games in relief yet saved 27.

After 12 games with the Senators in 1971 (3.52), [May 8] he was traded to the A's in a 5-player deal where he had a 3.59 ERA in 43 games He stayed with Oakland from the 1972-1974 seasons for 54, 52 and 45 games compiling ERAs of 1.37, 3.09 and 4.22. In the 1973 World Series, he became the first pitcher ever to appear in all 7 of a Series' games. On Oct. 23, 1974, he was traded with Bob Locker and Manny Trillo to the Cubs for Billy Willimas.

In 1975 and 1976, for the Cubs, he pitched in 58 games each season. His ERAs were 5.81 and 2.89. On Feb. 5, 1977, he was traded to Texas and with them that season, he was in 42 games with a 3.22 ERA. His travels continued when on Nov. 10, 1977, he was sold to Montreal where he pitched in 60 games, during the 1978 season, for an ERA of 2.38.

He finished his MLB career with the Cardinals [signed as a free agent on Jan. 16, 1979] in 1979 and 1980 seasons for 48 and 2 games. In '79 his ERA was 4.07 in 49 innings and in his last MLB appearances (1980) he gave up 3 hits in 1 2/3 innings for a 10.80 ERA. In 16 MLB seasons, he pitched in 765 games and finished 1,092 innings allowing 1,006 hits and 480 walks with 681 strikeouts and he had 143 career saves [then 13^th best ever]. His career ERA was 3.12 and he had a .250 OAV. In the minors from 1961-1965, he pitched for 7 teams. Knowles was known as a fast worker.

After his playing career, he was a minor pitching coach for over 25 years with major league assignments in 1983 for the Cards and 1989-90 for the Phillies. In 1988 he managed the Rangers class "AAA" team and from 1993-2003, he was a pitching coach in the Phillies organization. During the 2001-03 seasons he was the pitching coach of the Pirates "AAA" club and since 2006 has had that position for the Blue Jays' "high A" team in Dunedin, FL (Florida State). He lives in Clearwater, FL.

Andy Kosco

Andrew John Kosco was born on October 5, 1941, in Youngstown, OH. He played for the Duluth-Superior Dukes [he was a Tigers' "bonus baby"] and the Bismarck-Mandan Pards in 1964 (.346, 28 HR, 97 RBI). Andy won the Northern League's Triple Crown that year - one of only four men to accomplish that feat. Andy attended Youngstown State University.

Andy came up with the Minnesota Twins in 1965 as an outfielder/first baseman and played in 23 games batting .236. He returned in 1966 for 57 games and 1967 for 9 more batting .222 and .143 respectively. In 1968, the RHB was a starter for the New York Yankees in 131 games and 466 at bats hitting .240 with 15 home runs. On Dec. 4, he was traded to Los Angeles for Mike Kekich. For the Dodgers in 1969 and 1970 he was in 120 and 74 games with .248 (with 19 homers) and .228 averages. Kosco led the Dodgers in homers and RBI (74) in 1969 which was his career year. On Feb. 10, 1971, he was traded to Milwaukee for Al Downing.

During the 1971 season spent with the Milwaukee Brewers, he also played third base and in 98 games hit .227. Two more cities were added to his baseball travelogue in 1972 as he was with the California Angels [traded for Tom Reynolds on Jan. 26] for 49 games (..239) and the Boston Red Sox [obtained on Aug 15 for Chris Coletta] for 17 (.213). He ended his career with the Cincinnati Reds [traded to them on Mar. 27] in 1973 and 1974 playing in 47 and 33 games with batting averages of .280 and .189. In the 1973 NLCS he was 3 for 10 in 3 games.

During his 10-year MLB career, he was 39 for 143 as a pinch hitter, played 658 games, hit .236 with a OBP of .275 and had a slugging % .394. In the minor leagues from 1959-1965, 1967, 1972-1973 and 1975, he played for 14 clubs hitting over .300 in 3 years. He spent 6 seasons in AAA.

Kosco was never a star, but he was bright and tenacious, and had the size of a power hitter.

He studied law during baseball's off-seasons, but after he quit playing, Andy entered the insurance business in Youngstown, OH ("Andy Kosco Insurance"). Kosco now lives in Poland, OH.

Jack Kralick

John Francis Kralick was born on June 1, 1935, in Youngstown, OH. He pitched for the Duluth-Superior White Sox in 1956 (11-10,3.85 ERA) and 1957 (8-7, 2.57). Jack attended Michigan State.

Jack first played a major league game on April 15, 1959, for the Washington Senators. That season, he only appeared in 5 more games before being sent back to the minors. He was a full-time major leaguer the next 8 years. From 1960-1962, he was a starter/sometime reliever for the Senators/Twins pitching in 35, 33 and 39 games including 18, 33 and 37 starts. He pitched 151, 242 and 243 innings with ERAs of 3.04, 3.61 and 3.86. On August 26, 1962, Kralick pitched a no-hitter over the A's 1-0, retiring the first 25 batters.

After 5 starts for the Twins in 1963 (3.86)[on May 2], the lefty was traded to the Indians for Jim Perry where he made 28 more appearances (27 starts) and compiled a decent 2.92 ERA. In 1964, he was named to the All Star game and had a 3.21 ERA in 191 innings and 30 games with the Tribe.

Jack's last year as a full-time starter was in 1965 as his ERA ballooned to 4.92 for the Indians. His major league career ended with the Tribe as a reliever in 1966 in 27 games (3.82 ERA) and 2 games (9.00 ERA) in 1967. He played his entire 9-year career for only 2 organizations. His career ended in 1967 shortly after he crashed his car into a bridge abutment in Florida. Although he recovered from his injuries (including double-vision) by the Spring of 1968, he choose not to report to spring training with the Mets to whom he was traded by Cleveland in May '67.

His lifetime MLB record was: 235 games, 1,218 innings, 1,238 hits allowed, 318 walks, 668 strikeouts, 3.56 ERA and .264 OAV. In the minor leagues from 1955-1959, he pitched for eight teams.

Some ex-teammates describe Kralick as a fairly abrasive loner. He was (and apparently is) just not sociable, someone who's very comfortable just getting along by himself.

After baseball, Jack was a school supply salesman in Watertown, SD. He eventually moved to Alaska where he was the Recreation Director for the Alaskan pipeline and a "unit operator" for the city of Soldotna, Alaska. He retired to the Mexican fishing village of San Blas. Kralick died there on September 18, 2012, after a series of stokes during the last two weeks of is life. Burial was at the Panteon Municipal (Cemetery) in San Bias.

Red Kress

Ralph Kress was born on January 2, 1907, in Los Angeles. He played for the Superior Blues in 1950 as a player(pitcher)/manager in 1950 (1-2, 2.00 ERA).

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The following is from "Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia":

"In his prime, Ralph "Red" Kress was a wide-ranging fielder who hit unusually well for a shortstop. Kress began his professional career in 1927 with Tulsa, where he was dubbed 'the boy wonder of the Western League.' By season's end he had replaced Jim Levey as the Browns' shortstop. In 1928 the 21-year-old Kress hit .273 and led the league in both assets and errors.

"In 1929 Kress came into his own, hitting .305 with 107 RBIs and leading all shortstops in fielding percentage. In 1930 he batted .313 with 16 homers and 112 RBIs and again led the league in errors. Moved to third base in 1931, he hit .311 with 114 RBIs and slammed another 16 home runs. The following season Kress was traded to the White Sox [on Apr. 27] and played a variety of positions . In 1934 he was swapped to the Senators [on May 12], but he never matched his early offensive performance and was farmed out to the minor leagues after the 1936 season. Kress spent 1937 in Minneapolis, where he led the American Association with 157 RBIs.

"The Red Sox drafted Kress but traded him back to St. Louis before the 1938 season. He hit .302 that year but in 1939 was dealt to Detroit [May 13 in a 10-player deal]. After being released by the Tigers in 1940, Kress returned to the minors and began a new career as a pitcher. On September 22, 1945, he pitched 8 1/3 innings of no-hit ball for Baltimore in the International League playoffs, but lost 1-0, in the ninth innings."

"Red" played only 7 games for the Browns in September 1927 hitting .304 with 23 at bats. That was followed by his 4 years as their starting shortstop and, by 1931, a utility player. He hit .273, .305, .313 and .311 in 150, 147, 154 and 150 games. In 1932, after 14 games (.173) they traded him to the White Sox [April 27] where he played 135 games and hit .285. For the Sox in 1933, he was their first baseman, playing in 129 games and batting .248.

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After 8 games for the Sox (.286), in 1934, Kress went to the Senators [May12] for 56 more with an average of .228. With the Senators in 1935 and 1936, he appeared in 84 and 109 games with averages of .298 and .284. Also in 1935, he pitched in 3 games for 6 innings allowing 8 hits and 5 walks with 5 strikeouts and a 12.27 ERA. Back with the Browns for 150 games in 1938 [obtained Dec. 2, 1937], he batted .302 and led the league in shortstop's fielding percentage. Kress went to the Tigers after 13 Brownie games (.279) on May 13, 1939 and hit only .242 with 51 games as he broke his leg while with the Tigers.

His position player days ended in 1940, with the Tigers (.222 in 33 games). Red's last MLB performance was as a pitcher for the New York Giants when he relieved in a game for 4 innings giving up 5 hits and 1 walk with 1 strikeout. His ERA was 12.27.

As a major league position player, he played in 1,391 games with 5,087 at bats. His career batting average was .286 with a .347 OBP and .420 slugging %. As a minor leaguer in 1927, 1937, 1941-1946 and 1950-1951, he played on 9 teams In 1937, for the Minneapolis Millers, he hit .330 and led A.A. shortstops in total chances.

As a major leaguer, Kress was known for his great disposition and perpetual motion.

Kress became a minor league manager for 6 years including Sacramento, Superior, El Centro, Juarez and Daytona Beach. He also was a major league coach for the Tigers (1940), Giants (1946-1949), Indians (1953-1960). Angels (1961) and the Mets (1962). He died on November 29, 1962, due to a heart attack at his home in Canoga Park, CA, and he was buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA.

Chris Krug

Everett Ben Krug was born on December 25, 1939, in Los Angeles. He played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 1960 (.167, 7 HR, 30 RBI).

Krug's longest tenure in the majors was his first year of 1965 with the Chicago Cubs for 60 games. He hit .201 with 5 homers and 24 RBI with a .262 OBP. The catcher was in only 11 Cubs games in 1966 for a .214 average. His MLB career ended in 1969 for the expansion Padres where he batted .059 in 8 games.

As a MLB player in 79 games and 214 at bats, Chris hit .192 with a .248 OBP. As a minor leaguer from 1958-1967, he played with 12 clubs with 3 years in AAA.

After his playing days ended, Chris Chris coached professional baseball with the New York Mets for two years (about 1978) and was assistant varsity coach at UCLA for three years. Later, Krug returned to college, earned his degree, and became a landscape artist. One example of his work was the cornfield ballfield used in the movie "Field of Dreams".

His business is "Athletic Turfs, Inc." which builds baseball facilities for such entities as San Diego State University, the Los Angels Angels and UCLA. He now lives in Wildomar. CA.

Craig Kusick

Craig Robert Kusick was born in Milwaukee on September 30, 1948. He played for the St. Cloud Rox in 1970 (.294, 7 HR, 41 RBI).

Craig had 7 major league seasons as a part-time first baseman, DH and pinch hitter. In September 1973 he arrived in the big leagues, with the Twins, for 15 games and a .250 batting average. In 1974, he was the team's back-up first baseman for 76 games with 8 home runs and a .239 average.

During the 1976 season he appeared in 57 Twins' games slugging 6 homers and a .237 batting average. His playing time increased to 109 games in 1976 for a .259 average (11 HRs) as he became a part-time DH, first baseman and pinch hitter (3 for 35.). Craig led the league in pinch hitting (10 for 38) in 1977 continuing his role as a DH and first sacker as he hit .254 with 12 home runs [his career year].

The 1978 season was his last full one with the Twins for whom he batted only .173 in 77 games. After 24 games (.240) the next year, he was sold to the Blue Jays [on July 25] where he finished his MLB career (24g, .204). He also pitched 3 2/3 innings in a game for the Jays allowing 3 hits and a 4.91 ERA

Craig had a career .235 batting average with a .345 OPB and .391 slugging %. He hit 46 home runs in 1,238 at bats and 497 games. Kusick's resume indicated that he was a brawny long-ball hitter, but a slow, deficient fielder.

In the minor leagues from 1970-1975 and 1980-1981, he played with 10 teams. He was in AAA for 5 years and made a few pitching appearances in 1980-1981.

At Rosemount (MN) High School, he was the baseball coach and teacher for 23 years from 1982-2004. In February 2005, he took a medical leave to begin chemotherapy for a condition which can be a prelude to leukemia (myleodysplastic syndrome) and to care for his wife who had been diagnosed with cancer [she died in January 2006].

In August 2006, Kusick started a month of chemotherapy in St. Paul and then planned to move to the University of Minnesota Medical Center - Fairview for a stem cell bone marrow transplant. On September 25, he was admitted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with a fever and he died there on September 27. He had lived in Apple Valley, MN, and was buried in St. Germain, WI.

Coco Laboy

Jose Alberto Laboy was born on July 3, 1939, in Ponce, Puerto Rico [his birth date is sometimes shown as July 4 and his birth year is sometimes listed as 1940]. He played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 1963 (.292, 21 HR, 77 RBI).

When playing in the minor leagues in 1962, Laboy injured his back and was on the DL most of the season. At the end of the year, the Giants released him from their organization as doctors stated that he would never play again. The Cardinals signed him before his '63 year in Winnipeg.

In 1964, while playing for Raleigh, Coco thought a Rocky Mount pitcher was throwing at him and planned retaliation. In the fifth inning, Coco bunted down the first base line with two out. When the pitcher charged to field the ball, Laboy charged at him with the bat and swung and missed. The attack ignited a 15-minute brawl and Coco was arrested on charges of "assault with a deadly weapon." He plead guilty the next day and was sentenced to 30 days labor - working on the roads. The sentence was eventually suspended pending payment of a $20.25 fine. He was also suspended by the league president for three games and received a $25 fine.

Coco's first MLB experiences came with the expansion Montreal Expos (by whom he was their 27^th pick in the expansion draft) as their starting third baseman in 1969. Manager Gene Mauch liked what he saw of Coco''s sound fundamentals and quiet nature during spring training and he played 157 games batting .258 with 18 home runs and 83 RBI [led team] with a .312 OBP becoming one of the most popular Expos players.

He returned in 1970 as the starter, but his performance declined sharply to a .199 average with 5 home runs and 53 RBI in 137 games. Expos' pitcher Claude Raymond probably had the best explanation of his reduced production: "He was always a good defensive player, but after that first year he saw fewer fastballs,"

He was a back-up in 1971 for 78 games and his average rebounded to .252 with a .302 OBP. After the season, he played winter ball injuring his right knee. Laboy spent most of 1972 on the disabled list after undergoing knee surgery in March.In his final two years (1972-1973), his seasons were divided between the Expos and "AAA". He played 28 and 22 MLB games with averages of .261 and .121.

Lifetime, Coco was in 420 games and had 1,247 at bats for an average of .233 and OBP of .292. His slugging % was .354 and he had a .944 fielding % as a third baseman with minimal appearances at second and short. As a pinch hitter, he was 5-for-28. In 2003, Expos executive John McHale made this comment regarding Laboy: "[He was a] perfect gentleman and a plus for the team on and off the field. He had a million-dollar name and the fans loved it."

A minor leaguer from 1959-1968 and 1972-1973, he played with 17 teams. He had seven years with averages near or over .300.

Laboy returned to his native Puerto Rico coaching and managing in the 1980s in their winter league and then got a job with the government, which he served for 27 years, eventually becoming director of the commonwealth's athletic programs. He was also a major league scout. At one time, he was the Mariners' Latin American scout in Puerto Rico (helped sign Edger Martinez). He lives in Carolina, PR.

Joe Lafata

Joseph Joseph Lafata was born in Detroit on August 3, 1921. He played with the Eau Claire Bears in 1941 (.286, 3 HR, 45 RBI).

Joe had 2 full major league seasons and one of very short duration. In 1947, he played in 62 games for the New York Giants with half of his appearances as a left handed pinch hitter (6-for-31). In total, he hit .221 with 2 home runs and a .333 OBP. In 1948, he was used as a pinch hitter in one game (.000).

His last MLB experiences came in 1949, again for the Giants, in 64 games with a .236 average, 3 home runs, a pinch hitting record of 5-for-14 and 47 games at first base. His OBP was .282.

His minor league experience came from 1940-1942, 1945-1948 and 1950-1952 for 12 teams.

Joe served in the military in 1943-1944 and, after baseball, lived in Roseville, MI.. He died there on May 6, 2004, and was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Detroit

Ken Landenberger

Kenneth Henry Landenberger ("Red") was born on July 29, 1928, in Lyndhurst, OH. He played for the Superior Blues in 1950 (.307, 6 HR, 104 RBI) and the Minot Mallards in 1958 (.290, 6 HR, 34 RBI) when he was a player/manager. Ken attended Ohio University.

Ken's only MLB games came in September 1952 for the Chicago White Sox. He played first base in one game (1 for 4) and pinch hit in another (0-for-1). The LHB struck out twice and had one fielding chance.

In the minor leagues from 1948-1958, he played for 12 teams hitting over .300 in 7 years. He spent five years in the Western League.

Ken managed Minot in 1958 and 1959 and managed elsewhere in the minors in 1957 and 1960. During the '60 season, on July 28, he died in Cleveland from a cerebral hemorrhage and acute leukemia. He was buried in Whitehaven Park, Mayfield Village, OH.

Don Larsen

Don James Larsen was born in Michigan City, IN, on August 7, 1929. He played for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1947 (4-3, 3.42 ERA) and 1948 (17-11, 3.75). In his book “The Perfect Yankee”, he discussed his years in Aberdeen:

This is his story of his two years there (from his book "Perfect Yankee"):


"If a person finds himself standing at the point where state roads 12 and 281 cross the east central section of South Dakota, he'll be smack dab in the middle of Aberdeen.

"Apparently no one from the minor league ball club knew I was arriving that night because nobody met me at the train station. I had no idea where I was supposed to go. I headed for the Sherman Hotel, but there weren't any rooms available, so I stayed in the lobby and spent a sleepless night worrying what the next day would bring.

"My first professional day as a professional ball player was an unusual one. I took all my luggage and headed toward the ball park, which was located some distance from the hotel. There was no one at the ticket gate to pass me through into the Pheasant's scheduled double header, so I had to pay my way in to my first game as a professional ball player.

"As improbable as it may seem, I didn't want to bother anybody, so I watched the first game from a first base line seat with my luggage next to me. During the vull between games, the newest Pheasant player went down and tried to locate the manager Don Heffner, who would later manage the Cincinnati Reds at the start of the 1966 season.

"This goofy-looking guy with a crew cut that accentuated my big ears must have been a sight standing there with my glove and luggage. Heffner was surprised to see me because he had expected me a couple of days earlier.

"I was relieved that Heffner seemed happy I had finally gotten there. I did dress for the second game and even though I was till just a young punk, Don took me under his wing. He and I got along well right from the beginning.

"In my first season, I recorded a 4-3 won-loss record in 16 games. I struck out 28 men, walked 31 and had a 3.42 ERA in 72 innings. I didn't fell too bad about my performance and  Don seemed pleased with the progress I made. Our club, the Aberdeen Pheasants, won the league that year. We posed an impressive 82-36 record under Heffner..."

"After working and playing ball in the San Diego park leagues that winter, I was sent back to class C Aberdeen. This time, the manager was Jim Crandall, the son of Don Crandall the relief pitcher for the Giants in the early part of the century.

"Our Pheasants placed fourth (64-59) in 1948. We finished behind St. Cloud, Eau Claire and Grand Forks who was the regular season title and then the championship by beating our club in the finals in four straight games.

"I made new friends at Aberdeen in 1948 and became more comfortable with my role as a profession ball player. We had a pretty good ball club that year and Crandall and the older, more experience players, taught me a lot about not only pitching, but the whole game of baseball as well."

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The following is from "Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia":

"Don Larsen never won more then 11 games in any one season and his career statistics are very ordinary. But, on October 8, 1956, Larsen had perhaps the most famous pitching day in the history of baseball, when he threw a 2-0 perfect game in the World Series. The Brooklyn Dodgers had knocked him out in the second inning of Game 2, but Game 5 was Larsen's from the start. Pitching at Yankee Stadium, the righthander used a no-windup delivery that made pitching look like a game of catch. He needed only 97 pitches that day and only once threw as many as three balls to a hitter.

"Two excellent plays preserved the perfect game. In the second inning Jackie Robinson hit a grounder in the hole, which third baseman Andy Carey touched with his glove and deflected to shortstop Gil McDougald, who threw Robinson out. In the fifth inning Gil Hodges hit a line drive into left-center field. Mickey Mantle made a fine running catch on the warning track. The Yankees followed tradition and said nothing to Larsen. But the pitcher cornered Mantle in the runway late in the game and asked him, 'Do you think I'll make it?' Mantle ignored him. In the ninth inning Larsen retired Carl Furillo and Roy Campanella before facing pinch hitter Dale Mitchell. The pitcher threw a ball, a called strike and a foul ball before painting the outside corner with a fastball. Umpire Babe Pimelli, officiating in his last game at home plate before retirement, called strike three. In what is now a legendary moment, catcher Yogi Berra jumped into his pitcher's arms and the 6-foot-4-inch Larsen carried him off the field as if he were a small child.

"Larsen started in the minors with Aberdeen in the Northern League in 1947 and 1948 and then played in Springfield, Globe-Miami, Wichita and Wichita Falls. He spent 1951 and 1952 in the military and was brought up to the St. Louis Browns in 1953. The next year he moved with the club to Baltimore where he had a 3-21 record. Larsen was traded to the Yankees in an 18-player deal in December 1954 and spent part of 1955 in Denver, where he went 9-1 and earned another chance in the majors. After joining the Yankees midway through 1955, he turned around his previous year's record by going 9-2.

"The fun-loving Larsen fit in well on a team with such other carousers as Mantle, Billy Martin and Whitey Ford. One spring training after he ran his car into a mailbox at 5:30 in the morning, manager Casey Stengel responded, 'The man was either out too early or too late.' In 1956 Larsen was 11-5 and the next year he went 10-4, the only two times he would win as many as 10 games. In the 1957 World Series he won Game 2 but then lost Game 7. Overall he pitched in four World Series for the Yankees with a 4-2 record. He pitched another two years with the Yankees before going to Kansas City in December 1959 in the deal that sent Roger Maris to New York.

"After a 1-10 season in Kansas City - in which he pitched so poorly that the Athletics sent him back to the minor leagues - Larsen was changed to a relief pitcher. He reached the World Series again in 1962 with the Giants and, at Yankee Stadium on October 8, 1962, on the sixth anniversary of this perfect game he defeated the Yankees in relief. Larsen hit well for a pitcher with a lifetime .242 average and 14 career home runs. In fact, he was used as a pinch hitter 66 times and collected 12 hits. He retired in 1967, after a brief stint with the Chicago Cubs."

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In his first season of 1953 with the Browns, he compiled a 4.16 ERA in 193 innings over 38 games including 22 starts. For the Orioles in 1954, he made 29 appearances (28 starts) for 202 innings and a 4.37 ERA.

During his 5 Yankees years from 1955-1959, he pitched in 19, 38, 27, 19 and 25 games with 97, 180, 140, 114 and 125 innings for 3.06, 3.26, 3.74, 3.07 and 4.33 ERAs with 13, 20, 20, 19 and 18 starts. In 1958, he suffered from an elbow injury. On Dec. 11, 1959, he was traded to Kansas City in a 7-player deal.

With the A's in 1960, he made 15 starts and was a reliever in 7 more for 84 innings allowing 97 hits and 42 walks with 43 strikeouts and an ERA of 5.38. In 8 games for K.C. before his trade on June 10, 1961, he was in 8 games, 15 innings with a 4.20 ERA. The rest of 1961, Don was with the White Sox for 25 games, 74 innings compiling a 4.12 ERA. On Nov 30, he was sent to San Francisco with Billy Pierce for Eddie Fisher, Dom Zanni, Verle Tiefenthaler and Bob Farley.

In his 1962 and 1963 seasons with the Giants, he made 49 and 46 appearances for 86 and 62 innings and 4.38 and 3.05 ERAs. After 6 games with them in 1964 (4.35), Don was sold to the Houston Colt 45s [on May 20] where he made 30 appearances for 103 innings for an excellent 2.26 ERA. He started the '65 campaign with Houston, but was traded after 1 game back to his franchise [Apr. 24 for Bob Saverine and cash] - the Orioles - where he pitched 27 games with 54 innings and a another good ERA of 2.67.

Don finished with the Cubs in 1967 with 3 games and 4 innings giving up 5 hits and 2 walks for a 9.00 ERA. In his 14-year MLB career, he pitched in 412 games including 171 starts for 1,548 innings allowing 1,442 hits, 725 walks with 849 strikeouts and a 3.78 ERA/.247 OAV. In 10 World Series games including 6 starts, he pitched 36 innings with a 2.75 ERA.

Larsen was the last active former St. Louis Brown. In the minors from 1947-1950, 1955, 1960 and 1966-1968, he played for 13 teams. Five of those seasons were spent in AAA.

After baseball, Don became a salesman for the Blake, Moffet and Towne Paper Company in San Jose. After retirement, he lived in Hayden Lake, ID, and made appearances at card shows, banquets, ball parks, etc. After a short four-month struggle with esophageal cancer, Larson died at a hospice in Hayden, ID, in January 1, 2020.

Don ends his book "The Perfect Yankee" (with Mark Shaw, pub: Sagamore) with the following: "All I can say is that I'm very thankful to have done one thing while I was on this earth that is considered perfect. I may have had an up and down baseball career, but no one can ever take away that October afternoon in 1956 when I threw the only perfect game in World Series history."

Fred Lasher

Frederick Walter Lasher was born in Poughkeepsie, NY, on August 19, 1941. He played for the Bismarck-Mandan Pards in 1962 (8-5-, 2.03) and 1964 (3-3, 2.90). He got off to a fast start, allowing 1 run in his first 37 innings for a 0.24 ERA. He adapted well to his new role and said that he wanted to become “the best relief pitcher in the league.” He ended up getting 5 starts in his 41 appearances, and he threw 3 complete games and 1 shutout . He fanned 132 hitters in 115 innings.

Fred made major league appearances the year after he played in the Northern League. Then he went down to the minors, including a return engagement to the League, and eventually returned to MLB. His 1963 big league games were with the Minnesota Twins. In 11 games and 11 innings, the right hander allowed 12 hits and 11 walks with 10 strikeouts. and an ERA of 4.76.

The sidearmer did not come back to the majors until 1967 with the Detroit Tigers. With them through the 1969 season, he pitched 17, 34 and 32 games in relief for 30, 49 and 44 innings with ERAs of 3.90, 3.33 and 3.07. In the 1968 World Series, he pitched 2 scoreless innings in 1 game allowing 1 hit and striking out 1. After 12 games and 9 innings in 1970, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians on May 22 for Russ Nagelson and Bill Rohr where he played in 43 games with a 4.06 ERA.

His last MLB games came in 1971 for the California Angels when he relieved in 2 games for 1 1/3 innings allowing 4 hits and 2 walks for a 27.00 ERA. In Fred's 151-game career, he finished 202 innings allowing 179 hits and 110 walks while striking out 148 for a .243 OAV and 3.88 ERA.

In the minors from 1960-1967 and 1971, he performed with 12 teams with 7 seasons of ERAs under 3.00. He had 3 years with "AAA" clubs.

He was known in the majors for a sidarm/submarine pitching delivery that earned him the nickname “The Whip,” and he picked up that delivery as a child by throwing rocks at his parents’ house. “They poured a lot of shale in the roadway. They were large flat pieces of rock and I used to hold them in my fingers and see how far I could sail them sidearm,” he said.

Lasher said that if he hadn’t been drafted out of the Minnesota organization, he would have quit. He acknowledged that his relationship with the Twins had been strained, which probably accounted for his exile to Class-A ball. He didn’t like the attempt to mess with his delivery, but he admitted his own faults as well. “I got in bad with the organization. I gave the managers trouble and argued with some of the men in the organization out in front of everybody,” Lasher explained. “They said I had a bad attitude. But I’ve settled down now. I got a little older, and I got married..”

Fred operated a dry-wall company, coached youth baseball and was a recreation therapist for youth with drug and alcohol problems in Merrillan, WI. Lasher died on February 22, 2022, inAltoona, WI, and was cremated.

George Lauzerique

George Albert Lauzerique was born on July 22, 1947, in Havana, Cuba. He pitched for the St. Cloud Rox in 1965 (5-2, .079).

Lauzerique spent four years bouncing between AAA and the major leagues. In September 1967 he made 3 appearances including 2 starts for the Kansas City A's completing 16 innings and giving up 11 hits with 6 walks while striking out 10 for a 2.25 ERA. In 1968, he was with the transplanted A's in Oakland for only 1 game and 1 inning allowing 1 walk, 0 hits and a 0.00 ERA. He finished his A's career with 19 games (8 starts) in 1969 allowing 58 hits and 27 walks with 39 strikeouts in 61 innings. On Dec. 7, 1969, he was traded with Ted Kubiak to the Seattle Pilots for Diego Segui and Ray Oyler.

His MLB career ended in 1970 for the Milwaukee Brewers with 11 games including 4 starts for a 6.94 ERA. Throughout those years, he allowed too many home runs (23 in 113 innings). George also gave up 48 walks and struck out 73 for a 5.00 ERA and .256 OAV. Lauzerique's career suffered because of his lack of control.

As a minor leaguer from 1965-1972 and 1975-1976, he pitched for 12 teams with 3 seasons of ERAs under 3.00. He was in "AAA" for 4 years. In 1967, for Birmingham (Southern), he was 13-4, 2.30 playing on a team that included Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi and Rollie Fingers. On July 6, of that season, he pitched a 7-inning perfect game.

George became the Baltimore Orioles' regional scouting director in Latin America and he also was a scout for the Angels. He now lives in West Palm Beach, FL.

Jim Lawrence

James Ross Lawrence was born in Hamilton, ON, Canada, on February 12, 1939. He played for the Minot Mallards in 1958 (.188, 0 HR, 0 RBI) and 1959 (.223, 5, 35).

Lawrence caught in two major league games for the 1963 Cleveland Indians. He did not have a major league at bat, but had four chances defensively with one error.

As a minor leaguer from 1958-1964, he caught for nine teams with four seasons in "AAA".

Jim lives in Caledonia, ON.

Bob Lee

Robert Dean Lee was born in Ottumwa, Iowa, on November 16, 1937. He was a pitcher for Grand Forks in 1959 (21 g, 5-7, 5.01).

Lee pitched in the minors from 1956-63 in 251 games completing 1,026 innings allowing 920 hits and 589 walks for a 3.83 ERA, a 59-58 record and a 1.47 WHIP mostly as a relief hurler. He spent three seasons in class AAA. In 1963, he had a 20-2 record in the NY-Penn league striking out 240.

He made the Angels club out of spring training in 1964 appearing in 64 games (5 starts) for 137 innings giving up 87 hits and 58 walks with a 1.51 ERA (2^nd lowest for a rookie in AL history – a record that stood into the 1990's). That season he also set a rookie pitcher record for games pitched, but would have seen more action had he not suffered a fractured right hand in September when he punched a heckling sailor in Boston.

Lee also had a great year in 1965 as he was chosen for the All Star game seeing action in 69 relief games/131 innings for a 1.91 ERA. In addition, Lee set an Angels franchise record with 21 scoreless innings pitched between 1964 and 1965, which stood for 48 years until Jered Weaver set a new mark in July 2013. Bob's final season with the Angels was '66 when he pitched in 61 games and 102 innings compiling a 2.74 ERA. Arm problems plagued him during the 1966 season and thereafter.

Before the 1967 season he was sent to sent to the Dodgers in the Nick Willhite deal. In the NL for the season, he got into 4 games for the Dodgers and 27 with the Reds (purchased from the Dodgers) completing a total of 57 innings allowing 57 hits and 35 walks with a 4.55 ERA. Lee's final MLB year was 1968 with the Reds seeing action in 44 games with a 5.10 ERA.

Over his five major league seasons, he was in 269 games (7 starts), 493 innings giving up 402 hits and 196 walks for a 2.70 ERA, 63 saves and a 25-23 record. In addition, he pitched for Tiburones de la Guaira and Leones del Caracus in the Venezuelan Winter League between 1963 and 1969.

After baseball, Lee was an iron worker living in Tehachapi, CA, and later owned a barber shop near the Angles ballpark. He retired in Lake Havasu City, AZ, where he died at home on March 25, 2020.

Jim Lehew

James Anthony Lehew [LAY-hew] was born on August 19, 1937, in Baltimore. He pitched for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1963 (0-2, 3.32).

In 1958, while playing in the minors, he suffered a back injury (slipped disk) when taking a too healthy cut at a curveball. Lehew played for his home town Orioles in 1961 and 1962 In his major league premiere games of September 1961, Jim pitched 2 innings allowing 1 hit and 0 runs. In 1962, he again looked good with 6 appearances and 10 innings allowing 10 hits and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts and a 1.86 ERA.

He was a submarine-style pitcher from his school days in East Baltimore. His minor league career was from 1958-1964 with 8 teams with 3 years of ERAs under 3.00. He only made a few appearances in AAA and retired after the 1964 season unable to recover from his back issues.

Jim worked as a dock worker for the Preston Trucking Company in Glen Burnie, MD. Lehew passed away from congestive heart failure at home in Grantsville, MD, on December 23, 2016. Cremation followed.

Denny LeMaster

Denver Clayton LeMaster was born in Corona, CA, on February 25, 1939. He pitched for the Eau Claire Braves in 1958 (4-2, 2.82 ERA). Denny was signed for a bonus of $60,000 in 1958 by the Braves.

The hard thrower came up to the Braves in July 1962 and stayed in the majors full time through the 1972 season. With Milwaukee/Atlanta from 1962 through 1967, he was a starter who made occasional relief appearances. During those years, he appeared in 17, 46, 39, 32, 27 and 31 games including 12, 31, 35, 32, 27 and 31 starts for 87, 237, 221, 146, 171 and 215 innings with ERAs of 3.01, 3.04, 4.15, 4.43, 3.74 and 3.34. . In 1963, he struck out 190 and was 17-11 in 1964. His 1965 season was shortened by a sore arm and he was named to the 1967 All Star game but could not play because of his arm injury which continued to bother him intermittently through the rest of his career. On Oct. 8, 1967, he was traded to Houston with Denis Menke for Sonny Jackson and Chuck Harrison.

In 1968, the left hander pitched for the Astros where he was employed through the 1971 season. From 1968-1970, he was a starter in 32, 37 and 21 games with 1, 1 and 18 relief appearances for 224, 244 and 162 innings and 2.81, 3.16 and 4.56 ERAs. In 1972, he became a full time reliever as in 42 games and 60 innings he had a 3.45 ERA. On Oct. 14, he was sold to Montreal.

His MLB career ended with the Expos in 1972 with 13 relief appearances and a 7.78 ERA. For 11 seasons and 357 games, he made 249 starts, completed 1,788 innings allowing 1,703 hits, 600 walks while striking out 1,305. His career ERA was 3.58 with a .249 OAV. LeMaster seemed on the brink of stardom throughout his career but never quite fulfilled his early promise. It certainly did not help that he pitched his last seven years with off-and-on arm problems.

As a minor leaguer from 1958-1962, he pitched for 6 teams with two years in AAA. In a game for the 1959 Jacksonville club, he struck out 19 with 11 being in succession. In 1960, he led the Texas League in strikeouts.

Denny became the co-owner of a construction company in Lilburn, GA. Denny died on July, 24, 2024 in Loganville, GA.

Don Lenhardt

Donald Eugene Lenhardt ("Footsie") was born in Alton, IL, on October 4, 1922. He played for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1946 (.265, 1 HR, 22 RBI) and 1947 (.303, 5 HR, 62 RBI). Don attended the University of Illinois and Washington University (St. Louis). He served in the U.S. Navy from 1942-46.

Don was a starter his freshman year in majors, but it turned out to be the only time. In 1950, with the St. Louis Browns, he was a first baseman, outfielder and third baseman in 139 games with a .273 average, .390 OBP with 22 home runs and 81 RBI. He returned in 1951, but was traded to the White Sox after 31 games (.262) on June 4 for Paul Lehner, Kermit Wahl and cash. For the Sox, he was in 64 games as mostly an outfielder batting .266 with 10 home runs. On Nov. 13. He was traded to Boston with Rany Gumpert for Mel Haderlien and Chuck Stobbs.

He was with three teams in 1952 starting with the Red Sox for 30 games (.295), then to the Tigers [on June 3 in George Kell deal] in 45 games (.188) and he finished back with the Browns [on Aug 14 in Vic Wertz deal] for 18 (.271). The 1953 season was much more calm as he only played with the Browns in 97 games with a batting average of .317 with 10 home runs. .

His last MLB season was in 1954 as he started with the Orioles for 13 games (.152) and ended back to the Red Sox [sold] for 44 more (.273). A broken ankle that year pretty much ended his major league career. Don did much traveling in his five years and 481 games and had 1,481 at bats. His career average was a good .271 with a .365 OBP, 61 home runs and 239 RBI. Defensively, he had a .980 fielding percentage.

His nickname "Footsie" came about because of his narrow shoe size. He was a rangy power hitter whose slow drawl unfortunately matched his running speed. In the minors from 1946-1949 and 1955-1956, he played with 7 clubs and had 4 seasons with averages over or very near .300. He was in AAA for 2 years. Another severely broken ankle in 1956 finally ended his pro career.

Don was a broadcaster and Midwest-area Red Sox scout for over four decades and a major league coach, with them, from 1970-1973. He retired in 2004 and lived in St. Louis. Lenhardt died on July 9, 2014, in Chesterfield, MO. Burial was at Resurrection Cemetery in St. Louis.

Read more about Don's early years in the web page "More Tales from the League's Dugouts"

Dave Leonhard

David Paul Leonhard was born on January 22, 1941, in Arlington, VA. He pitched for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1963 (4-2, 2.45 ERA) and 1964 (16-4, 2.83).

Dave first arrived in the majors in September 1967, for the Orioles, when he pitched in 3 games including 2 starts for 14 innings and a 3.14 ERA. He was with the Orioles full time for the next three seasons (1968-1970) with 28 games (18 starts), then 37 (3 starts) and 23 (all in relief). His innings pitched totals were 126, 94 and 28 with ERAs of 3.13, 2.49 and 5.08. He pitched in one game of the 1969 World Series going 2 innings allowing 1 hit, 1 walk and 1 run.

His last 2 MLB seasons were split between AAA and the Orioles. He was called into 12 and 14 games in 1971 and 1972 for 54 and 20 innings compiling 2.83 and 4.50 ERAs. Dave pitched one scoreless inning in the 1971 World Series. In his 6-year career, the righthander pitched in 117 games for 337 innings allowing 287 hits and 150 walks with 146 strikeouts for a 3.15 ERA and .234 OAV.

Leonhard was described as a perpetual prospect who had good control of his slow ball and just teetered short of the brink of a blossoming star. In the minor leagues from 1963-1967 and 1971-1976, he played with 14 teams and had 5 seasons with ERAs under 3.00. He spent 5 years at the "AAA" level and was named the 1967 International League's Pitcher of the Year.

Dave graduated from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore with a history degree, taught school and became the owner of a flower shop and garden center in Beverly, MD. The shop is well known for it's wedding flower arrangements, a vast array of flowers, tomato and herb plants and ornamental shrubs and small trees. He lives in Beverly.

[Please see Jim Palmer's comments about Dave in web page of this site "Tales from the League's Dugouts"]

Johnny Lewis

Johnny Joe Lewis was born on August 10, 1939, in Greenville, AL. He played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 1960 (.299, 23 HR, 104 RBI). He led the Nothern League in home runs and RBI that year.

Johnny was called up to the majors by the St. Louis Cardinals for 40 games in 1964 and hit .234. On Dec. 7, he was traded to the Mets with Gordie Richardson for Tracy Stallard and Elio Chacon. He had his career year with the Mets in 1965 as a starting outfielder with a .245 average/.332 OBP and had 15 home runs. On June 14, Lewis broke up Jim Maloney's 10-inning no- hitter with a home run and on July 29, he was 7 for 10 in a doubleheader.

He finished his MLB career with New York in parts of the 1966 and 1967 seasons playing in 65 and 13 games hitting .193 and .118. Lifetime, the LHB was 6-for-37 as a pinch hitter. His career average was .227 with a .314 OBP and he had 22 home runs.

It was said of Lewis that he was shy and quiet and played in a shell never realizing the stardom predicted for him. In the minor leagues from 1959-1964 and 1966-1968, he played with 11 clubs and had five years with 15 or more home runs. He was in AAA for 6 years.

Johnny was a Cardinals minor league manager (1978-81) and major league coach from 1973-1976 and 1984-1989 (batting). He also was a minor-league manager (Calgary and Gastonia) for the Cardinals from 1999 through 2001 and the minor league hitting coordinator for the Houston Astros before being named the team’s hitting instructor. As of 2011, he was retired living in Cantonment, FL. Lewis died on July 29, 2018, in Pensacola, FL, and was buried there at the Holy Cross Cemetery.

Em Lindbeck

Emerit Desmond Lindbeck was born in Kewanee, IL, on August 27, 1935. He played for the Eau Claire Bears in 1956 (.305, 1 HR, 8 RBI) and 1957 (.286, 7, 55). Em attended the University of Illinois (in 1955, he was an All American football player). .

An outfielder by trade, Em only made two appearances in major league games. As a left-handed pinch hitter for the 1960 Detroit Tigers, he was 0-for-1 with a walk. He did not play defensively.

In the minors from 1956-1962, he played on 10 teams with two seasons in AAA.

Em was a football and basketball coach at Kewanee High School and also their Dean. In addition, he was a city commissioner from 1979-87 and the major in 1987-89. He continued to live in his home town after retirement and died on his 73^rd birthday - August 27, 2008. His burial was at the Wetherfield Cemetery in Kenanee.

Walt Linden

Walter Charles Linden was born in Chicago on March 27, 1924. He played for the Eau Claire Bears in 1946 (.310, 2 HR, 53 RBI). Walt attended the University of Illinois.

Walt caught in 3 games for the 1950 Boston Braves. He had 5 at bats and got 2 hits (1 double) with 1 walk. Defensively, he had 5 chances without an error.

As a minor leaguer from 1941-1942, 1946-1951 and 1953-1954, he played on 16 teams with 4 seasons of averages over .300.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1942-1945 and, after baseball, became a manager with Ernst & Whinney (a CPA firm) in Western Springs, IL On September 20, 2013, he died in LaGrange Park, IL, and was buried at Bronswood Cemetery in Oak Brook, IL.

Larry Lintz

Larry Lintz was born on October 10, 1949, in Martinez, CA. He played for the Watertown Expos in 1971 (.280, 1 HR, 25 RBI). Larry attended San Jose State College.

Lintz' first major league games where for the Montreal Expos in 1973. He played second and short in 52 contests with a .250 batting average and was 12-for-16 as a base stealer. With Expos full-time in 1974 (113 games) the switch-hitter hit .238 with a .334 OBP and 50 stolen bases in 57 tries.

His 1975 season started with the Expos (46 games, .197, 17 sb), and on July 25 he was traded to St. Louis for Jim Dwyer for whom he was in 27 games with an average of .278 and 4 stolen bases. On Oct. 28, he was traded to Oakland for Charlie Chant.

In 1976 and 1977, Larry was with the A's part time for 68 and 41 games. In '76 he had only one official at bat and 2 walks as he was the A's Charlie Finley-inspired designated pinch runner for the year. He was 31-for-42 in stolen base attempts and scored 21 times. His '77 season was more traditional as he did have 30 at bats (.133) with a 13-for-18 stolen base record.

In 1978, he played his last MLB games for Cleveland. As a pinch runner in 3 games, he was 1-for-3 in stolen base attempts and scored one run. In his 6-year career, he played in 350 games [one-third were as a pinch runner] with 616 at bats, a .227 batting average and .336 OBP. He stole 128 bases in 166 attempts and played second base, shortstop, DH and in the outfield with a fielding % of .962.

In the minors from 1971-1973 and 1976-1979, he played for seven teams with five years at AAA. He led the Eastern League in stolen bases with 96 in 1972 and the International league with 48 in 1973.

Lintz lives in Sacramento.

Jack Littrell

Jack Napier Littrell was born in Louisville on January 22, 1929. He played for the Eau Claire Braves in 1962 (.303, 5 HR, 24 RBI). He attended Western Kentucky University.

Jack had a few tastes of the major leagues playing all four infield positions. In 1952, he was with the Philadelphia A's for 4 games with 2 at bats (.000). He was back with them in 1954 for 9 games and 30 at bats hitting .300. He moved with the A's to Kansas City in 1955 for 37 games and a .200 average.

His last MLB year was in 1957 for the Cubs when he played in 61 games as a utility infielder batting .190 in 153 at bats.

The right hander, played in a career 111 games batting .204 with a OBP of 262.

Jack played in the minors from 1948-1962 for 18 teams. He hit over .300 in two seasons and had 10 years at the "AAA" level.

He worked for the Louisville-Nashville Railroad after retiring from baseball as a brakeman and later as a conductor, retiring after 22 years in 1988 to his home Crestwood, KY. He died on June 9, 2009, in Louisville and burial was at the Louisville Memorial Gardens East.

Danny Litwhiler

Daniel Webster Litwhiler was born on August 31, 1916, in Ringtown, PA. He played for the Fargo-Moorhead Twins in 1952 (.312, 19 HR, 62 RBI) and the Duluth Dukes in 1954 (.306, 19, 62). He was the player/manager for those teams. Danny graduated from the University of Penn. - Bloomsburg in 1938.

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The following is from "Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia":

"Danny Litwhiler was as outstanding outfielder for several National League clubs in the 1940s. He appeared in two World Series and went on to coach the Michigan State University baseball team for many years. Litwhiler started with Charleroi of the Penn State League in 1936. In 1939 he injured his knee playing at Alexandria and missed the entire season. Nevertheless, the Pittsburgh Pirates called him up at the beginning of 1940 and although not playing a great deal, Litwhiler responded with a 21-game hitting streak.

"In 1941 Litwhiler had what would prove to be his best year offensively. He had career highs with a .305 average, 18 home runs - reaching the seats in every park in the National League - 29 doubles and 66 RBIs. He also had a very curious season in the field, leading NL outfielders in putouts while, on the downside, tallying a league-leading 15 errors. The following year, 1942, Litwhiler played 151 games without an error [first outfielder to play at least 150 games without a single error]. Midway through the next season he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, for whom he played in consecutive World Series. In the 1944 showdown with the crosstown Browns, Litwhiler hit a home run to help win Game 5.

"In 1945 Litwhiler was reclassified and spent the year in the military [mostly playing ball at Fort Lewis] after having been previously rejected because of an injured knee. The next year was sold to the Boston Braves; two years later he was sent to the Cincinnati Reds. In 1951 he served as player-coach for the Reds, before retiring at the end of the season..."

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In Danny's first three seasons of 1940-1942 (all for the Phillies) he played in 36, 151 and 151 games batting .345, .305 and .271. He played in the 1942 All Star game and was traded to the Cardinals on June 1, 1943 after 36 games (..259) and hit .279 with the Cards in 80 games. In '44, he batted .264 in 140 Cards' games.

St. Louis sent him to the Braves after 6 games (0 for 6) in 1946 [sold on June 9]. With Boston he was in 79 games hitting .291 and added "third baseman" on his resume (2 games). In 1947, he hit .261 with the Braves in 91 games (4 for 34 as a pinch hitter). After 13 games in 1948 (.273) it was on to the Reds [traded on May 11 for Marv Rickert] where he played 15 games at third and 106 total for a .275 average.

Danny finished his MLB career with the Redlegs in 1949, 1950 and 1951 playing in 102, 54 and 12 games with batting averages of .291, .259 and .276. He played 11 seasons and 1,057 games with 3,494 at bats, a .281 average, .342 OBP and he was 24 for 106 as a pinch hitter.

In the minors from 1936-1938, 1940 and 1952-1954, he played on ten teams hitting over .300 in six seasons.

Litwhiler was a major league coach for the Reds in 1951 and a minor league manager in 1952-54. From 1955-63, he was the head baseball coach at Florida State. In 1964, he became head coach of the Michigan State Spartans' baseball team. He retired from coaching in 1982 with a record of 678-445-9 (including ten appearances in NCAA tournaments) and lived in Newport Richey, FL. He helped develop one of the first radar guns for use in clocking pitches, one of dozens of inventions for the game, and served as international president for the U S Baseball Federation from 1978 to 1983.

He has been given many many honors, including being selected to Halls of Fame for the state of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg University of Penn., Florida State University, the American Baseball Coaches and the Helms Athletic Foundation. He was inducted into the American Association of College Baseball Coaches' Hall of Fame in 1980 and, in 1994, to the MSU Sports Hall of Fame. Litwhiler wrote a book about his baseball experiences "Danny Litwhiler - Living the Baseball Dream", which was co-written with Jim Sargent. He also wrote five other baseball books.

Later, Litwhiler lived in Tampa, FL. On September 23, 2011, he died in Clearwater, FL. His remains were cremated and given to his family.

Don Lock

Don Wilson Lock (“Locker”) was born in Wichita on July 27, 1936. He played for the Fargo-Moorhead Twins in 1958 (.257, 13 HR, 78 RBI). Don played for Wichita University from 1954 through 1958.

Lock's major league debut was with the expansion Washington Senators [traded from the Yankees on July 11 for Dale Long] in 1962 as an outfield reserve with a .253 average with 12 home runs in 71 games. In his first game, he homered against the White Sox to give the Senators a 1-0 win. He was a starter in the outfield from 1963-1966 for the Senators hitting 27, 28, 16 and 16 home runs with .252, .248, .215 and .233 averages in 149, 152, 143 and 138 games. On Nov. 30, 1966, he was traded to Philadelphia for Darold Knowles and cash.

In 1967, he played in 112 Phillies' games and had 14 home runs and a .252 hitting average. He was a reserve, for them, in 1968 playing in 99 games with a .210 average and 8 home runs. After 4 games (0 for 4), in 1969, [on May 5 traded for Rudy Schlesinger] he was sent to the Red Sox where he finished the year and his MLB career playing in 53 games with a .224 average and one home run.

In his 8-year MLB career, he played in 921 games with 2,695 at bats. He averaged .238 with a .334 OBP and .417 slugging %. He hit 122 home runs, had 373 RBI and was 19 for 107 as a pinch hitter. Defensively, his fielding average was .976.

Lock was always a home run threat when he made contact, but was plagued by strike outs, fanning once every four plate appearances. As a minor league player, he played from 1958-1962 and 1970-1971 for 10 teams. He hit 29 or more home runs 3 times.

Don served in the Army from October 1958 to April 1959 and managed three minor league teams between 1971 and 1973 (180-234) in the Red Sox organization. Later he became a cattle and wheat farmer near Kingman, KS. He was inducted into the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 and died on October 8, 2017, in Wichita. He was buried at the Walnut Hill Cemetery in Kingman.

Charlie Locke

Charles Edward Locke was born on May 5, 1932, in Malden, MO. He played for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1951 (12-10, 3.49 ERA).

"Charlie" or "Chuck" pitched 3 innings in 2 games for the 1955 Baltimore Orioles allowing 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 runs and he struck out 1. That was the extent of his MLB experience.

In the minors from 1950-1958, he played on 12 teams with two partial years in "AAA".

He worked for Shelter Insurance Company as an adjustor for 37 years receiving the Outstanding Claims Representative Award for the year 1981 while living in Poplar Bluff, MO. He was an avid golfer and member of the Westwood Hills Country Club. Locke was also a coach of Little League Baseball, Grade School Track and Basketball Coach at O’Neal School. In addition, he coached the American Legion baseball team to a State Championship in 1967 and was the first president of the Three Rivers Booster Club.

Locke died in Poplar Bluff on January 9, 2015, and was buried at the Dexter Cemetery in Dexter, MO.

Gene Locklear

Gene Locklear was born on July 19, 1949, in Lumberton, NC. He played for the Sioux Falls Packers in 1969 (.303, 7 HR, 29 RBI) and 1970 (.289, 0, 14). Gene has a commercial art degree from the Minneapolis Art School in Minneapolis, MN.

Gene played with two major league teams during his first big league season of 1973. With the Reds, he played in 29 games with most of his appearances coming as a left-handed pinch hitter. Traded to the Padres on June 12 with Mike Johnson and cash for Fred Norman, he was in 67 games batting .233 total for the season with a 9 for 44 pinch hitting mark. His 1974 season was a partial one with the Pads as in 39 games he hit .270. In 100 games for 1975 San Diego, he batted a career-high .321 with a 14 for 48 pinch hitting record. He was used defensively in the outfield for only 51 games.

The Padres traded him after 43 games (..224) on July 10, 1976, to the New York Yankees for Rick Sawyer where he was used mainly as a DH and pinch hitter in 13 games with a .219 average. For the year he was 9-for-33 as a PH. His MLB career ended in 1977 with 1 game for the Yankees when he went 3 for 5.

In his five-year career, he was 39-for-150 as a pinch hitter, played in 292 games with 595 at bats, hit .274 and had a .337 OBP/.373 slugging %. His outfielder fielding average was .962.

In the minor leagues, he played from 1969-1972 and 1974-1977 for 10 teams with five seasons of batting averages at or over .300. He had 5 years in "AAA". In 1978, Gene played in Japan for the Nippon Ham Fighters hitting .240.

Locklear is a full-blooded Cherokee who, after baseball, pursued a career as a commercial artist (sports and native American). See genelocklear.com for examples of his work.. He had formerly lived in San Diego and Maxton, NC, and now resides in El Cajon, CA.

Jeoff Long

Jeoffrey Keith Long was born on October 9, 1941, in Covington, KY. He played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 1961 (.299, 14 HR, 45 RBI). Jeoff was originally a pitcher after he signed as a pro.

His first year as a position player was for Winnipeg. He suffering a cracked wrist bone in May, he hit strongly, but was known as raw in the field -- and a joker off it. Don Blanchard, a columnist for "The Winnipeg Free Press" said that "'Big Joe" would imitate people, but he would have one objective in mind - to make the grade at bat and in [the] field.". Blanchard later noted, "You can't teach an individual to plant bat on ball and send the pellet orbiting 500 feet." Long later remembered Blanchard: "Blanchie was a great character. He called me 'The Kentucky Clouter.'"

Long credited Goldeyes manager Grover Resinger for his development. To help his fielding skills, Mo Mozzali was also on hand for part of that season. Don Blanchard reported in mid-July that "the ex-first baseman. . .has been hitting ground balls at the big guy until he hates the sight of them. 'Jeoff needs a lot of work,' admitted Mo, 'but when he learns to play first, they're going to have a hard time holding him down.'"

Jeoff played 5 games for the 1963 St. Louis Cardinals as a left-handed pinch hitter going 1-for-5. In 1964 he was used in 28 games for them (.233), but only 7 as an outfielder/first basemen. Then they sold him on July 7 to the White Sox where he played 23 games (.143) with only 10 appearances in the field. For the year he was 4-for-28 as a pinch hitter. On Dec. 1 he was traded to Philadelphia with Ray Herbert for Danny Cater and Lee Elia, but he never played for the Phillies.

Lifetime, he was in 56 MLB games and was 5-for-33 as a pinch hitter. His career average was .193 with a .287 OBP and .241 slugging percentage.

As a minor leaguer from 1959-1965 and 1969, he played for 12 teams. He had three years as a "AAA" player and had pitching experience in 1959-1960. In 1962, Long hit 30 home runs in the Texas League and, after the 1965 season, he had surgery for knee problems which kept him out of baseball until 1969.

His father and uncle started the Cincinnati Drum Service. Originally they picked up wooden barrels and cleaned them for other businesses. Then they began to recondition steel drums. Over the next several decades, they built a classic success story. After baseball, Jeoff joined the company as a foreman and today remains in management.

Long is also an accomplished golfer finishing first and second in a few "Golf Digest"/PGA sponsored National Long Drive Championships. He lives in Lakside Park, KY.

[The SABR bio project includes a complete bio.]

Ramon Lopez

Jose Ramon (Hevia) Lopez was born on May 26, 1933, in Las Villas, Cuba. He pitched for the Minot Mallards in 1959 (9-6, 5.68 ERA) and 1960 (4-7, 3.42).

Ramon had a four-game MLB career for the California Angels in 1966. The righthander started one game and relieved in 3 others going 7 innings allowing 4 hits, 4 walks and 2 strikeouts. His ERA was 5.14 and he had a .154 OBP.

In the minor leagues, he played in 1958-1974 for 20 teams with 11 years in the Mexican League. He pitched a no-hitter in 1970.
He led the Mexican League in innings pitched in 1965 (242) and 1966 (266) and in strikeouts from 1964-1966. Ramon pitched in 530 minor league games for 2,712 innings allowing 2,573 hits and 1,086 walks while striking out 2,159 for a 3.58 career ERA.

Ramon died on September 4, 1982, in Miami and is buried at the Woodlawn Park North Cemetery there.

Pete Lovrich

Peter Lovrich was born in Blue Island, IL, on October 16, 1942. He pitched for the Minot Mallards in 1962 (9-6, 2.66 ERA). Pete attended Arizona State.

Lovrich pitched 20 games in his only major league season of 1963 with the Kansas City A's. With 19 of his appearances being in relief, he finished 21 innings allowing 25 hits and 10 walks with 16 strikeouts. His ERA was 7.84 which was mostly caused by too many home runs (5) allowed. His OAV was .291.

He also had a short minor league career from 1962-1963 and 1965 for three teams.

Pete became a senior clerk with Commonwealth Edison. He has lived in Mokena, IL, for many years.

Dick Luebke

Richard Raymond Luebke was born in Chicago on April 8, 1935. He pitched for the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1954 (2-2, 5.63 ERA).

Dick had his only MLB experiences in 1962 for the Baltimore Orioles when he relieved in 10 games and 13 innings giving up 12 hits and 6 walks while striking out 7. His ERA was 2.70 and he had a OAV of .250. On Dec. 15, he was traded with Bill Oplinger to the Reds for Joe Gaines, but never played for them.

In the minors from 1954-1963, the left hander was on 11 teams with five years in "AAA". His best season was in 1962 for Rochester (International League) when he had a 10-7 record with an ERA of 1.77.

Dick was a lending officer at Crocker National Bank for 15 years before his death, due to a heart attack, at the Alvarado Community Hospital in San Diego on December 4, 1974. He was cremated.

Joe Lutz

Rollin "Joe" Lutz was born on Feb. 18, 1925, in Keokuk, IA. He played for the 1942 Eau Claire Bears (.103, 0, 4). Joe attended Iowa State.

He was in 14 games and had 36 at bats for the Browns in 1951 for a .167 batting average, .286 OBP and .222 slugging. As a first baseman in 11 games, he fielded perfectly.

Lutz played as a pro in 1942 and 1946-1956 including three years in "AAA". He was a marine in the Pacific during WWII and received his Bachelors and Masters degrees while playing baseball. Thereafter, he coached high school baseball, basketball and football in Argyle and Davenport, IA. Then he was athletic director of Parsons College (IA), the coach of Southern Illinois University in the 1960s (led them to the College World Series in 1968-1969), was the Indians coordinator of their minor league teams and a major league coach with them in 1972-1973. In 1974, he was a coach for Hiroshima in the Japanese Baseball League and was manager for 15 games in 1975. From 1976-1988, he was the executive director of the Boys Club in Sarasota, FL. L

Lutz died at 83 years old on Oct. 20, 2008, from complications of diabetes and a stroke. Burial was at the National Veterans Cemetery in Sarasota.

Greg Luzinski

Gregory Michael Luzinski was born in Chicago on November 22, 1950. He played for the Huron Phillies in 1968 (.259, 13 HR, 43 RBI). He led the league in home runs and was the co-leader in RBI.

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The following is from "Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia":

"Muscular, 225-pound Greg Luzinski had a swing so compact that it was said he could have hit a home run inside a telephone booth. The frugality of his swing meant that he could wait longer on pitches than most power hitters. A star football player in high school, Luzinski brought his gridiron intensity to the plate. Danny Murtaugh scouted Luzinski when the slugger was still in high school. Murtaugh, who figured 'the Bull' was too muscle-bound to hit well (a popular concept before scientific weight training), said to no one in particular, 'I guess the boy can't hit the ball too hard.'. 'My gracious', said a priest standing next to Murtaugh, 'he hits them on the roof of that building.' He indicated a structure near where he was standing, 350 to 370 feet from the plate and a couple of stories high. 'Since he was a priest,' Murtaugh recalled, 'I knew he was telling the truth.'

"Luzinski signed with the Philadelphia Phillies at age 17 and played in Huron, Raleigh-Durham, Reading and Eugene before making it to the majors in 1970 at age 19. After limited appearances for two years as a first baseman, he became a regular outfielder with the Phillies in 1972. That year Luzinski hit .281 with 18 home runs, 33 doubles and 68 RBIs. The next year, he really turned it on hitting .285 with 29 homers and 97 RBIs, although he did have a huge strikeout rate, going down 135 times during the year. After an injury plagued 1974 season, Lusinski began a four-year run of being selected to the All-Star Game each season. The first year, 1975, he hit .300 with 34 home runs, 85 runs scored and a league-leading 120 RBIs. Two years later he had his best year setting career highs with a .309 batting average, 39 home runs, 99 runs, 130 RBIs and a .594 slugging average. But he also led the league in strikeouts fanning 140 times. Luzinski ultimately retired with one of the worse strikeout ratios in major league history.

"Led by Luzinski and Mike Schmidt, the Phillies won the NL East from 1976 through 1978, but were beaten in the NLCS each year. In 1976 the Reds swept them in three games although Luzinski hit .273 with two doubles, a homer, and three RBIs. Two years later in the NLCS he hit .375 with two home runs, but L.A. prevailed in four games. Luzinski had his poorest season with the Phillies in 1980, hitting only .228 with 19 homers, but the Phillies picked up their game as a team. They won the World Series in six games against Kansas City, despite Luzinski going hitless and striking out five times in nine at bats. On March 30, 1981, Luzinski was sold to the White Sox and became Chicago's designated hitter. He hit 21 homers his first season with the White Sox and in 1982 he batted .292 with 18 home runs and 102 RBIs, his highest total since 1977. In 1983 the Sox were runaway winners of the AL West and Luzinski played a key role. He hit 32 homers, knocked in 95 runs and was among the league leaders with a .502 slugging average. Three of his homers that season cleared the Comiskey Park roof.

"On June 8 and 9, 1984, Luzinski became one of only eight players to American League history to hit grand slams in consecutive games. Later that season he drove in at least one run in 10 consecutive games. Nevertheless, he finished the year hitting only .238 with 13 homers and 58 RBIs. He retired at season's end."

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In Greg's first 2 years with the Phillies of 1970-1971 he only played in 8 and 28 games with most of the season being spent in the high minors. Except for 1974, when he had a knee injury, he had an extraordinary run with the Phillies playing from 1972-1980 as a full time player in 150, 161, 85, 161, 149, 149, 155, 137 and 108 games with 68, 97, 48, 120, 95, 130, 101, 81 and 56 RBI and 18, 29, 7, 34, 21, 39, 35, 18 and 19 home runs. His batting averages during those years were .281, .285, .272, .300, .304, .309, .265, .252 and .228. [When he retired, he was 4^th on the Phillies all-time home run list.]

Finishing his career as a DH for the White Sox from 1981-1984, he was in 104, 159, 144 and 125 games with 62, 102, 95 and 58 RBI and 21, 18, 32 and 13 home runs. His hitting averages were .265, .292, .255 and .238.

Lifetime he was in 1,821 MLB games and came to bat 6,505 times with 307 home runs, 1,128 RBI, a .276 average, .366 OBP and .478 slugging %. In 11 years of playing the outfield and occasionally at first, his fielding average was .972..

He was in the minors from 1968-1971 for 4 teams hitting over .300 2 times and over 30 home runs 3 times. Luzinski owns two league home run crowns and a batting championship. He also had three strikeout leaderships.

He spent several years as the head football and baseball coach at Holy Cross High School in Delran, NJ. Greg was a major league coach for the A's (1993) and the Royals (1995-1997). He now supervises the activities at Bull's Bar-B-Q at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. He lives in Bonita Springs, FL.

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Sources:

"The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball" - second edition

The Professional Baseball Player Database - 4.0

"The Minor League Register", edited by Lloyd Johnson, pub: Baseball America

"Total Baseball" - sixth edition, pub: Total Sports

"The Baseball Encyclopedia" - tenth edition, pub: MacMillan

"Aaron to Zuverink" by Rich Marazzi and Len Fiorito, pub: Stein and Day

"Aaron to Zipfel" by Rich Marazzi and Len Fiorito, pub: Avon

"The Baseball Autograph Collector's Handbook" - Number 12 by Jack Smalling, pub: Baseball America

"The Baseball Autograph Collector's Handbook" - Number 14 by Jack Smalling

"Baseball - The Biographical Encyclopedia", pub: Sport Classic Books

"The Baseball Necrology" by Bill Lee, pub: McFarland & Company

"The Sports Encyclopedia - Baseball" - 2002 ed, by David S. Neft, Richard M. Cohen and Michael L. Neft, pub:St. Martin's Griffin

"Once Around the Bases" by Richard Tellis, pub: Triumph Books

"Yesterday's Heroes" by Marty Appel, pub: Morrow

"The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues" by James A. Riley, pub: Carroll & Graf

"We Played the Game" edited by Danny Peary, pub: Hyperion

http://www.historicbaseball.com

Miles O. Johnson

Charley Walters - "The St. Paul Pioneer Press"

Frank Russo

"The Baseball Autograph Collector's Handbook" - Number 13 by Jack Smalling [ http://www.baseballaddresses.com ]

Topps Company

"Baseball in Eau Claire" by Jason Christopherson; pub: Arcadia

Jason Deyo

Baseball Digest - July 1948

"Ellie Hendricks" by Rory Costello; available at: http://bioproj.sabr.org

"Joe Hoerner" by Brian Cooper; available at: http://bioproj.sabr.org

"Baseball Memories 1930-1939" by Marc Okkonen; pub: Sterling Pub.

"The Ballplayers" edited by Mike Shatzkin; published by Arbor House

"My Time at Bat" by Chuck Hinton;pub.by Pneuma Life Publishing (2002)

"Magical Moment" by Jim Shearon (story on Vern Handrahan) pub. in "The Guardian"- a Price Edward Island newspaper

Various educational and business oriented websites