<— MAY 09     MAY 11 —>

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1847 Josh Bunce

Bunce was a fine amateur player who was umpiring for the National League in 1877 when he was called in an emergency to play left field for the Hartfords of Brooklyn.

1852 Hugh Reid

Reid played a single game for the Baltimore Canaries on August 27, 1874, going hitless and making a but single putout in the extra inning contest while playing right field. The Canaries were in need of player while in Chicago, so they plucked a local to fill in – which is how Reid made it into your baseball encyclopedia.

“In the absence of Barron, who was ill, Hugh Reed, of the Franklins, played right field for the Baltimores and had little or nothing to do.”

“Sporting,” Chicago Tribune, August 27, 1874: 8.

(Nobody with that name of Barron played on Baltimore… Maybe Frank Sellman? Oscar Bielaski?)

Reid was born in Cleveland, the son of Irish imports Alexander and Margaret (McAuley) Reid, but spent most of his life in Chicago. In 1886 he married Margaret (Maggie) Wade; they had four children. He spent a number of years playing on (amateur) City League teams such as the Aetnas, the Franklins and the Dreadnaughts as a catcher and utility fielder while he worked as a newspaper stereotyper. After a long illness, he died in his Chicago home on December 22, 1928 and was buried in Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Evanston, Illinois.

“Hugh Reid, Old Time Ball Player, is Dead,” Chicago Tribune, December 23, 1928: 22.

Thom Karmik, who edits BaseballHistoryDaily.com, found an interview and old photo of Hugh Reid done by Al Spink, former editor of The Sporting News, which I found interesting.

1900 US Census Records
Illinois Marriage Records
Illinois Death Records

1857 Henry Jones
1862 Frank Wyman

MLB.com has a page for Wyman, saying he played in the Union Association that year. Baseball-Reference.com says otherwise… The reason? Justin McKinney wrote a wonderful book about the history of the Union Association and, in doing the research for all these teams and players, discovered that the Wyman who played for Kansas City and Chicago was actually Willis Wyman. One day, maybe MLB.com will fix its “official” records.

Frank Wyman played left field professionally for Lynn in the Massachusetts State Association until that team disbanded due to a lack of funds in July. At other times, he played on amateur teams in the Lynn area. From game reports, he was an agile and athletic outfielder with a strong throwing arm.

Born in Haverhill, Massachusetts to Jerry and Mary Wyman, Frank was, like his father, a shoemaker for his profession. He married Ada T. Brown, a Canadian import, in his 40s, but they had no children together (she had two children, one living, when they were married in about 1909). Frank died on February 4, 1916 in Everett, Massachusetts and is buried in Linwood Cemetery in Haverhill near family.

Massachusetts Birth Records
1870, 1880, 1900, 1910 US Census

“Brilliant Ball,” The Daily Item (Lynn, MA), May 14, 1883: 4.
“Our Nine Wins,” The Daily Item (Lynn, MA), June 21, 1884: 4.
“The Lynns Disbanded,” Boston Globe, July 23, 1884: 1.

1863 John Cattanach
1863 Chippy McGarr
1863 John Meister
1868 Ed Barrow
1872 Harry Berte
1872 Klondike Douglass
1875 Charlie Ferguson

1881 Forrest Crawford

Crawford was a St. Louis Cardinals prospect out of Austin, Texas. He wasn’t up to the task in 1907, but he didn’t get a chance to prove otherwise in later years. The following spring he was gone.

1884 Roy Beecher
1884 Bill Davidson
1891 Bob Geary
1891 Del Clark
1895 Pat Hardgrove
1899 Freddie Maguire
1899 Alex Herman
1900 Paul Carter
1901 Ted Blankenship
1906 Gene Connell
1910 Joe Chamberlain
1911 Roland Gladu
1913 Al Rubeling
1914 Russ Bauers
1917 Chet Clemens
1920 Mickey Grasso
1931 Bob Bowman

1937 Jim Hickman

As I kid, I remember being upset that the Cubs traded him away.  He wound up in St. Louis. We went to a Cubs-Cards game and got there early enough to watch batting practice. Hickman nearly hit the scoreboard in Wrigley Field in BP that day – still one of the longest balls I have ever seen hit there.

1938 Merritt Ranew
1941 Ken Berry
1946 Miguel Fuentes
1946 Ray Jarvis
1947 Tim Hosley
1947 John Cumberland
1962 Joey Meyer
1962 Robby Thompson
1965 Mike Butcher
1969 John Cummings
1969 Pete Schourek
1971 Glen Barker
1972 Marino Santana
1974 Bob Smith
1979 Tony Alvarez

1980 Craig Brazell

The other half of a David Wright baseball card…

In fairness to Brazell, he had a long professional career, though a whole bunch of it was in Japan. And in his two cups of coffee the first baseman didn’t prove that he couldn’t play. There were just better options.

1983 George Kottaras
1984 Edward Mujica
1984 Kam Mickolio
1985 Luis Atilano
1986 Matt Tuiasosopo

He is the son of Seahawk legend Manu Tuiasosopo – and both played professional sports in Seattle.

1986 Luke Putkonen
1987 Brayan Villarreal
1988 Ryan Jackson
1990 Salvador Perez

My favorite AL catcher – seems to be cut out of the same mold as Fisk or Munson without being as grumpy.

1991 Pierce Johnson
1992 JaCoby Jones
1993 AJ Reed
1993 P.J. Higgins
1994 Lucas Sims
1994 Andrew Young
1998 Sammy Peralta
2000 Nolan Gorman

OBITUARIES:

1881 Fraley Rogers
1905 Thomas Tinney
1925 Harry Ely
1925 Tod Brynan
1928 Ed Stein
1934 Ed Willett
1941 Jim Pastorius
1943 Joe Werrick
1943 Ginger Clark
1946 Harry Swan
1954 Eddie Files
1956 Jimmy Slagle
1962 Lefty Willis
1964 Charlie Butler
1964 George McConnell
1970 Rufus Meadows
1971 Eddie Edmonson

1976 Ken Trinkle

After his baseball career, Trinkle opened a package store in downtown Paoli.  He was at his store on 10 May 1976, just 55 years old, when he suffered a massive heart attack and died before the ambulance could get him to the hospital.

1985 Walter Burch
1992 Tom Seats
1996 Joe Holden
1996 Alex Newkirk
1999 Carl Powis
2000 Carden Gillenwater
2002 Larry Napolean
2005 Vic Johnson
2005 Hal Griggs
2006 Albert Stevens
2021 Richie Scheinblum

YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!

1981 Expo Charlie Lea no hits the Giants, 4 – 0. Lea fanned eight and walked four.

1999 Nomar Garciaparra drives in 10 runs on a pair of grand slams and a two run shot to help the Red Sox sink the Mariners, 12 – 4.

TRANSACTION WIRE:

1898 Roger Bresnahan, then a pitcher, was released by the Senators because he asked for more money. They should have paid him.

1951 Philadelphia sends Sam Chapman to the Indians for Allie Clark and Lou Klein.

1967 The Mets send Larry Elliot and cash to the Athletics for Ed Charles.