<— FEBRUARY 3     FEBRUARY 5 —>

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1854 Lou Say
1859 Uriah Louis “Ri” Jones
1874 William Gallagher
1875 Jim McGuire
1875 Alphonso Deford “Lefty” Davis

Davis was a corner outfielder on four teams in the first decade of the previous century. He actually played professional ball for nearly 20 years… [See OBITS – Lefty Davis, below]

1876 William Herman “Germany” Schaefer
1883 Roy Oscar “Doc” Miller
1888 Rankin Johnson
1889 Horace Wilbur “Hod” Leverette
1890 Eddie Ainsmith
1890 George Bostic “Possum” Whitted
1892 Rollie Naylor
1894 Vern Spencer
1896 Andy Woehr
1898 Johnny Mann
1898 Jack Perrin
1900 Ernest Gooden
1901 John Hines
1908 Jack Matchett
1908 Francis Joseph “Hank” Garrity
1916 Johnny Taylor

1916 Frank Wyman

Wyman wasn’t a major league ballplayer, but for more than 100 years people thought he was (MLB.com still does)… Justin McKinney figured out the truth. He was, however, a professional baseball player.

1920 Eddy Ducy
1942 Joe Sparma
1949 Steve Brye
1950 Max Leon
1951 Stan Papi
1953 Rob Picciolo
1954 Al Javier
1955 Gary Allenson
1955 Rusty Kuntz
1956 Chris Bando
1957 Randy Gomez
1959 Pat Perry
1959 Keith Creel
1960 Tim Pyznarski
1962 Dan Plesac
1964 Jeff Gardner
1969 Brad Cornett
1970 John Frascatore
1971 Dennis Konuszewski
1973 Chris Coste
1980 Doug Slaten
1980 Steve Schmoll
1981 Tom Mastny
1981 Ben Hendrickson
1983 William Bergolla
1984 Doug Fister
1986 Jordan Smith
1994 Raimel Tapia
1994 Chris Gittens
1995 Greg Weissert
1998 George Kirby

OBITUARIES:

1902 Tom Hernon

Hernon died at 35 in New Bedford, CT of Bright’s disease; a kidney disease, per his SABR Bio by Charlie Bevis.  According to the Meriden Daily Journal, owners of the various teams in the Connecticut League chose to donate $5 each to his widow.

“Diamond Dust of the League,” Meriden Daily Journal, April 10, 1902: 4.

1909 John Clarkson

Pneumonia took the Boston pitcher after a long illness.

“John Clarkson Died Today,” Boston Globe, February 4, 1909: 8.

1919 Lefty Davis

After his baseball days, both as a player and manager, Davis took up a job in Buffalo as a steam fitter. According to a FindaGrave note, Davis fell victim to syphillis. Two years later, Davis passed to the next league.

“‘Lefty’ Davis, Old Time Baseball Star, Dies at Home Here,” Buffalo Times, February 8, 1919: 2.

1920 Ed Siever

The lefty Tigers pitcher (83 game winner) died of a heart attack while finishing his work day for the Detroit Board of Water Commissioners.

“Former Star PItcher for Tigers Died Suddenly While At His Work,” Detroit Free Press, February 5, 1920: 14.

1923 George Tebeau

Pretty good player (OF/1B) with family connections. Advanced from player to manager to owner – he ran the Kansas City Blues for a while.

Diabetes took him to the next league.

“George Tebeau, Former Owner of Blues, Is Dead,” Kansas City Journal, February 5, 1923: 9.

1928 Bill McCarthy

McCarthy’s baseball career was rather modest – four games, one hit over two seasons – but his career in law enforcement was full of convictions. McCarthy chased down people who were dealing in liquor during prohibition. He is credited with some 5,000 arrests and confiscating millions in alcohol or brewing equipment. Most of his days were spent in Boston. (His brother was a high ranking officer with the Boston Police Department.) Two weeks into January, McCarthy came to Washington D.C. hoping to take examinations and rejoin his old prhibition unit. Instead, he took himself to a local emergency room where he had a heart attack and died. He was ten days shy of his 42nd birthday.

“W. J. M’Carthy Dies Suddenly,” Washington Evening Star, February 5, 1928: 7.

1936 Frank Jones
1937 Harry Wolverton
1943 Frank Dwyer
1944 Dixie Davis
1949 Pat Martin
1954 Ollie Smith
1958 Ted Turner
1961 Jim Elam
1964 Fred Smith
1966 Irvin Brooks
1966 Mike Milosevich
1967 Earle Mack
1972 Joe Green
1972 Milton Smith
1974 Hank Winston
1977 Nemo Leibold
1978 Dave Keefe
1979 Lou Bauer
1980 Dud Branom
1981 Grant Gillis
1985 Bobby Young
1996 Norris Phillips
1997 Leandy Young
2003 Jim Mertz
2005 Luis Sanchez
2007 Steve Barber

A twenty game winner with the Orioles, Barber was 67 when he passed away from complications of pneumonia. – “Former Oriole great Steve Barber dies at 67,” Lancaster New Era, February 6, 2007: C-2.

2007 Jim Pisoni
2009 Ramon Hernandez

The Pirates reliever was 68 when he passed away in his native Puerto Rico.

2011 Woodie Fryman

Fryman was 70 when he passed away from complications associated with Alzheimer’s. – Ian McDonald, “Expos pitcher; bullpen coach,” Montreal Gazette, February 7, 2011: 29.

2018 Laurin Pepper

Hugh McLaurin Pepper III – Pirates bonus baby pitcher (2 – 8 in four seasons), Southern Mississippi halfback who was the sixth pick of the 1954 draft…  Died at home at 88.

2018 Don Choate

According to his obituary, Choate passed away from lung cancer at 78.  Choate appeared in four games as a reliever with the Giants in 1960, pitching creditably – seven Ks in eight innings, only two runs allowed.

2020 Dick Koecher

Like, Coan (below), Koecher was one of the oldest living major leaguers.  He was 93 when Koecher kicked the bucket.  Koecher played in seven games over three different seasons with the Phillies in the late 1940s.

2020 Gil Coan

Coan was the third oldest major leaguer, at 97, when he died.  Played without a complete left thumb – and had an eleven year career in the bigs…  In 1954, he got the first hit by a Baltimore Oriole.

2021 Hy Cohen
2023 Ron Tompkins
2023 Pete Koegel
2024 Brant Alyea

YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!

1969 Bowie Kuhn is selected as the new baseball commissioner.

TRANSACTION WIRE:

1915 The Yankees purchase Wally Pipp (and Hugh High) from the Tigers.

1964 (For my mother) The Red Sox sign amateur free agent infielder Carmen Fanzone.

1985 Los Angeles sends Pat Zachry to the Phillies for Al Oliver. I had forgotten Oliver made the tour in those directions…

2003 Boston selected Bronson Arroyo off of the waiver wire – he’d been placed there by the Pirates.

2013 Houston traded Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez to Oakland for Chris Carter, Max Stassi and Brad Peacock.