<— FEBRUARY 5     FEBRUARY 7 —>

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1856 Bobby Mitchell
1866 Bob Gamble
1867 Mike Morrison
1869 George Darby
1873 Charles Snyder
1876 Andy Sommerville
1879 John Andrew “Rube” Ward
1880 Frank LaPorte
1887 John Potts
1889 Alexander Cummings “Red” Downey
1894 Pelham Ballenger

1894 Joseph Aloysius “Goldie” Rapp, Jr.

The man with a golden smile caused by a skating accident (see photo, left) played with the Giants and Phillies in the 1920s… During his playing days he was known for his acrobatic play in the field as well as his playful interactions with the fans at the game.

1895 George Herman “Babe” Ruth

There will likely be a large crowd of baseball players for whom I will not write more complete biographies. Babe is one of them… I assume you all know plenty about the man and there are a handful of excellent biographies for sale via your favorite local bookstore or online marketplace. I own Jane Leavy’s bio – and it’s an excellent read.

1899 Walt Huntzinger
1901 Glenn Wright
1905 Eddie Hunter
1906 Luther McDonald
1912 Parnell Woods
1913 Ken Weafer
1916 Don Fisher
1917 Johnny Davis
1918 Ernie Kish
1923 Curtis Jones
1926 Sam Calderone
1926 Dale Long
1927 Forrest Harrill “Smoky” Burgess
1928 Charlie Gorin
1932 Bill Koski
1948 Doug Howard
1949 Richie Zisk
1958 Bill Dawley
1969 Bob Wickman
1970 Mark Hutton
1975 Chad Allen
1977 Peter Zoccolillo
1978 Adam Shabala
1978 Steve Andrade
1986 Kanekoa Texeira
1987 Travis Wood
1987 Pedro Alvarez
1989 Donald Lutz
1989 Matt Duffy
1991 Luke Maile
1991 Chad Girodo
1994 David Paulino
1994 Naoyuki Uwasawa
1995 Riley O’Brien
1995 Zack Collins
1996 Pavin Smith
1998 Anthony Maldonado
1998 Adley Rutschman

OBITUARIES:

1881 Ham Allen

Frank Erwin Allen was the first child of seven for Ephraim and Zephalinda Sawtelle Allen, born on April 20, 1846 in Augusta, Maine. Ephraim was a tinsmith; Zepha was busy was a large family. Prior to his days on the diamond, Frank served in Company F of the 36th Massachusetts Infantry during the Great War for Slavery. He suffered at least one injury, leading to his discharge in 1863, but also was still listed as a soldier in 1865. So, he had at least two roles during that war. Among the many battles in which the 36th Infantry participated was the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Having served during the Great War for Slavery, and having become a professional baseball player, you can almost expect that Allen learned the game while in the Army and played the game after he returned home. What I cannot find is many other teams for which Allen played at least semi-professionally.

Anyway, he is playing with a semi-professional team in Middletown, Connecticut in 1871. In one game against Osceola he homered and had ten hits (!) in a game where the Middletown Mansfields scored 40 runs, 20 in the last two innings. The reigning state champions of Connecticut then went on a tour of east coast baseball clubs. The next year the Mansfields paid the $10 fee to be a professional team in the National Association. Allen appeared at shortstop, third base, and all three outfield positions for the Mansfields. Allen didn’t exactly prove that he couldn’t play major league level ball, batting .271 in his 17 games and having at least one game mention his fine fielding. The Mansfields as a team weren’t that good, however, winning just five games in their 24-game season.

Not that this means anything, but Allen’s limited documentable baseball history is likely the reason he isn’t mentioned in Nemec’s Major League Baseball Profiles (1871-1900)… We do know, however, that he stood all of 5′ 4″ tall.

Allen worked as a painter and later worked with the local railroads. In 1879, Allen married Mary Freeman and they had a daughter, Evelyn – but Frank would never meet his daughter. Evelyn was born August 13, 1881 – six months after Allen died. Allen passed due to complications associated with inflammation of the bowels on February 6, 1881 in Natick, Massachusetts. He was buried near family in Dell Park Cemetery in Natick. Mary and Evelyn would eventually head west, landing in St. Louis by the next century.

Sources:

1850, 1860, 1880 US Census
1855, 1865 MA Census
MA Marriage Records
MA Death Records
MO Death Records
Civil War Profiles, Frank E. Allen
US Civil War Headstone Requisitions

“Mansfields vs. Osceola,” New York Clipper, July 22 1871: 4.
“The Champions of Connecticut On a Tour,” Sunday Mercury, August 13, 1871: 7.
“A Fine Game of Base-Ball – The Mansfield Whitewashed by the Haymakers,” Springfield Daily Republican, July 24, 1872: 2.

1891 Tom Healey
1903 Hardie Henderson
1905 Ned Cuthbert
1920 Jack Lapp
1922 Frank Barrows
1932 Lyman Drake
1940 Hiram Wright
1946 Charlie Knepper
1950 Art Fletcher
1951 Gabby Street
1952 Del Paddock
1953 Tex Pruiett
1955 Hank Thormahlen
1960 Noodles Hahn
1968 Leroy Matlock
1970 Dick Mauney
1972 Frankie Zak
1974 Benny Meyer
1978 Roy Grover
1978 Babe Ganzel
1979 Bill Schindler
1981 Cactus Keck
1983 Mal Moss
1991 Alex McColl
1994 Ross Grimsley
1994 Bill Chamberlain
1994 Frank Whitman
1995 Elmer Burkart
1996 Bob Muncrief
1997 Amby Murray
1998 Adolphus Grimes
2007 Lew Burdette
2014 Ralph Kiner
2016 Red Moore
2026 Terrence Gore

Died from complications following a routine surgery. Gore, a three-time champion, was just 34.

YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!

1921 The Yankees buy a plot of land owned by the William Astor estate that will be the site of Yankee Stadium.

TRANSACTION WIRE:

1912 The White Sox buy Jack Fournier from the Red Sox.

1934 Cincinnati picks up former Cardinal Dazzy Vance off the waiver wire.

1940 Brooklyn purchases Herman Franks from the Cardinals.

1998 New York gets Al Leiter and Ralph Milliard from the Marlins for A.J. Burnett, Jesus Sanches, and Rob Stratton.

On the other side of town, the Yankees get Chuck Knoblauch from the Twins for Eric Milton, Danny Mota, Cristian Guzman, Brian Buchanan, and cash.

2012 Baltimore sends Jermey Guthrie to the Rockies for Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom.