<— SEP 30     OCT 02 —>

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1849 Steve Bellan
1854 William Hyndman
1868 Bobby Cargo
1869 Frank Motz
1869 Huyler Westervelt
1877 Jim Hackett
1884 Ed Zmich
1889 Charles (Dutch) Sterrett
1894 Duster Mails
1894 Ray Kolp
1895 Carmen Hill
1895 Roy Johnson
1901 Jimmie Reese
1908 Johnny Markham
1912 Bob Griffith
1915 Red Tramback
1918 Jim Russell
1919 Barney Mussill
1919 Bob Boyd
1921 Fred Hobgood
1925 Jimmy Wilkes
1928 Hal Naragon
1931 Fred Kipp
1934 Chuck Hiller
1937 Alan Brice
1945 Rod Carew
1946 Jon Warden
1947 Remy Hermoso
1947 Buzz Capra
1948 Bill Bonham
1951 Ken Pape
1952 Bob Myrick
1953 Pete Falcone
1955 Jeff Reardon
1956 Vance Law
1963 Mark McGwire
1964 Roberto Kelly
1967 Chuck McElroy
1968 Jeff Patterson
1973 John Thomson
1975 Brandon Knight
1980 Chad Orvella
1984 Chris Johnson
1984 Matt Cain
1985 Darren Ford
1985 Jeremy Horst
1985 Mitch Atkins
1986 Aaron Poreda
1987 Erik Komatsu
1991 Robbie Ray
1991 Connor Sadzeck
1991 Lou Trivino
1992 Xander Bogaerts
1992 Colin Moran
1992 Cy Sneed
1992 Christian Lopes
1993 Caleb Boushley
1994 Cedric Mullins
1995 Charlie Barnes
1996 David Banuelos
1998 Otto Lopez
2000 Drew Thorpe

OBITUARIES:

1877 Ed Somerville

According to his SABR Bio written by Jeremy Watterson, he died of consumption within weeks of catching a cold.  That’d be quick for tuberculosis – but he certainly could have gotten pneumonia and died that quick.

1911 Leo Hafford

Hafford caught typhoid fever, which took him to the next league.

“Death Claims Ball Player,” Chicago Tribune, October 3, 1911: 11.

1912 Bill Boyd

The former player and umpire died at his home in Richmond Hill.  The newspaper article cited here suggests that he died at night – so he might have passed on 9.30, but you never know.  I haven’t seen the death certificate.

“Death of William J. Boyd,” Brooklyn Eagle, October 1 , 1912: 2.

1929 Lee Richmond

Dr. John Lee Richmond died in his home… The author of the first perfect game went to medical school in New York and, after practicing medicine, was teaching medicine at the University of Toledo.

Jack Reed, “Sport Airport,” Springfield (OH) Daily News, October 4, 1929: 30.

1936 George Huff

Huff underwent surgery for a stomach ailment, but things went south and he died a few days later.  Huff was really famous at the University of Illinois as an athlete, coach, and instructor and known for his ability to identify baseball talent in young players.  He makes it into your baseball encyclopedia because for about ten days he was the manager of the Boston Red Sox in 1907.

“‘G’ Huff, U. of I. Athletic Head, Taken by Death,” Decatur (IL) Daily Review, October 1, 1936: 1.

1937 Mickey Devine

Devine died of a heart attack in his Albany, NY home.  Devine was just 45, but had spent a long time playing and managing baseball.  In fact, Devine managed Carl Hubbell when Hubbell first turned professional and was given a lot of credit for his initial development.

“‘Mickey’ Devine Dead, Former Catcher for New York Giants ,” Springfield (MA) Daily Republican, October 2, 1937: 2.

1945 George Van Haltren

Among the first of the California ballplayers to make an impact in the major leagues, Van Haltren died at his Oakland home at 79.  (The same day that Ike fired Patton for arguing over what to do with Germany after World War II.)

“Van Haltren, White Stocking Bat Star of ’88, Dies Here,” Oakland Tribune, October 2, 1945: 22.

1947 Hub Northen

Herbert Northen had been sick three weeks in a sanitarium when he passed away in Shreveport, LA.

“Hub Northen, Sports Scout, Dies,” Shreveport Journal, October 1, 1947: 1.

Northen, for what it’s worth, had two really good seasons with Brooklyn in 1911 and 1912.  I need to find out why he ended up leaving…  At first glance, he appears to have lost his job to a young Casey Stengel.

1948 Lew Camp

Camp, 80, was a retired letter carrier when he passed away at his Omaha home.

“Vet Baseball Player Dies,” Omaha World-Herald, October 2, 1948: 2.

According to Baseball-Reference.com, his full name is Robert Plantagenet Llewellen Camp.  Yikes.

1949 Eddie Kolb

Kolb was a hotel cigar salesman who convinced the Cleveland Spiders to let him pitch in the last game of the 1899 season.  Kolb had some amateur baseball experience in Cincinnati and even after that game he had an interesting run as a minor league player and manager.  But still – Kolb conned his way into a major league game.  It was the second game of a doubleheader and Cleveland was 19-133 as it was – Kolb predictably gave up 19 runs on 18 hits and 5 walks.

He earned a more favorable legacy in helping to build up the oil industry in Calgary, Alberta.  Peter Morris’s SABR bio says that he died of a heart attack, but the newspapers in Calgary at the time say he died after a short illness in hospital.

“Once Ball ‘Pro’ E. W. Kolb Dies,” Calgary Albertan, October 3, 1949: 11.

1950 Red Howell
1975 Larry MacPhail
1976 Jelly Taylor
1977 Pat Patterson
1978 Ed Steele
1978 Abe White
1980 Pat Veltman
1984 Walter Alston
1984 Billy Goodman
2000 Charlie Brewster
2005 Tom Clyde
2011 Johnny Schmitz
2013 Ellis Burton
2014 Jose Martinez
2015 Cal Neeman

According to David Skelton’s SABR Bio, Neeman died at 86 of congestive heart failure.

2020 Lou Johnson

Johnson, who hit the game-winning homer in game 7 of the 1965 World Series for the Dodgers, was 86 when he died after a long illness.

2023 Tim Wakefield

The great knuckler died of brain cancer at 57.

YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!

1903 Pittsburgh beats Boston, 7 – 3, in the first modern World Series game. Deacon Phillippe gets the win while Cy Young takes the loss and Jimmy Sebring hits the first homer.

1932 Babe Ruth’s “Called Shot” off of Charlie Root in game three is his second homer of the game. The Yankees beat the Cubs that day, 7 – 5.

1950 Connie Mack and Burt Shotten both retire – and become the last managers to wear street clothes in the dugout.

1961 Roger Maris hits his 61st homer, a drive off of Tracy Stallard to set a new single season home run record (*).

1984 Peter Ueberroth becomes the sixth commissioner of baseball.

TRANSACTION WIRE:

1926 Among those taken in the Rule 5 Draft was Ike Boone, taken by the White Sox from Mission in the PCL.

1942 Washington purchased Paul (Daffy) Dean from the Cardinals.

1968 Boston signs amateur free agent outfielder Juan Beniquez.

1970 Milwaukee signs amateur free agent outfielder Sixto Lezcano.