<— OCT 03     OCT 05 —>

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1851 George W. (Orator) Shafer
1858 Ossie France
1860 Mark Polhemus
1861 John Leighton
1863 Jim Halpin
1863 Bill Finley

New York City native who, after his career was over, settled in Asbury Park, New Jersey…  Finley got a brief tryout with the New York Giants in 1886, appearing in 13 games as a catcher and outfielder and not getting a longer chance because he hit .182.  After he moved on, he managed what apparently was a family real estate business.

Finley married; he and Emily had three kids.  On the night of October 5th he helped his young son fall to sleep.  They both wound up asleep in that bed – but the next morning his son, also William, found his dad had passed to the next league.  He was two days into his 50th year.

“W. J. Finley Found Dead in His Bed,” Asbury Park Press, October 7, 1912: 1.
1900, 1910 US Census

1864 Luke Lutenberg
1864 Hiram Wright
1871 Charlie Jordan
1873 Jim Gardner
1875 Bob McKinney
1878 Bob Dresser
1879 Bob Rhoads
1883 Harry Ables
1887 Ray Fisher
1889 Maurice Leo (Shorty) Dee
1890 Frank Rooney
1892 Delos Brown
1895 Ralph Shinners
1898 Frank McCue
1903 Clarence Fletcher (Lefty) Thomas
1907 Ted Gipson
1910 Frankie Crosetti
1914 Bruce Sloan
1917 Hal Quick
1918 George David (Red) Munger
1922 Don Lenhardt
1923 Tommy Harris
1927 Bob Kelly
1928 Rip Repulski
1931 Joe Kirrene
1934 Don Bradey
1939 Ted Davidson
1943 Jimy Williams
1944 Tony LaRussa
1945 John Duffie
1947 Glenn Adams
1948 Dave Johnson
1949 John Wathan
1950 Ed Halicki
1951 Horace Speed
1953 Dave Schuler
1954 Dennis Littlejohn
1954 Bill Atkinson
1955 Lary Sorensen
1956 Charlie Leibrandt
1960 Billy Hatcher
1960 Joe Boever
1961 Mike Sharperson
1962 Chris James
1962 Dennis Cook
1962 Tony Ferreira
1963 Bruce Ruffin
1964 Mark McLemore
1964 John Kiely
1965 Steve Olin
1966 Tim Mauser
1966 Mike Walker
1967 Roger Pavlik
1971 Carlos Crawford
1972 Adam Riggs
1977 Bobby Scales
1978 Kyle Lohse
1981 Joe Thatcher
1982 Ryan Sadowski
1982 Tony Gwynn, Jr.
1982 Jered Weaver
1983 Kurt Suzuki
1984 Drew Stubbs
1986 Stephen Fife
1988 Lonnie Chisenhall
1989 Casey Kelly
1991 Alec Asher
1994 Sean Murphy
1994 Shea Spitzbarth
1996 Jackson Kowar
1996 Edgar Garcia
1998 Oneil Cruz
2000 Jace Jung

OBITUARIES:

1907 Frank Leary

A Penn grad, Francis P. Leary was prepared to go into law once his baseball career was over, but he had finally reached the majors as a pitcher for Cincinnati that summer.  As the season ended, he came down with an attack of appendicitis.  Just 26, he died during surgery – leaving behind a wife and an infant son.

“Francis P. Leary,” Boston Globe, October 5, 1907: 11.

1911 Emil Geiss

Son of German immigrants, Geiss (or Geis) pitched one game with the Chicago Colts, losing, in 1887.  Like many old ballplayers, he was a police officer after his career ended.

1912 George Knight

A Yale man, Dr. George Henry Knight’s professional and political life was far more successful (and interesting) than his brief foray into baseball (New Haven in 1875 – he won his only National Association start, then entered college at Yale).

After graduation, he studied medicine in New York, taking positions at various institutions around the country: for example, he was superintendent of the State Institute for the Feeble Minded in Minnesota, later the superintendent of the Connecticut School for Imbeciles at Lakeville, CT.  (There was no political correctness 120 years ago, huh?)  Knight was involved in politics for much of his later years, even serving as a surgeon general in Connecticut.  After being nominated for governor (but failing in that bid), he was ready to run for the US Congress.  However, while giving an introductory speech at a rally, he was felled by a massive heart attack which killed him immediately.

“Dr. Knight Drops Dead at a Rally,” Norwich Bulletin, October 5, 1912: 1.

1918 Phil Routcliffe

In his late 40s when he died of the influenza.

1927 John Richter

According to Kentucky death records, the former Deputy County Clerk and, for three games in 1898 a Louisville Colonel, died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

1934 Jimmy Callahan

Callahan, a longtime manager and player who took five years off from major league baseball to own one of the most successful semi-pro teams in Chicago so he could be the owner and make more of his own money, was found dead in his room at the Parker House in Boston.

“Jimmy Callahan, Former White Sox Manager, Dies,” Chicago Tribune, October 5, 1933: 33.

1936 Hercules Burnett
1938 Fred Doe

Doe had been sick a year when he died at his home (he had lived for years with a long-time friend) in Quincy, MA.  Doe was a fine businessman but his biggest contribution to baseball was his going to bat for Sunday baseball in the state.

“Fred Doe Dead At Quincy at 74,” Boston Globe, October 5, 1938: 9.

1941 Walt Justis
1946 John Woods
1952 Bill Zimmerman
1955 Stan Baumgartner
1956 Jake Gettman
1960 Jack Warhop
1961 Roy Golden
1965 Harvey MacDonald
1966 Mike Tresh
1967 Ed Barney
1979 Fred Graf
1979 Ray Wolf
1981 Freddie Lindstrom
1982 Red Barron
1984 Joe Marty
1990 Vance Dinges
1992 Augie Prudhomme
1996 Joe Hoerner
1998 Lee Grissom
2000 Chuck Oertel
2005 Lester Lockett
2007 Don Nottebart
2009 Barry Lersch
2011 Ralph Hodgin
2016 Doug Slaten
2016 Gair Allie
2019 Bob Tufts
2021 Eddie Robinson
2023 Wayne Comer

YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!

1906 With a win over Pittsburgh, Chicago finishes with 116 wins – still the best mark in history (though tied by Seattle many years later…).

1955 Johnny Podres shuts out the Yankees in Game Seven of the World Series, giving Brooklyn their first championship of the century.

TRANSACTION WIRE:

1904 The Highlanders used the Rule 5 draft to take Hal Chase from Los Angeles of the PCL.

1927 Among those taken in the Rule 5 Draft was Lefty O’Doul, taken by the Giants, from San Francisco of the PCL.

1937 St. Louis traded Leo Durocher to the Dodgers for Joe Stripp, Roy Henshaw, Johnny Cooney, and Jim Bucher.

1951 Chicago sent Smoky Burgess and Bob Borkowski to Cincinnati for Bob Usher and Johnny Pramesa.

I’m sure it made sense at the time. You know – rebuilding.

In December, Burgess was sent to the Phillies in a multiple player deal that included Andy Seminick and Dick Sisler.

1965 Detroit wants Bill Montbouquette, so they sent George Smith, George Thomas, and later Jackie Moore to Boston.