<— OCT 22     OCT 24 —>

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1832 William Hulbert
1860 Daniel Albion (Jack) Jones
1866 Mike Sullivan
1881 Lave Winham
1882 William Franklin (Birdie) Cree
1886 Russell Aubrey (Lena) Blackburne
1889 Abbott Paige (Jack) Mills
1889 Owen Conway
1889 Hugh Bedient
1892 Bull Barbour
1894 Raymond Bloom (Rube) Bressler
1905 Felton Snow
1907 Lee Grissom
1907 Barney Brown
1910 Billy Sullivan
1918 John Brown
1918 Hosea Allen
1920 Vern Stephens
1922 Ewell Blackwell
1922 Willie Wells
1924 Pedro Ballester
1929 Bruce Barmes
1930 Solly Drake
1931 Jim Bunning
1933 Wilbur Scott (Jake) Striker
1937 Bob Allen
1937 Cecil Butler
1939 George Williams
1944 Jim Rittwage
1949 Greg Thayer
1952 John Poff
1952 Randy Tate
1953 Michael Duane (Bo) McLaughlin
1954 John Castino
1956 Luis Silverio
1957 Dwight Lowry
1959 George Hinshaw
1961 Jim Presley
1965 Al Leiter
1972 Giomar Guevara
1975 Kazuo Matsui
1975 Todd Sears
1975 Todd Belitz
1976 David Riske
1978 John Lackey
1979 Ramon Castro
1979 Bud Smith
1980 Pedro Liriano
1981 Ben Francisco
1985 Sam Demel

Horned Frog grad, Arizona reliever, who made 72 appearances between 2010 and 2012… Third round pick by Oakland in 2010, but traded to Arizona in mid 2010 for Conor Jackson. Became a nomad, and his career ended in 2013. He’s now a real estate guy, both as an agent and as an investor…

1987 Felix Doubront

Venezuelan pitcher, Boston prospect, who cleared ten wins twice but disappeared rather quickly after a slow start in 2014. Traded to the Cubs, given shots with Toronto and Oakland, and now making his way like the rest of us.

1987 Kyle Gibson

First round pick of the Twins in 2009, Mizzou guy, owns a pretty good slider and changeup. Made quick progress in the minors – three levels in 2010, but joined the Tommy John club midway through 2011. Came back in 2012, and got the call to the bigs in 2013 after a strong run in AAA. Thirteen game winner in 2014, 11 more in 2015, but something went awry in 2016. Missed all of May with shoulder issues, struggled much of the year and his ground ball rate fell – lots more balls hit in the air (witness – 20 homers allowed in 147 innings). Still, Gibson continued to pitch well and his career remained productive heading into 2025. Unfortuately, Gibson – now with the Orioles – had four awful starts and was released. After trying to find another gig, Gibson read the writing on the wall and decided to try life as a retired player. He left with a 112 – 111 record and nearly 1900 innings logged in the majors.

Enjoy your retirement, Mr. Gibson!

1993 Cristofer Ogando
1993 Zach Thompson
1998 Dylan Carlson
1999 Craig Yoho

OBITUARIES:

1912 Frank “Piggy” Ward

Ward died of paresis, a kind of paralysis, that some believed started when Ward fell from a telephone pole in 1909.  Frank Ward appears in a story associated with Tug Arundel, which I told here.

“Piggy Ward Dead,” Buffalo Enquirer, October 26, 1912: 6.

1937 John Singleton

The “Sheriff” went 1-10 with the Phillies in 1922; he died at 41 in a Dayton, OH soldier’s hospital.

1940 Harry Krause

Krause, an active coach until 1938, had been in a serious car accident nine days previously and was in critical condition.  He began making progress, but caught pnemonia and it took him from us.

“Harry Krause Succumbs to Short Illness,” Santa Cruz Sentinel, October 25, 1940: 4.

1943 Heinie Peitz

Longtime catcher and member of the “Pretzel Battery” along with Ted Breitenstein, the 73-year-old Peitz fell ill as the 1943 baseball season ended.  An operation couldn’t save him.  After his baseball career ended, he worked for Bruckmann Brewery in Cincinnati and was involved with the Cincinnati Balllayers of Yesterday organization, for which he was both a charter member and its first president.

“Two Old-Time Players Fight For Life,” Cincinnati Post, October 13, 1943: 1.
“Old Time Reds Catcher Dies,” Pittsburgh Press, October 24, 1943: Section 3, Page 15.
“Ex-Redlegs Named Peitz Pallbearers,” Cincinnati Post, October 25, 1943: 15.

1947 Cy Rheam

Kenneth Rheam was an outfielder turned first baseman who grew up in Pittsburgh and Indiana (Indiana, Pennsylvania, that is), then hit the big leagues with Pittsburgh in the Federal League.

Cancer took Rheam to the next league, according to his PA Death Certificate.

1949 Bill Burdick

Burdick played two seasons with Indianapolis in the NL and then headed west.  When his baseball career ended, he ran a resort on Newman Lake in Washington state.  He died barely two weeks after his 90th birthday.

Obit, Spokane Spokesman-Review, October 25, 1949: 17.

1962 Elbert Norman
1965 Ed Fitzpatrick
1965 Ted Odenwald
1965 Chick Shorten
1965 Otis Lawry
1966 Jack Peerson
1966 Rex Cecil
1966 Fred Fussell
1968 Jack Bliss
1969 Monk Dubiel
1970 Sherry Robertson
1971 Woody Upchurch
1971 Jesse Petty
1977 George Gerken
1978 Frank Carswell
1983 Buck Crouse
1986 Doc Wingo
1986 Paul Gehrman
1992 Lou Rochelli
1993 Marv Blaylock
1993 Steve Wylie
1993 John Wells
1996 Bob Grim
2000 Benny Culp
2003 Al Corwin
2004 Jim McDonald
2007 Don Nicholas
2008 Dave Melton
2013 Mario Picone
2023 Tom Walker

YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!

1910 Philadelphia’s Jack Coombs gets his third win of the World Series as the Athletics top the Cubs in Chicago.

1993 Joe Carter’s homer in the ninth inning off of Phillies reliever Mitch Williams ends the World Series in favor of the Blue Jays.

2005 Scott Podsednik homers in the ninth to win Game Two of the World Series… The White Sox topped the Astros, 7 – 6.

TRANSACTION WIRE:

1945 Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey signs Jackie Robinson to a minor league deal with the Montreal in the International League.

1973 Boston sends Ben Oglivie to Detroit for Dick McAuliffe.

1974 Breaking my Cub Fan heart… Chicago sends Billy Williams to Oakland for Darold Knowles, Bob Locker, and Manny Trillo. It probably was the right thing to do, really, and Williams got to play in the 1975 AL playoffs, but still…

1981 Kansas City sends Manny Castillo to Seattle for a player to be named later… That player? Bud Black.