<— NOV 11     NOV 13 —>

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1858 Bill Gleason
1861 Pat Dealy
1861 John Humphries
1867 Harry DeMiller
1868 Jack Ryan
1875 Fred Raymer
1876 William Ansil (Solly) Salisbury
1876 Ed Killian
1877 Archibald Wright (Moonlight) Graham

Made famous by Kinsella’s book (and subsequent movie) – you’d be surprised how many people played in just a single game. (Or a few games…) Many of those led interesting and fascinating lives beyond baseball which is why I have been maintaining this website and blog for almost twenty years focusing on people I’ve never heard about until I started digging in.

1888 Elmer Leonard
1888 Frank A. (Red) McDermott
1891 Carl Mays
1895 Rags Roberts
1900 Herm Merritt
1905 Andy Childs
1906 Russell Edison (Red) Evans
1911 Curtis Henderson
1913 Gene Lillard
1914 Emerson Dickman
1920 Leroy Dawson
1922 Billy Reed
1924 Andy Hansen
1926 Don Johnson
1927 Harry Hanebrink
1936 Joe Hoerner
1943 Al Schmelz
1947 Ron Bryant
1950 Bruce Bochte
1956 Jody Davis

As a lifelong Cubs fan, it’s hard to forget Harry and fans singing his name loosely to the Davy Crockett theme. Davis was a lanky catcher with a strong arm – despite his gangly long swing he’d hit enough – double digit homers and middle of the road batting averages (though Wrigley made his stats look better) and he got better behind the plate every year. He won two gold gloves, was named an all-star twice (not in the same seasons, though) and was a key member of the 1984 NL East champions. Davis had a strong postseason, even though it got away from the Cubs that October.

What I had forgotten is how the Cubs got lucky and stole him from the Cardinals. Originally drafted by the Mets, he was sent to St. Louis for Ray Searage. The Cards had no place for him, really (Ted Simmons then Darrell Porter), so the Cubs took him in the Rule 5 draft. Put into the lineup in 1981, it was obvious that he was the best young catcher the Cubs had since Randy Hundley in the late 1960s.

Davis’s career crashed quickly enough – traded to the Braves at the end of 1988 he stopped hitting altogether in 1989 and was released in May 1990. The Tigers signed him two weeks later as an insurance policy but he never appeared in a game and was released at the end of the season. You see him from time to time at Cubs reunion and public events and I promise you he isn’t paying for meals when he returns to Wrigleyville.

1960 Donnie Hill
1961 Greg Gagne
1962 Wilfredo Tejada
1962 Jeff Reed
1964 Dave Otto

Dave Otto came from the northwest suburbs of Chicago – he’s a half-year older than I am – and I remember reading his exploits in the local Herald newspaper. Unlike most kids in the local little leagues or high school nines, he actually fulfilled his dreams with the Athletics, Indians, Pirates and Cubs…

1964 Gary Thurman
1967 Donald Harris
1967 Mark Small
1968 Randy Knorr
1968 Sammy Sosa
1972 Homer Bush
1973 J. D. Smart
1978 Aaron Heilman
1983 Charlie Morton
1984 Cesar Jimenez
1987 Mike Leake
1989 Adrian Nieto
1990 Marcell Ozuna
1991 Matt Strahm
1992 Ben Taylor
1993 Zach Reks
1995 Alex Faedo
1996 CJ Stubbs
1997 Ryan Kreidler
1999 Ky Bush
1999 Addison Barger

OBITUARIES:

1903 John Gilbert

Gilbert was a sprinter – fast – and got to play both games of a June 23rd doubleheader with the Pirates in 1890 (he played short, and his younger brother Harry played second base).  Not everyone who can run fast can make it in the majors, though, and Gilbert was just as quickly returned to his amateur team in Pottstown, PA.  He was 39 when he passed away…

1916 Will Foley

Will Foley was a Chicago native who had a rather nomadic baseball career playing professionally for about a decade or so on mostly midwestern teams in three different leagues (National Association, National League, Union Association). He was less successful after his career ended – apparently he received financial help from a sister who had married a wealthy New York manufacturer. At the end, he was living in a barn loft behind his brother George’s house. Not having been seen for a couple of days, George, went to check on him and found him dead, lying on a bed with his dog protecting him – paws across Will’s chest.

“Old Ball Player Found Dead with Dog on Guard,”
Chicago Tribune, November 15, 1016: 17.

1916 Mike Roach
1923 Mark Polhemus
1931 Charlie Craig
1937 Peek-A-Boo Veach
1938 Andy Harrington
1940 Joe Quinn
1941 Ernie Koob
1943 George Meyers
1952 Henry Baker
1955 Sam Crane
1962 Harvey Smith
1963 Ed Connolly
1964 Fred Hutchinson
1965 Dave Gregg
1966 Mike Loan
1967 Cleo Carlyle
1968 Dutch Schirick
1970 Lincoln Jackson
1972 Johnny Echols
1978 Buzz Boyle
1978 George Shears
1978 Roy Elsh
1982 Cass Michaels
1985 Augie Walsh
1986 Rocky Stone
1986 Joe Strong
1990 Junior Walsh
1993 LeGrant Scott
1993 Bill Dickey
2022 Chuck Carr

YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!

1920 Kenesaw Mountain Landis, a US District Judge, is hired to become the first commissioner of baseball. His first job is to clean up after the 1919 World Series scandal.

TRANSACTION WIRE:

1886 In what is considered the first “trade”, the Red Stockings sent Jack Boyle and cash to the Browns for Hugh Nicol.

1910 Philadelphia sends Johnny Bates, Eddie Grant, George McQuillan and Lew Moren to Cincinnati for Fred Beebe, Hans Lobert, Dode Paskert, and Jack Rowan.

1923 The Giants packaged Dave Bancroft, Casey Stengel, and Bill Cunningham to Boston for Joe Oeschger and Billy Southworth.

1939 Boston purchases Dom DiMaggio from San Francisco of the PCL.

1987 Chicago sends Richard Dotson and Scott Nielsen to the Yankees for Dan Pasqua, Mark Salas, and Steve Rosenberg.

2015 Atlanta sends Andrelton Simmons and Jose Briceno to the Angels for Erick Aybar, Sean Newcomb, Chris Ellis, and cash.