You hate to tip off the ending, but the Mississippi River is central to today’s story.

John Leckie Ake was born August 29, 1861 in Altoona, Pennsylvania to Annabelle (McMurray) and William Ake. John was the eighth of nine children born to the farmer and his ridiculously busy wife. John took on labor roles as he approached adulthood, but he was also interested in the world of baseball. His career began with the town teams in Altoona and continued playing there through 1883, even playing while serving a hitch with the state national guard.

In 1883, Ake was playing with the Altoona club in the Western Interstate League. Altoona had a decent collection of young talent, including Germany Smith and Charlie Manlove, who would each have fine careers in major league and professional baseball. In fact, ten Altoona players would eventually get a shot in the major leagues.

“John L. Ake, who played last year with the Altoona club and distinguished himself by fine base play, has been engaged as a substitute.”

Ake earned the notice of Billy Barnie, manager of the Baltimore Orioles of the American Association. Barnie gave Ake a chance in the spring of 1884, and the Altoona native was signed to be a utility player. Playing mostly third base, Ake also played games at short and in both left and right field. Ake struggled to a .192 batting average, but a bigger problem was being error prone. Dropping a throw and adding a throwing error on July 15 in a 9 – 2 loss to Cincinnati was the last straw, leading to Ake’s release. In all, Ake made errors in 10 of 31 chances at the hot corner.

It didn’t end his career, however; it became more nomadic. In 1885 Ake landed with Youngstown in the Interstate League. The next year he headed east, playing with Brockton and the Boston Blues of the New England League before being released and signing with Meriden in the Eastern League. For 1887, he was signed by the St. Louis Maroons for the spring, released before the season started, then signed by Indianapolis, who then sold Ake to the Duluth Freezers of the Northwestern League.

On May 12, 1887, Ake was fishing with teammates Billy Earle and Bill Barnes in the Mississippi River near La Crosse, Wisconsin, when a steamboat went by. The wake created by the steamboat capsized their rowboat. Earle and Barnes swam toward an island while Ake grabbed onto the boat. The teammates expected Ake to hold on until another boat passed by – usually not a long wait at this point of the river – but Ake instead chose to swim for safety. The river pulled him down and Ake drowned.

His body wasn’t recovered for weeks; fishing hooks got caught in his body on June 4 and he was finally recovered in the roots of trees alongside the riverside, not far from where Ake first went into the river. Ake’s remains were immediately interred in Oak Grove Cemetery in La Crosse.

Sources:

1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 US Census
US Veterans Card Files (via Ancestry.com)

“An Exciting Game,” Williamsport (PA) Daily Gazette and Bulletin, October 2, 1882: 4.
“The Base-Ball Season,” Baltimore Sun, March 17, 1884: 6.
“The National Game,” Baltimore Sun, July 16, 1884: 4.
“Youngstown Club,” Cincinnati Enquirer, April 22, 1885: 2.
“Base Ball Notes,” Detroit Free Press, November 13, 1886: 2.
“The Batters and Fielders,” Indianapolis Journal, April 3, 1887: 10.
“A Third Baseman’s Fate,” Philadelphia Inquirer, May 13, 1887: 1.
“A Fruitless Search,” Altoona Times, May 17, 1887: 1.
“Diamond Dust,” St. Louis Globe Democrat, May 18, 1887: 8.
“State Gleanings,” Juneau Telephone, June 10, 1887: 1.

Map Image:
La Crosse WI 1876 Restored Map | Vintage City Maps

Ake Image:
John Leckie Ake (1861-1887) – Find a Grave Memorial