This Date in Browns History!

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 2nd - 2nd Time Around

On This Date in History!



December 2, 1936: Browns Buy Ethan Allen from Cubs.

<- Not This One! <- This One!

The St. Louis Browns have been known to buy some older players on the cheap, but they haven't really gone so far back as the Revolutionary War in their search for affordable talent. - Today they acquired veteran outfielder Ethan Allen for an undisclosed (think small) amount of cash from the Chicago Cubs. The 32 year-old Allen had his best years in the National League, but he will prove himself good enough for one more productive season by hitting .316 in 103 games for the 1937 Browns. Allen will then retire after going a still strong .303 in 19 games for the 1938 Browns.



Births on December 2



No Brownies Today!



Deaths on December 2



Pete Sims
Birth Name: Clarence Sims
Nickname: None
Born On: 05-24-1891
Born In: Crown City, Ohio
Zodiac: Gemini
Died On: 12-02-1968
Died In: Dallas, Texas
Cemetery: Forest Rose Cemetery, Lancaster, Ohio
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-11&#189;
Weight: 165
First Game: 09-16-1915 (Age 24)
Last Game: 09-23-1915
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Clarence "Pete" Sims worked in 3 games for the 1915 Browns, starting 2 and finishing another in relief. His record was 1-0, with an ERA of 4.32 for 8.1 total innings of work. These totals turned out to be the complete MLB record of Pete Sims, who never again appeared for the Browns or any other big league club beyond 1915. After a lifetime thereafter lived in the Land of Gone for Good, Pete Sims passed away in 1958 at the age of 77. - BCT/GB, Pete Sims!

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

Have Another Nice Off-Season Weekend, Everybody! :atthepc

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 3rd - 2nd Time Around

On This Date in History!



December 3, 1940: Browns Acquire Galehouse from Red Sox.

Denny Wore It Well! - Too Bad He Had To Go!

The St. Louis Browns today purchased pitchers Denny Galehouse and Fritz Ostermueller from the Boston Red Sox. Galehouse will go 50-58 in six seasons in St. Louis. - Galehouse will return to the Red Sox late in the 1947 season. The following year, Galehouse will be the surprise starter for the 1948 Red Sox against the Cleveland Indians in a playoff game for the American Leaue pennant. When Galehouse loses that critical start, his name is forever linked to the long list of Red Sox victims of the so-called Curse of the Bambino. - Fritz Ostermueller will chip in an uninspiring record of 3-6 for the 1941-1943 Browns before moving on to Brooklyn and Pittsburgh for several productive years.



November 3, 1901: Official Birthday of The St. Louis Browns!

Happy Birthday, Browns!

Today is the official birthday of the St. Louis Browns. In an official meeting of club owners with President Ban Johnson, the Milwaukee franchise is officially dropped from the American League and is replaced by the St. Louis Browns.



Births on December 3



Bill Crouch
Birth Name: William Henry Crouch
Nickname: Skip
Born On: 12-03-1886
Born In: Marshallton, Delaware
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 12-22-1945
Died In: Highland Park, Michigan
Cemetery: Unknown
College: Eastern Michigan
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 6-01
Weight: 210
First Game: 07-12-1910 (Age 23)
Last Game: 07-12-1910
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Bill Crouch's MLB career all took place in the one game he worked for the St. Louis Browns on July 12, 1910. - Crouch started in that one game, going 8 innings and giving up 3 earned runs on 6 hits. He was not involved in the decision, but he did record a 3.38 ERA for all eternity to view on a rainy day. Bill struck out 2 that day, but he also walked 7 and threw one wild pitch. Based upon our limited surface information, draw your own conclusions about why he went immediatelt from Sportsman's Park to the Land of Gone for Good. - Bill Crouch was 59 when he died in 1945. - BCT/GB, Wild Bill Crouch!



Hooks Iott
Birth Name: Clarence Eugene Iott Bats : Both
Born On: 12-03-1919 Throws : Left
Born In: Mountain Grove, Missouri Height : 6-02
Died On: 08-17-1980 Weight : 200
Died In: St. Petersburg, Florida First Game: 09-06-1941
College: None Attended Last Game: 09-23-1947
Nickname: Hooks Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Hooks Iott had a 2-year (1941, 1947) MLB career record of 3 wins, 9 losses, and an ERA of 7.05. Most of Iott's mark was achieved as a New York Giant after he went there from the Browns during the 1947 season. Prior to the move, his only MLB record was 0-1 in 10.1 inings of work for the 1941 and 1947 Browns. - Hooks Iott was 60 when he died in 1980. - BCT/GB, Hooks Iott! - I remember you from the Texas League - and from the stories that former Brown farmhand Jerry Witte used to tell me of you. - Did you really relax after games you pitched for the 1946 Toledo Mudhens by riding the roller coaster that ran outside the outfield walls up there?



Deaths on December 3



So far, no Browns ever died on December 3rd.

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 4th - 2nd Time Around

On This Date in History!



December 4, 1952: Browns Get Fire Trucks as Early Christmas Present!

J.W. Porter Became a Tiger Today!

The Detroit Tigers today traded pitcher Virgil Trucks, who tossed two no-hitters during the 1951 season, along with pitcher Hal White and outfielder Johnny Groth, to the St. Louis Browns in exchange for 2nd baseman Owen Friend, outfielder Bob Nieman, and outfielder/catcher J.W. Porter.



Births on December 4



Jesse Burkett

The "Human Crab" Must've Had Great Lateral Movement!

Birth Name: Jesse Cail Burkett
Nickname: The Crab
Born On: 12-04-1868
Born In: Wheeling, West Virginia
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 05-27-1953
Died In: Worcester, Massachusetts
Cemetery: St. John Cemetery, Worcester, Massachusetts
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 5-08
Weight: 155
First Game: 04-22-1890 (Age 21)
Last Game: 10-07-1905
Draft: Not Applicable

Hall of Fame (HOF, 1946) outfielder Jesse Burkett had a 16-year MLB career (1890-1905), hitting .338 with 75 dead ball era career HR's. Burkett also marked a career pitching record of 3-11, 5.56. "The Human Crab" played 3 years for the Browns near the end of his career (1902-1904), but hit over .300 only once for the St. Louis American Leaguers. He batted .306, .293, and .271 as a full-time player in his twilight Brownie years. - Jesse Burkett was 84 when he died in 1953.



Deaths on December 4



Joe Willis
Birth Name: Joseph Denk Willis
Nickname: None
Born On: 04-09-1890
Born In: Coal Grove, Ohio
Zodiac: Aries
Died On: 12-04-1966
Died In: Ironton, Ohio
Cemetery: Woodland Cemetery, Ironton, Ohio
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Left
Height: 6-01
Weight: 185
First Game: 05-03-1911 (Age 21)
Last Game: 06-10-1913
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Joe Willis lost his only start for the 1911 Browns on May 3, 1911 and was soon shipped to the Cardinals for the balance of his brief MLB career. Willis posted a 1911-1913 record of 4 wins, 11 losses, and an ERA of 4.63. - Joe Willis was 75 when he died in 1966.

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 5th - 2nd Time Around

On This Date in History!


December 5, 2005: 26 Daily Posts To Go! - We're Coming to An End Here Soon!

... it ain't!

My last new data post on "This Date in Browns History" will take place on December 31, 2005. After that date, the little thread that began 16 months ago on August 5, 2004 will be as complete as I know how to make it. Since we didn't start keeping track of all Brownie births and deaths on a daily basis until January 1, 2005, it became important to me to use this wrap-around time to pick up those we missed during our early, less comprehensive start. I hope you've enjoyed reading these daily adventures as much as I have ejoyed researching and writing them. - Once we we finish here, some old friends, some new friends from this site, and the folks at Baseball Almanac (dot) Com are going to help me convert these materials into a hard copy version that will include full stats on everyone who has ever played for the Browns - and some timeline information recorded on this thread. This book-to-be is tentatively entitled (get this for humble simplicity): "The Baseball Encyclopedia of the St. Louis Browns."

After December 31st, it will be up to *The Commissioner* of our site to decide how he wants to handle the presence of this voluminous thread on the forum and I will respect his call on whatever he decides. He can pin it here for those who've never seen it, post it elsewhere on the site as a *read only* article, or he may choose to just let it simply slip down the slope of threads in the forum until someone decides to read it again and leave a *bump* post. Whatever he chooses to do is A-OK.

As for the rest of you, I thank you for hanging with me. It's been a nice 16-month ride and a lot of fun.

Long Live the memory of the St. Louis Browns!

Regards,

Bill McCurdy



Births on December 5



Joe Gedeon

9th Man Out Was A Brown!

Birth Name: Elmer Joseph Gedeon
Nickname: None
Born On: 12-05-1893
Born In: Sacramento, California
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 05-19-1941
Died In: San Francisco, California
Cemetery: East Lawn Memorial Park, Sacramento, California
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6-00
Weight: 167
First Game: 05-13-1913 (Age 19)
Last Game: 10-03-1920
Draft: Not Applicable

2nd baseman Joe Gedeon had a 7-season MLB career (1913-1920), batting .244 with only 1 HR in 2,109 official times at bat. He was a Brown for 3 years (1918-1920) before best known as the "9th man out" in the infamous Black Sox Scandal. - Joe Gedeon also was banned from baseball by Commissioner Landis for having guility knowledge of the White Sox conspiracy to fix the 1919 World Series, for not reporting what he knew, and for trying to benefit from gambling gangsters in the Midwest on the basis of that information. - Joe Gedeon stands out as the only Brown who truly was "gone for good" after the 1920 season. - Joe Gedeon died in 1941 at age 47.



Lin Storti
Birth Name: Lindo Ivan Storti
Nickname: None
Born On: 12-05-1906
Born In: Santa Monica, California
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 07-24-1982
Died In: Ontario, California
Cemetery: Bellevue Memorial Gardens, Ontario, California
College: None Attended
Bats: Both
Throws: Right
Height: 5-11
Weight: 165
First Game: 09-18-1930 (Age 23)
Last Game: 09-30-1933
Draft: Not Applicable

Infielder Lin Storti had a 4-season (1930-1933) all Browns MLB career, hitting .227 with 9 home runs. He was 75 at the time of his 1982 death.



Len Schulte
Birth Name: Leonard Bernard Schultehenrich
Nickname: None
Born On: 12-05-1916
Born In: St. Charles, Missouri
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 05-06-1986
Died In: Orlando, Florida
Cemetery: Glen Haven Memorial Park, Winter Park, Florida
College: State University of Iowa
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-10
Weight: 160
First Game: 09-27-1944 (Age 27)
Last Game: 06-16-1946
Draft: Not Applicable

Infielder Len Schulte began his brief big league career on September 27, 1944 with the St. Louis Browns, drawing a walk in his only trip to the plate. The following year, 1945, Len got into 119 games as a utility infielder for the Browns, playing 71 games at 3rd base, 37 games at 2nd base, and 14 games at shortstop. He collected 106 hits for a .247 average, but showed no power. Of his total hits, 89 were singles and 16 were doubles. 1 triple found its way to the wall, but zero homers sprang from his porous, shock-absorbing bat.

By 1946, Schulte was finished after going 2 for 5. The return of talent from World War II, even for the Browns, gave the club better choices for its roster, and so, the 29-year old Schulte was ingloriously cut. He would never make it back for another day in the big leagues. - Len Schulte was 69 when he died in 1986.



Deaths on December 5



Jim Duggan
Birth Name: James Elmer Duggan
Nickname: Mer
Born On: 06-01-1885
Born In: Whiteland, Indiana
Zodiac: Gemini
Died On: 12-05-1951
Died In: Indianapolis, Indiana
Cemetery: Holy Cross Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana
College: Franklin College
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 5-10
Weight: 165
First Game: 06-29-1911 (Age 26)
Last Game: 06-29-1911
Draft: Not Applicable

1st baseman Jim Duggan went 0 for 4 in his only big league game for the Browns on June 29, 1911. He did pick up a walk and one RBI, leading one to surmise that his career "BOB" came with the bases full. This one-game, gone-for gooder passed away in 1951 at the age of 66. - BCT/GB, Jim Duggan! - Way to make 'em pitch to you with the bases full!



Cliff Mapes
Birth Name: Clifford Franklin Mapes
Nickname: Tiger
Born On: 03-13-1922
Born In: Sutherland, Nebraska
Zodiac: Pisces
Died On: 12-05-1996
Died In: Pryor, Oklahoma
Cemetery: Graham Memorial Cemetery, Pryor, Oklahoma
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Height: 6-03
Weight: 205
First Game: 04-20-1948 (Age 26)
Last Game: 09-28-1952
Draft: Not Applicable

Outfielder Cliff Mapes played 5 years in the majors (1948-1952), spending only the second half of the 1951 season as a Brown. Mapes hit for a career BA of .242 and he belted 38 HR's. - Cliff Mapes died in 1996 at the age of 74.

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 6th - 2nd Time Around

25 Daily Posts To Go Til This History Thread is Completed! ...


On This Date in History!




December 6, 1954: Trade? - Orioles Appear As Browns in Bird Feathers!

It's in the DNA!

New start? Orioles? - Does this following Orioles transaction sound a little bit like a trade that their Brownie predecessors might have made?

The Baltimore Orioles today sent catcher Clint Courtney, shortstop Jim Brideweser, and pitcher Bob Chakales to the Chicago White Sox for catcher Matt Batts, infielder Fred Marsh, and pitchers Don Johnson and Don Ferrarese. Courtney batted .270 in 397 at bats, striking out an American League-low seven times. Courtney's K ratio to times at bat was the American League's lowest since Joe Sewell retired in 1933.



Births on December 6



Dave Rowan
Birth Name: David Drohan
Nickname: None
Born On: 12-06-1882
Born In: Elora, Ontario, Canada
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 07-30-1955
Died In: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Cemetery: Unknown
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 5-11
Weight: 175
First Game: 05-27-1911 (Age 28)
Last Game: 06-22-1911
Draft: Not Applicable

1st baseman Dave Rowan went 25 for 65 (.385 BA) for the 1911 Browns and, amazingly, never played another inning in the big leagues. How could this happen to a man who had time to go from "Drohan" to "Rowan" over a fairly brief period of time on top of a pretty fair burst of short-term offensive ability? Dave Rowan was 72 when he passed away in 1955, taking the truth about a name change and his brief, but brilliant career as a Brown with him to the grave. - BCT/GB, Dave Rowan!



Deaths on December 6



Frank Crossin
Birth Name: Frank Patrick Crossin
Nickname: None
Born On: 06-15-1891
Born In: Avondale, Pennsylvania
Zodiac: Gemini
Died On: 12-06-1965
Died In: Kingston, Pennsylvania
Cemetery: St. Mary Cemetery, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-10
Weight: 160
First Game: 09-24-1912 (Age 21)
Last Game: 08-08-1914
Draft: Not Applicable

Catcher Frank Crossin played 56 games in this 3-season (1912-1914) all-Browns MLB career, batting .147 with 0 dead ball era homers. Why he doesn't play longer in the big leagues hardly merits the trouble of a seminar on all the possible reasons. - All the same, bless his heart, he got there - and he was a St. Louis Brown for three seasons. - Frank Crossin passed away in 1965 at the age of 74. - BCT/GB, Frank Crossin! :atthepc

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 7th - 2nd Time Around

24 Daily Posts To Go Til This History Thread is Completed! ...


On This Date in History!



December 7, 1953: The Winter of Our Discontent Is Upon Us.


The grass will grow green again, but without the St. Louis Browns.

It's been over two months since the St. Louis Browns played, and lost, their last game against the visiting Chicago White Sox on September 29th by a score of 2-1 in 11 innings. - The Browns cannot lose another - for they are no more.

The full reality of a permanent loss won't really hit home for Browns fans until next year - when the grass again grows green - and there is no Opening Day at Sportsman's Park for St. Louis of the American League. - Yes, we know. They don't call our old battleground "Sportsman's Park" anymore, but some of us will never think of the place as "Busch Stadium" - and for a very simple reason. - All of our memories of that venerable place are firmly tied to its rightful name. Who could blame us for failing to make the shift to "Busch" or any other new ersatz identity? It's like this. - If someone came along and renamed the street where you grew up playing sandlot ball, would you be able to accept that change in your heart?

Come spring, Browns fans will start to deal with the fact that a death has occurred in their baseball family. Til then, most of us will simply give ourselves over to getting ready for the holidays and going through the normal joys and perils of an ordinary winter season.

Merry Christmas, Everybody!



Births on December 7



Hobe Ferris
Birth Name: Albert Sayles Ferris
Nickname: None
Born On: 12-07-1877
Born In: Providence, Rhode Island
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 03-18-1938
Died In: Detroit, Michigan
Cemetery: Unknown
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-08
Weight: 162
First Game: 04-26-1901 (Age 23)
Last Game: 10-01-1909
Draft: Not Applicable

Infielder Hobie Ferris played his last two big league seasons for the 1908-1909. His career (1901-1909) BA was .239 with an incredible total of 40 dead ball era HR's. - Hobe Ferris was 60 when he died in 1938.



Denny Galehouse



Birth Name: Dennis Ward Galehouse
Nickname: Denny
Born On: 12-07-1911
Born In: Marshallville, Ohio
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 10-14-1998
Died In: Doylestown, Ohio
Cemetery: Chestnut Hills Cemetery, Doylestown, Ohio
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6-01
Weight: 195
First Game: 04-30-1934 (Age 22)
Last Game: 05-03-1949
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Denny Galehouse had a 15-season MLB career (1934-1944, 1946-1949), winning 109, losing 118, and registering an ERA of 3.97. In 5 plus seasons with the Browns (1941-1944, 1946-1947), Galehouse won 50 and lost 58. - Denny Galehouse was 86 when he died in 1998.



Deaths on December 7



Bobo Newsom

Baseball's Most Traveled Warrior.

Birth Name: Louis Norman Newsom Bats : Right
Born On: 08-11-1907 Throws : Right
Born In: Hartsville, South Carolina Height : 6-02
Died On: 12-07-1962 Weight : 220
Died In: Orlando, Florida First Game: 09-11-1929
College: None Attended Last Game: 09-17-1953
Nickname: Bobo or Buck Draft: Not Applicable

For a man who died at a relatively young age, pitcher Bobo Newsom did a lot baseball-living in his time. The 20-year big league veteran began his MLB baseball career on September 11, 1929 with the Brooklyn Robins. Before his big league career ended in 1953, Newsom had played for 9 of the then existing 16 big league clubs, including multiple tours of duty with several teams. Newsom was a Brown on three separate occasions, but he was a Washington Senator five different times.

Newsom finished his league career with a record of 211 wins, 222 losses, and an E.R.A. of 3.98. The real story of Bobo Newsom, however, was his longevity and resilience. The following is a timeline on Bobo's big league clubs, with his tours of duty added to each:

(1.) Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers: 1929-30; 1942-43
(2.) Chicago Cubs: 1932
(3.) St. Louis Browns:1934-35; 1938-39; 1943
(4.) Washington Senators: 1935-37; 1942; 1943; 1946-47; 1952
(5.) Boston Red Sox: 1937
(6.) Detroit Tigers: 1939-41
(7.) Philadelphia Athletics: 1944-46; 1952-53
(8.) New York Yankees: 1947
(9.) New York Giants: 1948

Bobo Newsom was 55 at the time of his 1962 death.

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 8th - 2nd Time Around

23 Daily Posts To Go Til This History Thread is Completed! ...


On This Date in History!



December 8, 1941: Pearl Harbor Halts Browns Move to Los Angeles.

The Day of Infamy Changed Everything for Everybody!

A day after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, American League owners deny St. Louis Browns owner Donald Barnes' request that he be allowed to move his failing franchise to Los Angeles in the 1942 season. Stopped by the forces of destiny on the world's larger stage, the Browns will remain in St. Louis for another 12 seasons and two ownerships beyond Barnes. The delay doesn't halt the inevitable. - A club that continues to lose ball games loses paying fans - and a club without paying fans eventually loses its life. The Browns will not end up on the West Coast in 1942 as the Los Angeles Browns or Angels. They will find themselves transplanted to the East Coast in 1954 as the Baltimore Orioles.



Births on December 8



Jimmy Austin

One of the Golden Browns!

Birth Name: James Philip Austin
Nickname: Pepper
Born On: 12-08-1879
Born In: Swansea, Wales
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 03-06-1965
Died In: Laguna Beach, California
Cemetery: Melrose Abbey Cemetery, Anaheim, California
College: None Attended
Bats: Both
Throws: Right
Height: 5-07&#189;
Weight: 155
First Game: 04-19-1909 (Age 29)
Last Game: 10-06-1929
Draft: Not Applicable

After breaking into the big leagues with the New York Highlanders in 1910-1911, infielder Austin played the rest of his long MLB career with the Browns from 1912 to 1929. That stretch of time is a little deceiving in sense that Austin's career pretty well ended with his 15 games and 31 AB's in 1922. After that time, Jimmy made what amounted to little more than ceremonial appearances in single games played in 1923, 1925, 1926, and 1929. - As a player and long time coach, Austin got three calls to service as interim manager of the Browns in 1913, 1918, and 1923, posting a 31-43 record as a field leader. The BB/TR 3rd baseman/utility guy hit .246 and 13 HR's over the course of his 18-year big league career. - Jimmy Austin was 85 when he died in 1965.



Sam Zoldak

A Smiln' Sad Sam Zoldak.

Birth Name: Samuel Walter Zoldak Bats : Left
Born On: 12-08-1918 Throws : Left
Born In: Brooklyn, New York Height : 5-11&#189;
Died On: 08-25-1966 Weight : 185
Died In: New Hyde Park, New York First Game: 05-13-1944
College: Fordham University Last Game: 08-26-1952
Nickname: Sad Sam Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Sam Zoldak began his MLB career on May 13, 1944, with the St. Louis Browns. He played for 9 seasons on 3 different teams and ended his big league play in 1952 with a career pitching record of 45 wins, 53 losses and a 3.54 E.R.A. Zoldak was a rookie hurler for the 1944 Browns AL championship club with no W/L record, but later was 9-6 with the 1948 World Series Champion Cleveland Indians after posting a 2-4 record with the Browns earlier that same season. Zoldak was traded by the Browns to the Indians on June 15, 1948 for lefty Bill Kennedy and that ever-popular other player in these transactions - $100,000 cash. Sam Zoldak was 47 when he died in 1966.



Hank Thompson

He broke in with the Browns, but he established career with the NY Giants.

Birth Name: Henry Curtis Thompson
Nickname: None
Born On: 12-08-1925
Born In: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 09-30-1969
Died In: Fresno, California
Cemetery: Odd Fellows Cemetery, Fresno, California
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Height: 5-09
Weight: 174
First Game: 07-17-1947 (Age 21)
Last Game: 09-30-1956
Draft: Not Applicable

2nd baseman/utility infielder Hank Thompson broke into the big leagues on July 17, 1947 as the first black player in the history of the St. Louis Browns. Hank batted .256 with 0 homers in 78 times at bat for the '47 Browns. It was also his only season in St. Louis. - Over his 9-year career (1947, 1949-1956), Thompson batted .267 with 129 homers. - Hank Thompson was 43 when he died in 1969.



Deaths on December 8



Lou Koupal
Birth Name: Louis Laddie Koupal
Nickname: None
Born On: 12-19-1898
Born In: Tabor, South Dakota
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 12-08-1961
Died In: San Gabriel, California
Cemetery: Resurrection Cemetery, San Gabriel, California
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-11
Weight: 175
First Game: 04-17-1925 (Age 26)
Last Game: 09-26-1937
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Lou Koupal had a 6 season MLB career (1925-1926, 1928-1930, 1937), winning 10, losing 21, and registering an ERA of 5.58. - Koupal was 4-9 with a 6.56 ERA in 1937, his last and only season as a Brown. - Lou Koupal was 11 days short of his 63rd birthday when he passed away in 1961.



Dave Madison
Birth Name: David Pledger Madison
Nickname: None
Born On: 02-01-1921
Born In: Brooksville, Mississippi
Zodiac: Aquarius
Died On: 12-08-1985
Died In: Macon, Mississippi
Cemetery: Brooksville Cemetery, Brooksville, Mississippi
College: Louisiana State University
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6-03
Weight: 190
First Game: 09-26-1950 (Age 29)
Last Game: 08-20-1953
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Dave Madison played parts of 3 seasons in the big leagues (1950, 1952-53), finishing with a career record of 8-7, 5.70. In his only tour as a Brown, Madison went 4-3, 4.38 for the 1952 Browns before being dealt to the Tigers during the season. - Dave Madison was 64 when he died in 1985.

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 9th - 2nd Time Around

22 Daily Posts To Go Til This History Thread is Completed! ...


On This Date in History!



December 9, 1947: Browns Barter Berardino to Indians for Catfish and Cash!


Railroad Crossing! Look out for the cars!
Can you spell Berardino - without two "r"s?

The Cleveland Indians today picked up Johnny Berardino from the St. Louis Browns in exchange for Catfish Metkovich and $50,000. Because of a broken finger, Metkovich will be returned to Cleveland and the Indians will compensate the Browns by adding another $15,000 to complete the deal. At the end of the 1952 season , Berardino will drop baseball as well as the 2nd "r" in his name, and start a successful acting career in Hollywood. He will become best known as "Dr. Steve" on the daytime serial "General Hospital."



December 9, 1936: "Let There Be Light!" - American League.

The Lights Will See More Use in 1937.

The American League today approved seven night baseball games for St. Louis in 1937. These after-normal-working-hours games will give the Browns a chance to find out something about whether or not daytime workers will now choose to come see the Browns. - The product on the field may still be the biggest factor effecting attendance.



Births on December 9



Bert Blue
Birth Name: Bird Wayne Blue
Nickname: None
Born On: 12-09-1877
Born In: Bettsville, Ohio
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 09-02-1929
Died In: Detroit, Michigan
Cemetery: Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6-03
Weight: 200
First Game: 06-15-1908 (Age 30)
Last Game: 09-04-1908
Draft: Not Applicable

Catcher Bert Blue had a 17-game big league careers with the Browns (11) and A's (6) in 1908 - and was then gone-for-good, in spite of a .286 BA (12 for 42) that included a double and 2 triples. - Ben Blue was 51 when he died in 1929. - BCT/GB, Ben Blue!



Curly Brown
Birth Name: Charles Roy Brown
Nickname: Curly or Lefty
Born On: 12-09-1888
Born In: Spring Hill, Kansas
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 06-10-1968
Died In: Spring Hill, Kansas
Cemetery: Spring Hill Cemetery, Spring Hill, Kansas
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 5-10½
Weight: 165
First Game: 09-08-1911 (Age 22)
Last Game: 06-01-1915
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Curly Brown posted a 3-6 record for the 1911-13 Browns. He also played the 1915 season with the Cincinnati Reds, adding 2 more losses to his career 3-8 record that came along with his final caree MLB ERA of 4.20. - Curly Brown was 79 when he died in 1968.



Joe DeMaestri

Joe's 77 Today!

Birth Name: Joseph Paul DeMaestri
Nickname: Froggy or Oats
Born On: 12-09-1928
Born In: San Francisco, California
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: Still Living
Died In: Still Living
Cemetery: n/a
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6-00
Weight: 174
First Game: 04-19-1951 (Age 22)
Last Game: 09-27-1961
Draft: Not Applicable

Middle infielder Joe DeMaestri had an 11-season MLB career (1951-1961), batting .236 with 49 HRs. - In his only year with the 1952 Browns, Joe batted .226 with 1 homer in 81 games. - On this date in 2005, DeMaestri is celebrating his 77th birthday. - Happy Birthday, Joe DeMaestri!



Deaths on December 9



Branch Rickey


Branch Rickey Died On This Date in 1965.

Birth Name: Wesley Branch Rickey
Nickname: The Mahatma
Born On: 12-20-1881
Born In: Flat, Ohio
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 12-09-1965
Died In: Columbia, Missouri
Cemetery: Rushtown Cemetery, Rushtown, Ohio
College: Ohio Wesleyan University
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Height: 5-09
Weight: 175
First Game: 06-16-1905 (Age 23)
Last Game: 08-25-1914
Draft: Not Applicable

College graduate Branch Rickey began his career as a catcher for the Browns in 1905. He hit only .239 for his 343 at bats over four separate seasons (1905-1907, 1914), but his real contribution to the game was to come later through his genius vision, his shrewd, penurious business practices as a general manager in innovating the farm system, and for his courage to oppose the color line. - Branch Rickey was 11 days short of his 84th birthday when he died in 1965.



Jeff Heath
Birth Name: John Geoffrey Heath
Nickname: None
Born On: 04-01-1915
Born In: Fort William, Ontario, Canada
Zodiac: Aries
Died On: 12-09-1975
Died In: Seattle, Washington
Cemetery: Lake View Cemetery, Seattle, Washington
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Height: 5-11½
Weight: 200
First Game: 09-13-1936 (Age 21)
Last Game: 09-08-1949
Draft: Not Applicable

Outfielder Jeff Heath hit .293 with 194 HRs over the course of a 14-season MLB career (1936-49). In his two seasons as a Brown (1946-47), Heath hit .275 and .251 while slamming 39 homers. - Jeff Heath died in 1975 at the age of 60.

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

Have a nice (hopefully, not shopping) weekend, everybody!

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 10th - 2nd Time Around

21 Daily Posts To Go Til This History Thread is Completed! ...


On This Date in History!



December 10, 1946: McQuinn Heads for Last Round Up As a Yankee!

George McQuinn Will Finish His Career in Gotham!

George McQuinn will always be remembered as the 1st baseman for the 1944 Browns, the only club to ever win an American League pennant. Today, however, he rides off into the sunset as a member of the New York Yankees. Because of his recent release by the Philadelphia Athletics, the Yankees are able to sign the 36-year old veteran McQuinn to a playing contract for the 1947 season as a free agent. George has two good years left in him. He will hit .304 with 13 HRs and 80 RBI in 1947. After falling in 1948 to a BA of .248 with 11 HRs and only 41 RBI in 1948, George McQuinn will retire from baseball.



Births on December 10



Charlie (not Sheen) Shields

"1879? - Are we talkin' about your birth year - or your pitch count?"

Birth Name: Charles Jessamine Shields
Nickname: None
Born On: 12-10-1879
Born In: Jackson, Tennessee
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 08-27-1953
Died In: Memphis, Tennessee
Cemetery: Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
First Game: 04-23-1902 (Age 22)
Last Game: 06-10-1907
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Charlie Shields was 3-0 with an ERA of 3.30 for the 1902 Browns after joining the club that same rookie season from the Baltimore Orioles, where he was 4-11 with a 4.24 ERA. Shields came back to go 0-2 for the 1907 Cardinals as the conclusion of his 2-season gap-riddled MLB career. Overall, his record was 7-13, 4.27. - Charlie Shields was 73 when he died in 1953.



Patrick Newnam
Birth Name: Patrick Henry Newnam
Nickname: None
Born On: 12-10-1880
Born In: Hempstead, Texas
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 06-20-1938
Died In: San Antonio, Texas
Cemetery: St. Mary Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Height: 6-00
Weight: 180
First Game: 05-29-1910 (Age 29)
Last Game: 05-13-1911
Draft: Not Applicable

1st baseman Pat Newnam's brief two-year MLB career was spent with the 1910-11 Browns. In 123 total games, Newnam batted .213 and hit 2 HR's. Pat Newman passed away in 1938 at the age of 57.



Jim Stephens
Birth Name: James Walter Stephens
Nickname: Little Nemo
Born On: 12-10-1883
Born In: Salineville, Ohio
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 01-02-1965
Died In: Oxford, Alabama
Cemetery: Oxford Cemetery, Oxford, Alabama
College: Villanova University
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-06½
Weight: 157
First Game: 04-11-1907 (Age 23)
Last Game: 10-06-1912
Draft: Not Applicable

In a 6-year career as a Browns catcher, Jim Stephens batted only .220. The 5' 6 1/2" Stephens had virtually no power. In 1,252 total official AB's, "Little Nemo" hit only 3 homers. - Jim Stephens died in 1965 at the age of 81.



Art Griggs
Birth Name: Arthur Carle Griggs
Nickname: Art
Born On: 12-10-1884
Born In: Topeka, Kansas
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 12-19-1938
Died In: Los Angeles, California
Cemetery: Cremated
College: University of Pittsburgh
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-11
Weight: 185
First Game: 05-02-1909 (Age 24)
Last Game: 09-02-1918
Draft: Not Applicable

Utility position player Art Griggs hit .280 for the 1909 Browns and .236 for the 1910 club while breaking into the big leagues. Over his career at several positions (1909-18), Griggs hit .277 with 5 dead ball era homers. - Art Griggs was 55 when he passed away in 1938.



Stan Gray *

Case of Mystery Man Stan Gray Now Solved! - How could Gray play in 383 games from 1912 to 1933 and only come to bat 20 times? - See Answer Below.

Birth Name: Stanley Oscar Gray Bats : Right
Born On: 12-10-1888 Throws : Right
Born In: Ladonia, Texas Height : 6-00½
Died On: 10-11-1964 Weight : 184
Died In: Snyder, Texas First Game: 09-17-1912
College: None Attended Last Game: 09-18-1933
Nickname: None Draft: Not Applicable

* Stan Gray was not a Brown. After consulting with MacMillan's Baseball Encyclopedia, we may now safely conclude that Stan Gray was a 6-game, 20-AB 1st baseman for the 1912 Pirates who had no connection to the Browns. His name similarity to former Browns pitcher Sam Gray apparently led to Sam Gray's career pitching record being added to Stan Gray's stat record at Baseball Almanac. Easy to see how that could happen.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=graydo02

I will inform Baseball Almanac right away so that the error can be corrected at the online site. In the meanwhile, scratch Stan Gray from our list of former Browns. He never was one of our guys.



Verdo Elmore
Birth Name: Verdo Wilson Elmore
Nickname: Ellie
Born On: 12-10-1899
Born In: Gordo, Alabama
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 08-05-1969
Died In: Birmingham, Alabama
Cemetery: Gordo Cemetery, Gordo, Alabama
College: University of Alabama
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Height: 5-11
Weight: 185
First Game: 09-11-1924 (Age 24)
Last Game: 09-24-1924
Draft: Not Applicable

Right fielder Verdo Elmore had a 13-day MLB career with the 1924 Browns, going 3 for 17 with no homers and a .176 BA for all time as his ticket to the Land of Gone for Good. - Verdo Elmore was 69 when he passed away in 1969. - BCT/GB, Verdo Elmore!



Deaths on December 10



Walter Moser
Birth Name: Walter Frederick Moser
Nickname: None
Born On: 02-27-1881
Born In: Concord, North Carolina
Zodiac: Pisces
Died On: 12-10-1946
Died In: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cemetery: West Laurel Hills Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-09
Weight: 170
First Game: 09-03-1906 (Age 25)
Last Game: 09-09-1911
Draft: Not Applicable

In 2 years and 70.2 innings on the big league mound, pitcher Walter Moser fails to acquire a good nickname - or even shortened, less formal identity as "Walt." In fact, Walter fails to win a game at all. After going 0 and 4 for the 1906 Phillies, Walter is forced to wait five years for his second and last shot a victory in the majors. He goes 0 and 1 for the 1911 Boston American League club and is then quickly sold to the St. Louis Browns in the same season for an undisclosed pile of change. Walter Moser lasts all of 3.1 innings as a BR/TR starter for the 1911 Browns, picking up two losses and building a 21.62 ERA ticket to nowhere in the process. The Browns quickly give up on Moser, allowing him to finish his career through 1911 with a record of 0 wins, 7 losses, and ERA of 4.59. Almost needless to add, Moser is gone for good after his failure with the Browns, thus allowing his winless quest to stand unchanged in the big league record books for all time. - Walter Moser passed away winless in 1946 a the age of 65.



Carl Fischer
Birth Name: Charles William Fischer
Nickname: None
Born On: 11-05-1905
Born In: Medina, New York
Zodiac: Scorpio
Died On: 12-10-1963
Died In: Medina, New York
Cemetery: Mount Ridge Cemetery, Royalton, New York
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Left
Height: 6-00
Weight: 180
First Game: 07-19-1930
Last Game: 07-02-1937
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Carl Fischer had a 7-year MLB career (1930-1935, 1937), finishing with a record of 46 wins, 50 losses, and an ERA of 4.63. - Fischer was 3-7 with a 5.57 ERA in 1932 after coming over from Washington during the season. It was to be his only time with the Browns. - Carl Fischer was 58 when he died in 1963.



Jack Tobin
Birth Name: John Thomas Tobin
Nickname: None
Born On: 05-04-1892
Born In: St. Louis, Missouri
Zodiac: Taurus
Died On: 12-10-1969
Died In: St. Louis, Missouri
Cemetery: Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 5-08
Weight: 142
First Game: 04-16-1914 (Age 21)
Last Game: 09-28-1927
Draft: Not Applicable

Right fielder Jack Tobin batted .331 and banged out 13 HRs for the almost-champion 1922 Browns. He went on to even better years, batting .352 in 1921 and and .341 in 1920. His career (1914-27) record with four clubs, but mostly with the Browns (1916-25) produced a .309 lifetime BA and 1,906 hits. The presence of a few more players like Jack Tobin in our club's past could have resulted in a much better win history for the St. Louis Browns. - Jack Tobin passed away in 1969 at the age of 77.

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 11th - 2nd Time Around

20 Daily Posts To Go Til This History Thread is Completed! ...


On This Date in History!



December 11, 1929: Another Browns-A's Swap.

Wally Schang Traded Today.

The Browns trade catcher Wally Schang to the Philadelphia Athletics for 3rd baseman Sammy Hale. Schang had some good years for the Browns during his 4 seasons with the club (1926-29), but hit only .237 in 94 games in 1929. Hale will go on to hit .274 in 47 games at 3rd base and 15 more as a pinch hitter for the 1930 Browns before retiring from baseball. Schang's return to the A's reunites him with his original club (1913-17). Schang will hit .174 in limited service with the 1930 A's and .184 with the 1931 Tigers before making his own exit from baseball. Schang's last three seasons in his 19-year big league career are not up to par with his talent level. Schang was a career .284 hitter.



December 11, 1927: Saddest Day In Browns History.

Greatest Brown Sold Today!

Some of you may disagree, but this is the one transaction in club history that I rate as our saddest moment in time. Today the Browns sell George Sisler, the greatest player in franchise history, and one of the greatest ballplayers of all time, to the Washington Senators for a mere $25,000 freakin' dollars. I don't care if those were big bucks in 1927, Sisler was priceless to the Browns, even when he was old and infirm. Can you imagine the Cardinals doing something like this with Stan Musial during the latter years of his career? I can't.



Births on This Date in History



Gene Wright
Birth Name: Clarence Eugene Wright
Nickname: Big Gene
Born On: 12-11-1878
Born In: Cleveland, Ohio
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 10-29-1930
Died In: Barberton, Ohio
Cemetery: Lakewood Cemetery, Akron, Ohio
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6-02
Weight: 185
First Game: 10-05-1901 (Age 22)
Last Game: 04-18-1904
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Gene Wright had a 3-6 record with the 1903-1904 Browns. For his 4-season MLB career (1901-1904), Wright's record was 14 wins, 26 losses, and an ERA of 4.50. - Gene Wright was 51 when he died in 1930.



Walt Meinert
Birth Name: Walter Henry Meinert
Nickname: None
Born On: 12-11-1890
Born In: New York, New York
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 11-09-1958
Died In: Decatur, Illinois
Cemetery: Fairlawn Cemetery, Decatur, Illinois
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 5-07½
Weight: 150
First Game: 09-06-1913 (Age 22)
Last Game: 09-12-1913
Draft: Not Applicable

Right fielder Walt Meinert had a 4-game, 6-day big league career for the 1913 Browns, batting .375 (3/8) with no dead ball homers. - After 9/12/13, Walt was gone-for-good, but walking away from the game with a career BA that exceeded the likes of Cobb and Sisler. - Walt Meinert was 67 when he passed away in 1958. - BCT/GB, Walt Meinert!



Slick Coffman
Birth Name: George David Coffman
Nickname: Slick
Born On: 12-11-1910
Born In: Veto, Alabama
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 05-08-2003
Died In: Birmingham, Alabama
Cemetery: Gatlin Cemetery, Ardmore, Tennessee
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6-00
Weight: 155
First Game: 05-21-1937 (Age 26)
Last Game: 09-17-1940
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Slick Coffman was 2-2 with a 6.27 ERA for the 1940 Browns. For his entire 4-year big league career (1937-1940), Coffman won 15, lost 12, and recorded a 5.60 ERA



Deaths on This Date In History



Jim Bottomley
Birth Name: James Leroy Bottomley
Nickname: Sunny Jim
Born On: 04-23-1900
Born In: Oglesby, Illinois
Zodiac: Taurus
Died On: 12-11-1959
Died In: St. Louis, Missouri
Cemetery: Odd Fellows Cemetery, Sullivan, Missouri
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 6-00
Weight: 180
First Game: 08-18-1922 (Age 22)
Last Game: 09-16-1937
Draft: Not Applicable

Great Cardinal Hall of Fame 1st baseman Jim Bottomley played his last two years in the big leagues with the 1936-37 Browns, batting .298 and .239. He also took over for Rogers Hornsby as manager of the Browns for the last 79 games of 1937. Over his 16-season MLB career (1922-1937), Bottomley hit .310 with 219 HRs. - Jim Bottomley was 59 when he died in 1959.



Cliff Fannin

Career Brown Cliff Fannin Died Young.

Birth Name: Clifford Bryson Fannin
Nickname: Mule
Born On: 05-13-1924
Born In: Louisa, Kentucky
Zodiac: Taurus
Died On: 12-11-1966
Died In: Sandusky, Ohio
Cemetery: Unknown Cemetery, Toledo, Ohio
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Height: 6-00
Weight: 170
First Game: 09-02-1945 (Age 21)
Last Game: 09-27-1952
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Cliff Fannin had an 8-season, All-Browns MLB career (1945-1952) in which he won 34, lost 51, and recorded an ERA of 4.85. - Cliff Fannin died at age 42 in 1966.

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...DECEMBER11.stm

http://www.todayinbaseballhistory.com/cgi-bin/today/today2S.pl

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 12th - 2nd Time Around

19 Daily Posts To Go Til This History Thread is Completed! ...


On This Date in History!



December 12, 1949: AL Rule Committee Dashes Last Hope of the Browns!

"I coulda' helped those Browns so much!"

By a 7-1 vote, the American League Rules Committee today rejected a proposal to bring back the legal spitball. - Darn it!



Births on December 12



No (SL) Brown Eggs Ever Hatched on December 12th.



Deaths on December 12



Jim Weaver
Birth Name: James Dement Weaver
Nickname: Big Jim
Born On: 11-25-1903
Born In: Obion County, Tennessee
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 12-12-1983
Died In: Lakeland, Florida
Cemetery: Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Erlanger, Kentucky
College: Western Kentucky University
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6-06
Weight: 230
First Game: 08-27-1928 (Age 24)
Last Game: 05-08-1939
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Jim Weaver had an 8-season MLB career (1928, 1931, 1934-1939), winning 57, losing 36, and registering an ERA of 3.88. In his only time with the 1938 Browns, Weaver pitched 7 innings in 1 game and took the loss. - The barely-a-Brown Jim Weaver was 80 when he died in 1980.

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 13th - 2nd Time Around

18 Daily Posts To Go Til This History Thread is Completed! ...


On This Date in History!



December 13, 1949: DUMP-DE-DUMP-DUMP! Browns Deal Dillinger!


"The way we did it on Dragnet was 'DUM-DE-DUM-DUM', but these are the Browns. The extra 'P' fits." DUMP-DE-DUMP-DUMP!

The St. Louis Browns today dealt star 3rd baseman Bob Dillinger (.324) and temperamental outfielder Paul Lehner to the Philadelphia A's for a reported $100,000 and infielders Frankie Gustine, Bill DeMars, and outfielders Ray Coleman, and Ray Ippolitto. Dillinger will play just a half-season in Philley before being swapped to Pittsburgh.



December 13, 1948: Browns Get Lollar in Trade with Yankees!

"The Browns traded for Lollar? - Believe what you will. I'm bettin' on the dollar!" DUMP-DE DUMP-DE-DUMP!

After a year with the New York Yankees, pitcher Red Embree is traded today, along with young catcher Sherm Lollar, pitcher Dick Starr and $100,000, to the St. Louis Browns. Embree will slump to 3–13 in St. Louis after having his only winning big league season in New York. Lollar is the prize, and he will catch in the majors through 1963. The Yankees receive pitcher Fred Sanford and catcher Roy Partee. Partee is ticketed for the minors, but Sanford will help the Yanks as a starter/reliever in 1949.

DUMP-DE-DUMP-DUMP!



December 13, 1930: Sisler's Playing Career Ends with Release by Braves!



The 15-year playing career of George Sisler ended today as the Boston Braves released him unconditionally. A lifetime .340 hitter who twice led the American League with averages above .400, Sisler will be among the first to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame for enshrinement in 1939.



Births on December 13



Pete Bigler
Birth Name: Ivan Edward Bigler
Nickname: Pete
Born On: 12-13-1892
Born In: Bradford, Ohio
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 04-01-1975
Died In: Coldwater, Michigan
Cemetery: Harris Creek Cemetery, Bradford, Ohio
College: Juniata College
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-09
Weight: 150
First Game: 05-06-1917 (Age 24)
Last Game: 05-06-1917
Draft: Not Applicable

Pete Bigler's entire big league career took place on May 6, 1917 when he was inserted into a game for the Browns as a pinch runner. He neither stole a base nor scored - nor was he heard from again. - Pete Bigler passed away at age 82 in 1975. - BCT/GB, Pete Bigler!



Deaths on December 13



Doc Shanley
Birth Name: Harry Root Shanley
Nickname: Doc
Born On: 01-30-1889
Born In: Granbury, Texas
Zodiac: Aquarius
Died On: 12-13-1934
Died In: St. Petersburg, Florida
Cemetery: Royal Palm Cemetery, St. Petersburg, Florida
College: Washington University in Saint Louis
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6-00
Weight: 174
First Game: 09-15-1912 (Age 0)
Last Game: 09-24-1912
Draft: Not Applicable

Shortstop Doc Shanley was 0 for 8 in 5 games for the 1912 Browns. He drew 2 walks and managed to record 1 run scored and 1 run batted in. After that time, he was gone-for-good. - Doc Shanley was 45 when he died in 1934. - BCT/GB, Doc Shanley!



George Baumgardner
Birth Name: George Washington Baumgardner
Nickname: None
Born On: 07-22-1891
Born In: Barboursville, West Virginia
Zodiac: Cancer
Died On: 12-13-1970
Died In: Barboursville, West Virginia
Cemetery: Barboursville Cemetery, Barboursville, West Virginia
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Height: 5-11
Weight: 178
First Game: 04-14-1912 (Age 20)
Last Game: 05-15-1916
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher George Baumgardner had a 5-season (1912-1916) all Browns MLB career, winning 36, losing 47, and registering a 3.22 ERA. - George Baumgardner was 79 when he died in 1970.

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 14th - 2nd Time Around

17 Daily Posts To Go Til This History Thread is Completed! ...


On This Date in History!



December 14, 1933: Round 'N Round The Trading Wheel Goes ...

"What's this trade have to do with me?" - Terry Bradshaw

The St. Louis Browns today acquired outfielder Smead Jolley, pitcher Ivy Andrews, and $40,000 from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for pitcher Carl Reynolds. St. Louis then sent Jolley, plus shotstop Jim Levey, and pitcher Wally Hebert to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League in return for shortstop Alan Strange. - Strange will be traded to the Washington Senators for veteran shortstop Lyn Lary before the end of the 1934 season. Levey, meanwhile, will return east in the fall of 1934 to join the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National League, where he will play halfback for three seasons. How the move of Levey to the NFL Steelers butterfly-effects the football club's eventual signing of Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, and John Stallworth is unclear.



Births on December 14



John Anderson
Birth Name: John Joseph Anderson
Nickname: Honest John
Born On: 12-14-1873
Born In: Sarpsborg, Norway
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 07-23-1949
Died In: Worcester, Massachusetts
Cemetery: Swedish Cemetery, Worcester, Massachusetts
College: None Attended
Bats: Both
Throws: Right
Height: 6-02
Weight: 180
First Game: 09-08-1894 (Age 20)
Last Game: 10-02-1908
Draft: Not Applicable

1st baseman/outifielder John Anderson enjoyed a 14-year career in the big leagues (1894-1899, 1901-1908), hitting .290 with 49 homers. As a full-time player for the 1902-1903 Browns, Anderson batted .284 in each of his two St. Louis seasons, collecting 6 total HRs. Anderson was 75 at the ime of his death.



Syl "Sammy" Simon
Birth Name: Sylvester Adam Simon
Nickname: Sammy
Born On: 12-14-1897
Born In: Evansville, Indiana
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 02-28-1973
Died In: Chandler, Indiana
Cemetery: Locust Hill Cemetery, Evansville, Indiana
College: None Attended
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-10&#189;
Weight: 170
First Game: 10-01-1923 (Age 25)
Last Game: 09-27-1924
Draft: Not Applicable

Infielder Sylvester Adam "Sammy" Simon went 8 for 33 (.242) with 0 homers for the 1923-1924 Browns as his total big league experience and was then .... (ta da) ... gone for good! Sammy Simon died in 1972 at the age of 72.

Sammy Simon,
Met a pieman,
On his way to Brownsville.

Sammy stopped,
And ate his sweets;
He couldn't handle Moundsville.

BCT/GB, Sammy Simon! :o



Bob Weiland
Birth Name: Robert George Weiland
Nickname: Lefty
Born On: 12-14-1905
Born In: Chicago, Illinois
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 11-09-1988
Died In: Chicago, Illinois
Cemetery: Mount Emblem Cemetery, Elmhurst, Illinois
College: None Attended
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 6-04
Weight: 215
First Game: 09-30-1928
Last Game: 04-26-1940
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Bob Weiland had a 12-year MLB career (1928-1935, 1937-1940) in which he won 62, lost 94, and recorded an ERA of 4.24. In his only year for the 1935 Browns, Weiland was 0-2 with an ERA of 9.56. - Bob Weiland was 82 when he died in 1988.



Jim Walkup
Birth Name: James Elton Walkup
Nickname: None
Born On: 12-14-1909
Born In: Havana, Arkansas
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 02-07-1997
Died In: Danville, Arkansas
Cemetery: Unknown
College: University of Arkansas
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6-01
Weight: 170
First Game: 09-22-1934 (Age 24)
Last Game: 07-18-1939
Draft: Not Applicable

Pitcher Jim Walkup had a career record of 16 wins, 38 losses, and a 6.74 ERA from 1934 to 1939. All but one loss and 12 innings were registered as a Brown. The club dealt him off to Detroit during the 1939 season for the inglorious end of his career. - Jim Walkup was 87 when he died in 1997.



Rusty Peters
Birth Name: Russell Dixon Peters
Nickname: Rusty
Born On: 12-14-1914
Born In: Roanoke, Virginia
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 02-21-2003
Died In: Harrisonburg, Virginia
Cemetery: Christ Church Unity Cemetery, Roanoke, Virginia
College: Washington & Lee University
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
First Game: 04-14-1936 (Age 21)
Last Game: 09-28-1947
Draft: Not Applicable

Infielder Rusty Peters had a 10-season MLB career (1936-1938, 1940-1944, 1946-1947), batting .236 with 8 HRs. In his last and only season with the 1947 Browns, Peters finished well at the plate, going 16 for 47 and a .340 BA in 30 games. - Rusty Peters was 88 when he died in 2003.



Deaths on December 14

So far, No Browns Ever Died on December 14.

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 15th - 2nd Time Around

16 Daily Posts To Go Til This History Thread is Completed! ...


On This Date in History!



December 15, 1927: Browns Say Goodbye to Ken Williams (for cash, of course)!

No One is Forever.



The St. Louis Browns today said goodbye to one of the icons of their great 1922 club by selling aging home run-hitter Ken Williams to the Boston Red Sox for $10,000. At 38, Williams is still a .300 hitter, but his power ability has fallen dramatically. Williams hit .323 with only 17 home runs for the 1927 Browns. He will hit .303 with only 8 homers for the 1928 Red Sox in 130 games and, after Williams hits .345 with only 3 HRs in 1929 in 74 games, he will be waived by Boston to the New York Yankees on January 29, 1930. That move will prove to be the end of the line for the ancient Brownie slugger. Ken Williams will retire before he ever plays a single official inning for the Yankees.



Births on December 15



No St. Louis Browns were ever born on December 15th.

For the record, comedian and ardent baseball fan Joe E. Brown was born on July 28, 1892. He died on July 6, 1973. If you've never seen Brown's hilarious 1930s baseball movies, "Alibi Ike" or "Elmer the Great," watch for them on Turner Classic Movies whenever they are shown.



Deaths on December 15



"Super! This is a another lucky day for all Browns everywhere!"

So far, no St. Louis Browns have ever died on December 15th.

Today's Reference Links ... MacMillan's Baseball Encyclopedia (hard copy)

http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/chronology/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0113873/

[Bill_McCurdy]

December 16th - 2nd Time Around

15 Daily Posts To Go Til This History Thread is Completed! ...


On This Date in History!



December 16, 2005: Christmas Shopper* Marketing Survey Report.



A marketing report conducted at 16 retail malls in 8 strategic American urban consumer areas revealed today that 2,458 shoppers were approached by The MoneyTouch Survey Corporation on Saturday, December 10, 2005, and asked to respond to 300 questions each about their current holiday season buying plans. The following is a summary of major results:

91.04% (2247 of 2,458 shoppers) told interviewers: "Get lost! I've got better things to do than waste my time talking to you!"

Of the 211 shoppers who agreed to do the interview:

99.53% (210 of 211 actual interviewees) failed to complete the interview and walked away saying: "You've got to kidding! Don't ever bother me again!"

On the basis of the entire sample population that completed the consumer market survey (1 person), MoneyTouch arrived at a shocking conclusion:

100.00% of 2005 Christmas shoppers are searching for St. Louis Browns memorabilia and not finding any. - On the basis of our extensive survey process, it is clear that America's Christmas season retailers have been caught with their pants down by their failure to anticipate the needs of this year's consumer group.

* If the phrase "holiday shopper" is less offensive to you, please feel free to adjust our headline to include this statement - or any other phrase that is more compatible with your differential sensibilities.



Births on December 16



Scrappy Moore
Birth Name: William Allen Moore
Nickname: Scrappy
Born On: 12-16-1892
Born In: St. Louis, Missouri
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Died On: 10-13-1964
Died In: Little Rock, Arkansas
Cemetery: Roselawn Memorial Park, Little Rock, Arkansas
College: Vanderbilt & Georgia Tech
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-08
Weight: 153
First Game: 06-21-1917 (Age 24)
Last Game: 07-05-1917
Draft: Not Applicable

3rd baseman Scrappy Moore was 1 for 8 (.125) in 4 games for the 1917 Browns before hokking it out to the Land of Gone for Good. - Scrappy Moore was 71 when he died in 1964. - BCT/GB, Scrappy Moore!



Deaths on December 16



Debs Garms
Birth Name: Debs C. Garms
Nickname: Tex
Born On: 06-26-1907
Born In: Bangs, Texas
Zodiac: Cancer
Died On: 12-16-1984
Died In: Glen Rose, Texas
Cemetery: Squaw Creek Cemetery, Glen Rose, Texas
College: Howard Payne University
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Height: 5-08&#189;
Weight: 165
First Game: 08-10-1932 (Age 25)
Last Game: 09-25-1945
Draft: Not Applicable

Infielder/outfielder Debs Garms broke into MLB with a 4-year start as a St. Louis Brown (1932-1935). He played 12 seasons in the big leagues, (1932-1935, 1937-1941, 1943-1945), batting .293 with only 17 career homers. As a member of the 1940 Pittsburgh Pirates club, Debs won the National League batting championship with a .355 mark. - Debs Garms was 77 when he died in 1984.

Today's Reference Links ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/