Good Players who got late starts because of Reserve Clause

[sturg1dj]

I just read some on "Indian" Bob Johnson in another thread and how he was a 27 year old rookie because he was behind Al Simmons....can you guys think of other cases of players who would have come up sooner if they were stuck behind someone.

name the person and who he was stuck behind

[steve rogers]

One of my favorite players Elston Howard. Started at 26 but if it weren't for Yogi Berra and resistance to integration by the Yankees front office I think he would have started much sooner.

Also Vic Power who the Yankees had rotting in the minors for 4 years.

And there are many more black players that were kept down on the farm for far too long. Hall of Famer Ray Dandridge never made it to the majors. In 1949 for the Giants minor league team the Minneapolis Millers he hit .363, in 1950 he hit .311 and won the leagues MVP award, in 1951 he hit .324 and in 1952 he hit .291. He was pretty old, he was 36 in 1949, but there is no doubt he could have contributed to the Giants for several years if it weren't for ignorance.

Scott

[Iron Jaw]

One of my favorite players Elston Howard. Started at 26 but if it weren't for Yogi Berra and resistance to integration by the Yankees front office I think he would have started much sooner.

Also Vic Power who the Yankees had rotting in the minors for 4 years.


Scott

The Yankees also had a AAAA minor league team - known as the Kansas City A's.

[Gee Walker]

Al Rosen lost several years, first due to WWII and then because he was stuck behind an all-star 3B in Ken Keltner.

Edgar Martinez was held in the minors, getting a few cups of coffee until he became a full-time player at age 27 because the Mariners thought that Jim Presley, with his 74-82 OPS+, was their third baseman of the future.

[Chickazoola]

Al Rosen lost several years, first due to WWII and then because he was stuck behind an all-star 3B in Ken Keltner.

Edgar Martinez was held in the minors, getting a few cups of coffee until he became a full-time player at age 27 because the Mariners thought that Jim Presley, with his 74-82 OPS+, was their third baseman of the future.

I live in Calgary, and remember him getting sent up and back down to Calgary multiple times.

[Iron Jaw]

.

Edgar Martinez was held in the minors, getting a few cups of coffee until he became a full-time player at age 27 because the Mariners thought that Jim Presley, with his 74-82 OPS+, was their third baseman of the future.

Edgar began his career well past the era of the Reserve Clause.