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Showing posts from February, 2012

Dizzy Trout

Today is the 40th anniversary of the death of Paul Howard “Dizzy” Trout. Trout was on the 1938 Toledo Mud Hens team as was “Wild Bill” Miller (whose death was commemorated yesterday) but possibly at different points in the season. Trout hailed from a northern suburb of Terre Haute, Indiana called Sandcut, cutting his teeth on professional baseball at the age of 20 with the Terre Haute Tots of the Three-Eye League. Trout's American Association debut came the same year when he had a cup of coffee with the Indianapolis Indians in 1935. He repeated with the Tribe the following season, going 8-7 in 37 games. In 1937 he was with the Toledo Mud Hens, picking up 14 wins, losing 16 games in 41 games. He returned to the Hens for a five-game stint in 1938 for a dash of seasoning before joining the Detroit Tigers for a long and noteworthy career. Trout died February 28, 1972 before his time at the age of 56 at Harvey, Illinois.

Wild Bill Miller

William Francis “Wild Bill” Miller died on this date 30 years ago. In 1938 the 28-year-old righty suited up for eight games with the Toledo Mud Hens, earning no decisions. In 20 innings of work, Miller struck out nine batters, walking 17, hitting one. He died at Hannibal, Missouri, the town where he was born on April 12, 1910.

Billy "Pickles" Dillhoefer Dies at 28

Today marks the 90th anniversary of the death of Pickles Dillhoefer who played one season in the American Association as a catcher for the 1916 Milwaukee Brewers. Born October 13, 1893 at Cleveland, Ohio, the young catcher batted .292 in 154 at-bats (50 games) for the Brewers during the club's worst season as an American Association franchise. Dillhoefer contracted typhoid fever which led to pneumonia and his premature death in St. Louis on February 23, 1922. He is buried at Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile, Alabama where his wife was from. For more info please see: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dillhpi01.shtml

Phil "Sid" Hensiek

Today is the 40th anniversary of the death of Phil Hensiek, an American Association pitcher who performed in three seasons for the Minneapolis Millers from 1931-33. Born at St. Louis, Missouri on October 13, 1901, Hensiek died at the age of 70 in St. Louis. His cumulative record as a Miller was 15-19. Hensiek's seventh and final season in pro ball was in 1936 as a reliever for the Montreal Royals of the International League at age 34.

John "Shotgun" Peters

Today is the 80th anniversary of a former American Association player. John "Shotgun" Peters , a catcher who appeared in over 450 games in a Kansas City Blues uniform, died on February 21, 1932 at the age of 38 in Kansas City, Missouri, less than one year since he'd hit .325 for the Blues in 126 games that year. "Big Pete" was a member of the Blues organization on a full-time basis from 1927-31 after being given a trial as a 24 year-old in 1918. With 17 seasons in the minors, Peters was an accomplished player, appearing in 1,770 games with 53 home runs, 264 doubles and a batting average of .292.