The American Association Almanac

Ken Silvestri, catcher St. Paul Saints: 1938-39 Kansas City Blues: 1947, 1954 b. May 3, 1916 @ Chicago, Illinois d. March 31, 1992 @ Tallahassee, Florida Today we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of Kenneth Joseph “Hawk” Silvestri. Silvestri’s career in pro ball began with the Rayne (Louisiana) Rice Birds (D) in 1936. He joined the American Association as a member of the St. Paul Saints during in 1938 when he helped lead the club to the league championship at the age of 22. He batted .272 for the Saints that year, appearing in 114 games with 95 games as catcher to his credit. In 1939 Silvestri appeared in 60 games with the Saints, 44 as catcher, batting .271. At the age of 31, he was a Kansas City Blue as a catcher in 44 games for the New York Yankee farm team, 83 games all tolled. In his final American Association season with Blues, Silvestri batted .241 in 1954, again taking the role of catcher in 24 games in 48 games total. Silvestri served in the US Army during World...

Mutt Williams, pitcher Minneapolis Millers: 1915-16 St. Paul Saints: 1923 b. July 31, 1892 @ Ozark, Arkansas d. March 30, 1962 @ Fayetteville, Arkansas Today we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Mutt Williams who died after a protracted illness. He was a veteran of World War I, serving from 1917-18. David Carter “Mutt” (or D. C.) Williams had something special going on when he first joined the American Association as a member of the Minneapolis Millers in 1915 at the age of 22. Appearing in 64 games, Williams posted a record of 29 wins, 16 losses with an ERA of 2.53 in 440.2 innings of work (nearly an all-time league record). He struck out 180 batters, just a shade away from the league lead which was held by St. Paul’s Bob Steele who whiffed 183. Williams led the league in wins, games, innings, hits allowed (392), and bases on balls (164). But perhaps more importantly, the right-hander was a major factor in pushing the Millers to their fourth championship in 1915, their ...

Otto “Moonie” Miller, catcher 1924 Indianapolis Indians b. June 1, 1889 @ Minden, Nebraska d. March 29, 1962 @ Brooklyn, New York Lowell Otto “Moonie” Miller waited until he was 35 years old before joining the ranks of the American Association as a member of the Indianapolis Indians, but it wasn’t because he wasn’t busy. Miller began his pro career in 1908 at the age of 19, and after a disappointing year in 1909 with Duluth of the Minnesota-Wisconsin League (D), he could easily have hung up his cleats and gone back to Nebraska. Instead, he was drafted by the Brooklyn Superbas of the National League on Sept. 1 of 1909. He must have taken the bid to play in the majors very seriously, because he won an assignment to play for Brooklyn in 1910. For 13 seasons without fail, “Moonie” donned the tools of ignorance for Brooklyn, who became the Dodgers in 1911 (then the Superbas again in 1913, then the Robins from 1914-22) for his entire career with the exception of three games he played at firs...

Donie Bush, shortstop Indianapolis Indians: 1908, 1926 As Manager: Indianapolis Indians: 1924-26, 1943 Minneapolis Millers: 1934-35 Louisville Colonels: 1939 b. October 8, 1887 @ Indianapolis, Indiana d. March 28, 1972 @ Indianapolis, Indiana Owen Joseph “Donie” or “Ownie” Bush was one of the early “grand old men” of baseball. Today we commemorate the 40th anniversary of his death at the age of 84. Bush began his career in pro ball at the age of 17 with the Sault Ste. Marie (MI) Soos of the Copper Country Soo League (D) in 1905. Three years later he made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers. A natural righty, Bush was a switch-hitter. The 5’6”, 140-lb. infielder first joined the American Association in 1908 with his hometown Indianapolis Indians, playing shortstop in 153 games and batting .247, leading the league in runs scored with 99 to help lead the club to their second American Association championship. Bush returned to the Indians as a manager in 1924 after a long career...

Jimmy Burke, third-baseman and manager Kansas City Blues: 1906-07 Louisville Colonels: 1908 Indianapolis Indians: 1909; 1911-12 Toledo Mud Hens: 1924-25 October 12, 1875 @ St. Louis, Missouri March 26, 1942 @ St. Louis, Missouri James Timothy Burke died 70 years ago today. He was known as “Sunset Jimmy.” Burke’s extensive career as a professional on the diamond began in the Western Association as a member of the Peoria Blackbirds (B) at the age of 22 in 1897. He debuted in the majors the following season. Burke joined the American Association as a player-manager with the Kansas City Blues beginning in 1906 in the days when the club played at Association Park. The third-baseman batted .284 that year, playing in 152 games. The following season Burke continued to manage the Blues, helping them improve to a fourth-place finish while covering the hot-corner in 154 games and batting .267. In 1908 he was piloting the Louisville Colonels, bringing the club to a second-place finish just four ga...

Dick Coffman, pitcher Milwaukee Brewers: 1933 St. Paul Saints: 1941 born: December 18, 1906 @ Veto, Alabama died: March 24, 1972 @ Athens, Alabama Long-time professional pitcher Dick Coffman died 40 years ago today at the age of 65. Coffman’s first appearance in the professional ranks came in 1926 at the age of 19 when he played for two teams, the Quincy (Ill.) Red Birds (B) and Chattanooga Lookouts (A). Joining the American Association as a Milwaukee Brewer in 1933, Coffman posted a record of 3-10 in 17 games in 95 innings of work with an ERA of 5.21. In 1941 his travels took him to St. Paul where he pitched in 11 games for the Saints, earning two losses with no wins in only 23 innings of work. Coffman’s career was checkered: his eight minor league seasons resulted in a combined record of 51-59. He hung around long enough to assemble a 15-season record in the majors, posting 72 wins against 95 losses with the majority of those seasons spent with the St. Louis Browns.

Steve “Smokey” Sundra, pitcher Toledo Mud Hens: 1934 Minneapolis Millers: 1935 born: March 27, 1910 @ Luxor, Pennsylvania died: March 23, 1952 @ Cleveland, Ohio Today we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the death of Steve “Smokey” Sundra who died March 23, 1952 at Cleveland, Ohio. Sundra died of rectal cancer at the age of 41. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Cleveland. Sundra first pitched in the American Association as a 24-year-old with the Toledo Mud Hens in 1934, his first assignment in the high minors. Finishing the season with a 7-7 record, Sundra appeared in 37 games, completing 156 innings of work and compiling an ERA of 5.02. The 1935 season found Sundra with the Minneapolis Millers who became the American Association champions that year. With a record of 4-6, Sundra pitched 102 innings with an ERA of 6.18 in 28 games. One highlight of his season came as a batter when he hit one home run. Sundra’s last season in the minors came with the Newark Bears of the International...

Ed Kenna, pitcher Louisville Colonels: 1905-07 born: October 17, 1877 at Charleston, West Virginia death date: March 22, 1912 The distinguished West Virginian, Edward Benninghaus Kenna, known as the “Pitching Poet,” died 100 years ago today at Grant, Florida as a result of a disease affecting his stomach. According to Baseball Necrology, Kenna “died suddenly from heart failure after spending two months in Florida for a nervous stomach disorder.” He was only 34 years of age. Kenna’s professional career as a pitcher began as a member of the Toledo Mud Hens of the Interstate League in 1900. From there he moved to Wheeling to play for the Stogies of the Western Association in 1901 where he appeared in 22 games. Then it was north to Wisconsin to play for the Western League’s Milwaukee Creams for two full seasons and a combined 66 games. In 1904 he went to Denver where he played in 33 tilts as a member of the Grizzlies of the Western League. Likely owing to his Denver connection, he would ha...

Otto George Williams, ss/2b death date: March 19, 1937 Otto Williams died 75 years ago today. The long-time American Association infielder played in over 1,000 games on deadball diamonds. He was 59 years of age and succumbed after an eight-day battle with lobar pneumonia, according to Baseball Necrology, in Omaha, Nebraska. Born November 2, 1877 at Newark, New Jersey, Williams played in his frist professional season with the St. Paul Saints of the Western League in 1901. He became a major leaguer shortly afterwards, and played in the Bigs for four seasons. In 1906 Williams became a shortstop with the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association. He converted into a second-baseman in 1908, managing to sustain a span of seven seasons with the Tribe. Typically a light hitter, his best year with the bat in the American Association came in 1911 when he hit .278 with 14 doubles. At the age of 35 Williams moved on, playing with the Kansas City Blues in 1913 in 95 games, adding to his leng...

Gordie Hinkle, catcher Death date: March 19, 1972 Columbus Red Birds, 1931-32 Indianapolis Indians, 1938 Toledo Mud Hens, 1938 Born April 3, 1905 at Toronto, Ohio (east central Ohio on the Ohio River), Hinkle started his career in professional baseball at the age of 25 with the Greensboro Patriots (C) and Rochester Red Wings (AA). He signed on to play with the Columbus Red Birds in 1931, his first season in the American Association, batting .221 in 100 games. His stint with Columbus continued briefly in 1932. In 1938, he returned to the league with the Toledo Mud Hens after playing with the Indianapolis Indians for six games. Under manager Fred Haney, Hinkle batted .215 in 144 games. Hinkle died at the age of 66, 40 years ago today, in Houston Texas. He is buried at Woodlawn Garden of Memories in Houston. You can read more about Hinkle at http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/0fac787a

Toledo: 1918 Columbus, Ohio native William Patrick “Billy” Purtell died on this date 50 years ago in Bradenton, Florida at the age of 76. Purtell played his first season in the American Association as a member of the Toledo Mud Hens during the war-shortened 1918 season at the age of 32, playing shortstop and appearing in 40 games, batting .175. Purtell played professionally from 1904 to 1926, sandwiching in five seasons at the major league level and managing in the low minors for Vancouver in 1921 and for Hagerstown in 1928. He is buried at Mansion Memorial Park in Ellenton, Florida.

Kansas City Blues: 1916-17 St. Louis (MO) native Edward Joseph Mulligan, a 22-season minor leaguer (1914-39), died 30 years ago today in San Rafael, California. At the age of 21, Mulligan debuted with the Kansas City Blues of the American Association as a shortstop, batting .238 in 55 games. He returned to the Blues the following season, appearing in 100 games and swatting .253. With his first taste of the major leagues in 1915, Mulligan became a Chicago Cub in 11 games, showing promise with 8 hits in 22 at-bats. Mulligan was born Aug. 27, 1894. He is buried at Colma, California at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Toledo: 1903 Indianapolis: 1911 St. Paul: 1912 Daniel John Hoffman was born March 2, 1880 (sharing a birthdate with Woody English, among others) in Connecticut, joining the ranks of professional baseball at age 21. In 1903 he became a Toledo Mud Hen, appearing in just seven games after making his major league debut with the Philadelphia Athletics with whom he played 74 games. After several seasons in the American League, Hoffman returned to the American Association, joining the Indianapolis Indians in 1911 as an outfielder when he appeared in 118 games. The following season he became a St. Paul Saint, playing in 129 games and batting .258. Hoffman passed away March 14, 1922, 90 years ago today, of tuberculosis and his buried in St. Michael Cemetery in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

TOL: 1902 COL: 1902 Today we observe the 60th anniversary of the death of Vincent Maney of Batavia, New York. Maney was 14 years old when he joined the Marion (Indiana) Glass Blowers of the Western Association in 1901. According to baseball-reference, Maney was born Oct. 14, 1886, and was still a pre-pubescent youngster when he joined the American Association (the youngest I’ve ever heard of) as a member of the Toledo Mud Hens, under the name of Patrick Meaney. In LinWeber’s Toledo Baseball Guide he is listed at 25 years of age. Maney split the season between the Toledo Mud Hens and Columbus Senators as an outfielder. And he was impressive as a hitter, posting a .307 batting average in 257 at-bats with Toledo, and a .313 mark in 211 at-bats with Columbus. He finally made the majors ten year later, appearing in one game as a member of the Detroit Tigers in 1912 at the age of 25.

KC: 1916 STP: 1923 Yesterday we observed the 50th anniversary of the death of World War I veteran Fred Beck of Havana, Illinois. A lanky left-hander, Beck spent 22 seasons in the ranks of professional baseball beginning in 1905 with the Bloomington Bloomers of the Three-Eye League (B) in 1905. Principally an outfielder, Beck joined the American Association as a first baseman in 1916 at the age of 29 when he appeared in a pinch-hitting role in 20 games with the Kansas City Blues. In 1923, he joined the St. Paul Saints when he appeared in 80 games, batting .269 with six home runs in 275 at-bats. Three years later Beck was one of three managers for the Cedar Rapids Bunnies of the Mississippi Valley League at the age of 39; he also played in 33 games at first-base that year. Beck was 75 when he passed away at Havana, Illinois; he was born Nov. 17, 1886.

IND: 1932-33 On March 11, we observe the 60th anniversary of the death of Pete Daglia, a right-handed pitcher for the Indianapolis Indians of 1932 and 1933. A California native, Daglia spent many seasons in the Pacific Coast League, and came to the American Association in 1932 at the age of 26 when he appeared in nine games, winning four and losing three in 57 innings of work, sporting a flashy 3.44 ERA. Daglia returned to Indianapolis in 1933, putting in a full season as a member of the Indians. In 175 innings of work, Daglia won nine, lost nine with a 4.22 ERA. His last year in minor league ball came in 1937 at the age of 31. He was only 46 years of age when he passed away March 11, 1952 in Willits, California.

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the death of Ted Sepkowski who died at Severna Park, Maryland at the age of 78. Born Theodore Walter Sczepkowski in Baltimore, MD on Nov. 9, 1923, Sepkowski was 78 at the time of his death. The former Cleveland Indian is buried at Glen Haven Memorial Park in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Sepkowski joined the American Association (AAA) as a member of the Kansas City Blues in 1949 when he played second base and outfield, appearing in 80 games and hitting .243 for the New York Yankee farm team. As a member of the Boston Braves organization in 1951, he joined the Association's Milwaukee Brewers for seven games, appearing only in a pinch-hitting role. Sepkowski spent a total of 12 seasons in the minors, wrapping it up at the age of 31 in 1955 after appearing with the PONY League's Erie (PA) Senators (D) in 91 games while managing the club. All told, he played in 1,240 games in the "little show,", with 4,355 plate appearances, hitting .275 wi...

A right-handed pitcher from Erie, Pennsylvania, William Martin Carrick, also known as "Doughnut Bill," died March 7, 1932 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Adrian, Michigan, the same final resting spot as Emil Huhn, a former member of the Milwaukee Brewers, who was killed in an auto accident in 1925. Carrick was a pitcher in the American Association for just one season. As a Toledo Mud Hen in 1903, Carrick had a 2-8 record in ten games. During the first half of the season, a strong Toledo labor union identified him as a spy whose job it was to identify union members who were making trouble during union events. The group called for Carrick to be dismissed or they would organize a boycott against the Mud Hens. Their threat worked and Carrick was soon pitching in Seattle where he finished the season.

Franklin Burton (Dutch) "Buzz" Wetzel, an outfielder who was appeared with the 1927 Minneapolis Millers in seven games, passed away March 5, 1942 in Hollywood, California. Baseball Necrology reports he passed away at his home in Burbank, California. Records indicate he was used only as a pinch-hitter as a Miller. He was born July 7, 1893 at Columbus, Indiana. In 20 at-bats for the Millers that year, Wetzel had five singles for a batting average of .250. The following season Wetzel, at age 34, played for Omaha of the Western League, batting his eyeballs out with a .345 average (157 hits, 20 home runs).

Walter Charles "Wobby" Hammond, also known as Jack, died 70 years ago today on March 4, 1942 at Kenosha, Wisconsin. Hammond had a substantial minor league career, batting .304 in over 3,600 at-bats (965 games). Wobby spent the last two seasons of his career with the American Association's Kansas City Blues, first in 1922 when he appeared in 76 games as a second-baseman when he hit .321 at the age of 31, then in 1923 when he hit .300 in 121 games. Hammond was born at Amsterdam, New York on February 26, 1891. He was the athletic director at Colgate University during WWI, became a prominent chemist and died after a brief illness.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of George Mogridge, a left-handed pitcher on the staff of the Minneapolis Millers in 1913-14. Compiling a record of 13 wins, 10 losses for the Millers in 1913, the 23 year-old from Rochester, New York appeared in 136 games with over 200 innings of work. The following season he split with Des Moines of the Western League (21-15) and Minneapolis where he went 0-1 in just four games. Mogridge went on to play 15 seasons in the majors after compiling a remarkable minor league record of 86-51. In fact, he is noteworthy as the first member of the New York Yankees to pitch a no-hitter. He was born George Anthony Mogridge on February 18, 1889. He died of a heart attack and is buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rochester, New York.

Today is the 20th anniversary of the death of Larry Rosenthal who died in Woodbury, Minnesota March 4, 1992. The lefty/lefty outfielder first played in the American Association at the age of 23 for his home town St. Paul Saints in 1933, appearing in 74 games and batting .294 with four home runs. His first stint with St. Paul lasted from 1933-36; he rejoined the club in 1946, appearing in 135 games with 457 at-bats ! Wrapping up his résumé with the 52 games as a Saint and 41 with the Indianapolis Indians in 1947, batting a combined .320 in 93 games! Rosenthal appeared with the Kansas City Blues for 130 games in 1942, and the Milwaukee Brewers were honored with his services in 1945 when he hit .303 in 74 games. He finished his 10-year minor-league career in the minors as a Brewer with 892 games in the American Association. Born Lawrence John Rosenthal on May 21, 1910 at St. Paul. Buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.

Today is also the 50th anniversary of the death of former Indianapolis Indian and Kansas City Blues' middle infielder, Harold Chandler Janvrin who passed away at the age of 69 at Boston, Massachusetts on March 1, 1962. According to Baseball Necrology, Janvrin was a World War I veteran who served in the U. S. Army. He is buried at Exeter Cemetery in Exeter, New Hampshire. Hanvrin was 30 years of age when he first played in the American Association as a shortstop for the Indianapolis Indians in 1923. By that time he was a veteran of the game, having played for several seasons with his hometown Boston Red Sox. As a member of the Indians he put his expertise to good use, hitting .305 in nearly 400 at-bats. As a member of the Kansas City Blues in 1924, Hanvrin was a second-baseman who appeared in 44 games, 39 as an active infielder. He had a respectable season with the glove but his bat was on the wane, posting a .234 batting average. It was his final season in pro ball, but he later co...

Today is the 75th anniversary of the death of a former American Association player from the league’s first season. Fuller, whose full name was Charles F. "Nig" Fuller (but whose real last name was Furrer, according to baseball-reference.com, died in Toledo at the age of 58 on March 1, 1937. He was born March 30, 1878 at Toledo. Fuller played for the 1902 Columbus Senators primarily as a catcher. In his brief career with Columbus, Fuller reported officially for 14 games, getting 14 hits and batting .264, playing in a utility role. There is conflicting information regarding his burial location. Baseball-reference lists Toledo Memorial Park Cemetery, Sylvania, OH as his interrment grounds, whereas Lee’s Baseball Necrology lists Woodlawn Cemetery. Anyone with information regarding this discrepancy please reply or send note to pureout@msn.com.