The American Association Almanac

I'm currently working on a short biography of Henry "Hank" Gehring, a pitcher during the early years who pitched in various leagues, including the American Association. I wanted to write about him after being invited to write a different bio for a book the local SABR chapter is preparing on Minnesota-born ballplayers. It took some doing, but I convinced the group that Gehring was someone who should not be left out of this compendium, despite his limited experience in the major leagues. His story is both relevant and poignant. Gehring became a major leaguer in 1907 when he was called up to the American League's Washington Senators. He'd been with Des Moines of the Western League where the manager, Mike Kelley, had a connection with Joe Cantillon, the manager of the Senators. Born in the heart of St. Paul to a family of Swiss immigrants in 1881, Gehring was the sixth born of nine children, the first U.S.-born son of John and Annie Gehring. He was married to Bertha H...

It's been a few weeks since I was finally able to get Volume 7, Number 1 of the American Association Almanac out the door. The big surprise was that I just happened to hit the exact first date of the new postal rate hike increase. So instead of it costing me 80 cents to send each issue to my roughly 100 subscribers, it cost me $1.38. Not sure how long I can sustain this business with costs like those. Needless to say there will be a rate increase starting with the summer issue which will be announced in a future blog here. This is a very dense issue. Basic Facts for Vol. 7, No. 1, Spring 2008 The title is "Red Bird Stadium in Columbus, Ohio: A Comprehensive Early History." 63 pages; 34,000+ words Set in Garamond 10 pt. One-column format; a departure from the two-column format I've been using the last few years. 35 separate references listed. Cost: $8.00 (you're getting your money's worth) Table of Contents includes: Player Introductions Attendance Trends Backg...

KEN ASH “And now, ladies and gentlemen, here are your starting lineups for this afternoon’s ball game...” The deep-voiced public address announcer sent his richly hued sound waves reverberating through the humming grandstand on a sweltering late spring day at Columbus’s brand new ballpark. Calling fans to its attention, the resonant voice was as welcoming as a lighthouse spotlight to a wayfaring ship. It welcomed baseball fans from near and far who were milling about the grandstand, settling into their seats, and waiting expectantly for the grand occasion of the day to get underway. It represented the start of a new and hopeful era in Columbus as played out upon a virgin sea of green. Friday, June 3, 1932. The day had finally arrived. A heat wave engulfed the city. Temperature reports on city streets reached the mid-90’s by midday, although the...

Slugger Nick Polly was born on this date, April 18, 1917, in Chicago. He joined the American Association as a Louisville Colonel in 1944, leading the league in RBI with 120 and walks with 147 while posting a batting average of .290. He led the third-place Colonels with 20 home runs while covering the hot corner 142 games. In 1945, Polly's second and final season in the Association, he split between Louisville and Toledo, appearing in 118 games while doing outfield duty (33 games) and covering third base (79 games) while chalking up a .314 batting mark with nine home runs. Born Nicholas Joseph Polachanin, the 5' 11", 190 lb. third baseman/outfielder made his major league debut on Sept. 11, 1937. Polly died January 17, 1993 in Chicago. For more on Polly, go to: http://minors.sabrwebs.com/cgi-bin/player.php?milbID=polly-001nic visit the Almanac's home website: www.americanassociationalmanac.com

All the details have now been finalized, including the design for each grave marker selected. Payment has now been made. Last week I met with Ed Thompson of the Milwaukee Archdiocese Cemeteries at Mount Olivet Cemetery and discussed the arrangements with him. There will be an hour-long ceremony at Mount Olivet Cemetery on July 30 at 3 p.m. The cemetery is located at S. 35th and Morgan. It will honor the memory and baseball playing career of each player, Dan Lally and Donald "Dan" Marion. Marion was a pitcher who died in 1933. Lally was an outfielder who died as a resident of the Milwaukee County Insane Asylum (county grounds) in 1936. The major league record of both players may be accessed through baseball-reference.com. Each player had a career in the American Association, Lally with Minneapolis and Marion with Milwaukee. According to Minor League Registry, Lally was committed to the Wisconsin State Asylum in 1910, located in what is known as the Milwaukee County Grounds. I...

The baseball world lost one of the grand survivors of the golden age of baseball when Tommy Holmes died. Although his career in the American Association was scant, the former Dodger and Brave had played under Bill Meyer as a Kansas City Blues outfielder in seven games, hitting .150 in 20 at-bats before moving on to the Newark Bears. Both teams were double-A affiliates of the New York Yankees. The Brooklyn, NY native was 22 as a Kansas City Blue. At the time of his death, Holmes had celebrated his 91st birthday only a two weeks prior.

If you wish to contact the American Association Almanac for answers to questions or comments you might have, please email me at pureout@msn.com There is no advertising accepted in the American Association Almanac. To subscribe to the American Association Almanac, you have a few different options. Option 1: Subscribe for one year. You get three issues, Spring, Summer and Fall. The cost is $18.00. Option 2: Subscribe for two years. You get six issues. Cost is $32.00. Option 3: Become a Lifetime Subscriber. Ten years guaranteed. Cost: $150.00. Option 4: Become a Benefactor of the Almanac. Minimum donation: $200.00. Monies donated to the American Association Almanac are used to further the cause of researching the information used in this publication. Starting with the Spring issue of 2008, all benefactors will have their name published in each subsequent issue. Back issues are available on a per unit basis or as a complete set. Please contact me for details.