The American Association Almanac

Rabbit Nill, who played 73 games for the Toledo Mud Hens in 1909, died on this date 50 years ago.  Nill was in the starting Toledo lineup on July 3, 1909 when the Hens opened their brand new ball park, Swayne Field, against the Columbus Senators. The contest turned into a classic, lasting longer than any previous American Association game. After Toledo tied the game at 11 apiece in the ninth, the game would not be decided until the after 18 innings were completed, as the Senators posted one run in their half of the frame. The Hens could not mount a comeback, and the final, after 18 innings and 3 hours, 35 minutes, was Columbus 12, Toledo 11. For Nill's part, he occupied the shortstop position, wearing the collar in six at-bats (not one hit that day). On the fielding side, he was out front on a 6-4-3 double play that day. Rest in Peace, Rabbit. For more on Mr. Nill, go to  http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=nill--001geo

Lefty Willis Charles William Willis Bats: Left, Throws: Left Height: 6' 1", Weight: 175 lb. Born : November 4, 1905 in Leetown, West Virginia, US Died : May 10, 1962 in Bethesda, Maryland, US (Aged 56) Willis played for the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association during the late 1920s, compiling an overall record of 6-9 during three different seasons. 

Russell Lewis Miller, born at Etna, Ohio on March 25, 1900, became a pitcher with the Columbus Senators of the American Association in 1930, the last year the club was known as the Senators; they were renamed the Columbus Red Birds in 1931. Miller was one of a handful of players who appeared on the very last Senators' team. He died at Bucyrus, Ohio at the age of 62, the result of a heart attack. As a member of the Columbus club in 1930, Miller played under Harry Leibold, a feisty and colorful manager who was a long-time veteran of the game. Miller had a respectable season that year, winning nine of 20 decisions with 147 inning of work in 43 games. The Senators landed in sixth place under Leibold that year with a record of 67-86. Miller was teammates with Emmett McCann whose suicide was reported a few weeks ago in this blog. Miller's statistics indicate he had control problems that year, walking 59 while striking out only 23 with a 5.81 ERA. With numbers like those it'...

Today marks the 110th anniversary of the first games played in the old American Association, a league which was originally created in November 1901. On April 23, 1902, the eight new teams took the field in four American Association cities, donning new togs and creating a new baseball tradition which would last through 1952 in its original form (with exceptions). Here are the results of the games from the first day of American Association play: At Columbus, Ohio Site: Neil Park Minneapolis Millers....0 Columbus Senators.....5 Winning pitcher: Wiley Dunham Losing pitcher: Ted Corbett Synopsis: While both teams had only three hits apiece, the Millers committed eight errors. According to Sporting Life : "Both pitchers were in great form, and batting honors were even. The locals, however, gave Dunham superb support, while the fielding behind Corbett was very ragged. Not a Minneapolis runner reached third, and only one got as far as second."        ...

Hank Gehring, pitcher Minneapolis: 1906 St. Paul: 1908-11 Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the early death of Henry “Hank” Gehring, the son of Swiss immigrants who grew up in the Dayton’s Bluff area of St. Paul, Minnesota. He died April 18, 1912 at a hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. He was only 31 years of age. Gehring was a St. Paul community icon as a baseball professional in the late 1890s and early 1900s as he climbed the ladder of success until reaching the pinnacle as a member of the American League’s Washington Senators in 1907, the year Walter “Big Train” Johnson got his start in the big leagues with the same team. The two would most certainly have sat together on the same bench or even warmed each other up along the sidelines. Born January 24, 1881 at St. Paul, Gehring first year in organized baseball came in 1901 at the age of 20 when he appeared with the St. Paul Saints of the Western League in four games. He finished his short stint with a record of two wins and two l...

Emmett McCann, second-baseman/first-baseman Louisville Colonels: 1923 Columbus Senators: 1926-30 Indianapolis Indians: 1931-32 St. Paul Saints: 1933 Today is the 75th anniversary of the tragic suicide of an American Association standout. Emmett McCann killed himself on April 15, 1937 at the age of 35 in Philadelphia, Pennsyvania, his home town. He reportedly shot himself at the Karakung Golf Course at Cobbs Creek Park, according to Baseball Necrology. He had been ill for some time, according to reports. McCann was 21 years of age when he first joined the ranks of the American Association as a member of the Louisville Colonels in 1923, according to baseball-reference.com. A second-baseman throughout the first half of his 15-year minor league career, McCann became a first-baseman with the Columbus Senators in 1928. He also managed the Indianapolis Indians as a player-manager from 1931-32 and the St. Paul Saints in 1933 when he appeared in 14 games as a second baseman. McCann’s best seas...

Tom “Cyclops” Sunkel, pitcher 1940 Columbus Red Birds 1945-46 St. Paul Saints A belated commemoration: Thomas Jacob “Cyclops” Sunkel died ten years ago on April 6, 2002 at the age of 89 in his hometown of Paris, Illinois. Sunkel’s American Association career began with the Columbus Red Birds in 1940 when he won 13 against seven losses. The native of Paris, IL was blind in one eye, hence his nickname. The southpaw nearly equalled his performance in 1940 with a 13-8 record in 1945 as a member of the St. Paul Saints, bringing distinction to his fine record by leading the American Association with 134 strikeouts in 170 innings of work. He started 28 games, completing eight and threw one shutout. In 1946 he went 6-6 with St. Paul. On September 12, 1946, Sunkel threw a no-hitter against the Louisville Colonels at Louisville, as the Saints won, 3-0. Beginning his career in 1934, Sunkel made it to the Big Show in 1937 when he appeared in nine games with the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished his...