Here lies Luke Appling, who was one of the best shortstops in the game for 20 years. He was a 7-time All-Star, a 2-time batting champion and a member of the Hall of Fame. Appling played his entire career with the Chicago White Sox, from 1930-50. Lucius Appling was born in High Point, N.C., on … Continue reading Grave Story: Luke Appling (1907-1991)
Here lies Ossie Bluege, a lifer for the Washington Senators. Not only was he an All-Star third baseman for the team from 1922-39, but he also served as a coach, a manager and a front-office executive. His brother Otto also played pro ball and played in Cincinnati in 1932 and 1933. Oswald Louis Bluege was … Continue reading Grave Story: Ossie Bluege (1900-1985)
Here lies Howard Fox, who spent nearly 60 years with the Minnesota Twins in a management capacity. Starting as a minor-league general manager, he rose through the ranks and helped to build the Twins into a World Series Champion team. Howard Tall Fox was born in Emporia, Va., on September 4, 1920. He grew up … Continue reading Grave Story: Howard Fox (1920-2011)
Here lies Tom “Tink” Turner, who got his one-game career in major-league baseball the old-fashioned way: he asked for it. Yes, things were a little different in baseball in the 1910s. Turner pitched in one game for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1915 and parlayed that into a long career as a scout and minor-league executive. … Continue reading Grave Story: Tom “Tink” Turner (1890-1962)
Here lies Spencer Harris, who had a brief, 4-year career in the majors. That short description doesn’t even begin to do justice to his professional career, as Harris played in professional baseball for almost 30 years and retired as one of the greatest hitters in the history of the minor leagues. Harris was an outfielder … Continue reading Grave Story: Spencer Harris (1900-1982)
Here lies Herschel Greer, a Nashville businessman who helped to keep minor league baseball in Music City, at least for a little while. The Nashville Sounds played in a stadium named after him until 2014. Nashville has had baseball even longer than it’s had country music. There have been teams in minor or independent leagues … Continue reading Grave Story: Herschel Greer (1906-1976)
Here lies Ed Springer, who pitched one game in the major leagues, for the Louisville Colonels of the American Association in 1889. The rest of his short life is largely a mystery, but thanks to some modern-day SABR research, we know a little more about him. Edward Ellsworth Springer was born in 1867 – the … Continue reading Grave Story: Ed Springer (1867-1891)
Here lies Dick Siebert, who was written off by three major-league teams before establishing himself as an All-Star first baseman. He later became one of the winningest coaches in NCAA baseball history with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1932, 1936), St. Louis Cardinals (1937-38) and Philadelphia Athletics (1939-45). His son, … Continue reading Grave Story: Dick Siebert (1912-1978)
Here lies Jerry Zimmerman, a good-fielding, light-hitting catcher and a part of the first-ever Montreal Expos’ coaching staff. He played for the Cincinnati Reds (1961) and Minnesota Twins (1962-68). Gerald Zimmerman was born in Omaha, Neb., on September 21, 1934. He played basketball and baseball at Milwaukie High School (that’s not a typo – the … Continue reading Grave Story: Jerry Zimmerman (1934-1998)
Here lies Sherry Robertson, a 10-year major-leaguer, a baseball executive and part of one of baseball’s most influential families. He was the nephew of Hall-of-Fame Senators owner Clark Griffith, brother to Twins owner Calvin Grffith and brother-in-law to major leaguers Joe Haynes and Joe Cronin. Robertson played for the Washington Senators (1940-41, 1943, 1946-52) and … Continue reading Grave Story: Sherry Robertson (1919-1970)
