Here lies Fred Cone, an outfielder who played in the first season of the first ever professional baseball league. He was a pioneer in another sense as well; he was one of the earliest players to complain that baseball just wasn’t as good as it was back in his day. Cone played for the Boston … Continue reading Grave Story: Fred Cone (1848-1909)
Here lies Paul Giel, and if you’re a University of Minnesota football fan, you may know this name. He was a Heisman Trophy runner-up, a commentator for the Minnesota Vikings and an athletic director of the Gophers for more than 15 years. However, we’re going to talk about his career as a major-league pitcher and … Continue reading Grave Story: Paul Giel (1932-2002)
Here lies Hy Vandenberg, who pitched for seven seasons in the 1930s and ‘40s. He didn’t have his best seasons until he reached the age where most ballplayers retire. Vandenberg played for the Boston Red Sox (1935), New York Giants (1937-40) and Chicago Cubs (1944-45). Harold Harris Vandenberg was born on March 17, 1906 in … Continue reading Grave Story: Hy Vandenberg (1906-1994)
Here lies Bobby Marshall, a pioneer in professional football. He, along with Fritz Pollard, were the first African-American players in the National Football League. However, Marshall was an accomplished baseball player as well, playing for several teams in the years before the Negro Leagues were established. He was active in sports well into his late … Continue reading Grave Story: Bobby Marshall (1880-1958)
Here lies George Dumont, a hard-luck pitcher from the Deadball Era, and a really terrible batter in pretty much any era. He also played for the Minneapolis Millers under two of its most renowned managers. Dumont played for the Washington Senators (1915-1918) and Boston Red Sox (1919). George Dumont was born in Minneapolis on November … Continue reading Grave Story: George Dumont (1895-1956)
Here lies Bill Andrus, who had two brief stays in the major leagues for two different teams, six years apart. He never managed to get a hit in either go-around. Andrus played for the Washington Senators (1931) and Philadelphia Phillies (1937). Bill Andrus was born in Beaumont, Texas, on July 25, 1907. His father, Claude … Continue reading Grave Story: Bill Andrus (1907-1982)
Here lies Elmer Foster, an outfielder for three teams in the 1880s & ‘90s. He was, in the words of the great Chicago newspaperman Hugh Fullerton, the greatest disturber and enemy of peacefulness that the game had ever seen. Foster played for the New York Metropolitans of the American Association (1886), New York Giants (1888-1889) … Continue reading Grave Story: Elmer Foster (1861-1946)
Here lies Leonidas Lee, who played 4 games for the 1877 St. Louis Brown Stockings. He never appeared in any other professional baseball league, so you might think that there’s not much to his story. Actually, one of the reasons that I enjoy the baseball research of this particular hobby is tracking down interesting people … Continue reading Grave Story: Leonidas Lee (1860-1912)
Here lies Johnny Blanchard, a long-time backup outfielder and catcher and a World Series hero. He was one of the great pinch hitters of his era. Blanchard played for the New York Yankees (1955; 1959-65), Kansas City Athletics (1965) and Milwaukee Braves (1965). Johnny Blanchard was born in Minneapolis on February 26, 1933. He attended … Continue reading Grave Story: Johnny Blanchard (1933-2009)
If you go to Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, you will find that there is indeed a lake… and woods. The lake, apart from being a peaceful place to sit, has also been a place where cremains are scattered. That’s what I’m assuming at least, because if you search on Lakewood’s website for the final resting … Continue reading Grave Story: Yip Owens (1886-1958)
