Here lies Earl Naylor, a rare two-way player during the 1940s. He started out as an outfielder, and a strong throwing arm led to a brief pitching experiment. Naylor played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1942-43) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1946). Earl Naylor was born on May 19, 1919 in Kansas City, Mo. He had an early … Continue reading Grave Story: Earl Naylor (1919-1990)
Here lies Harry Pulliam, who rose from a journalist to become the president of the National League from 1903-09. Sadly, the stress of the job and the conflict between his idealistic baseball beliefs and the realities of the game, led Pulliam to take his life. (Editor’s note: This story covers a suicide and some rather … Continue reading Grave Story: Harry Pulliam (1869-1909)
Here lies Clarence Saulpaugh, an early minor-league business magnate who was the owner of the Minneapolis Millers in the late 19th Century. His family built and operated the Saulpaugh Hotel, a fancy and popular hotel in Mankato, Minn. Clarence H. Saulpaugh was born on January 8, 1859 in Rock Island, Ill. His father Thomas was … Continue reading Grave Story: Clarence Saulpaugh (1859-1917)
Frank Bettger was successful in several careers, but baseball was not one of them. As Frank Betcher, he was a light-hitting infielder who played with the 1910 St. Louis Cardinals. Using his birth name, he went on to write best-selling business books and was considered one of the best salesmen in the country by no … Continue reading Grave Story: Frank Betcher (1888-1981)
Here lies Bill Wynne, who pitched one game for the Washington Senators in 1894. Don’t feel bad for him, though. Though his MLB career was short, he made a name for himself in his home state of North Carolina as a radio and telephone businessman. The number 150 is a pretty important one for this … Continue reading Grave Story: Will Wynne (1869-1951)
Here lies Jesse Petty, a hard-luck pitcher in the major leagues from the 1920s before becoming a very successful minor-leaguer into the mid-‘30s. The lefty played for the Cleveland Indians (1921), Brooklyn Robins (1925-28), Pittsburgh Pirates (1929-30) and Chicago Cubs (1930). Jesse Petty, nicknamed “The Silver Fox,” was born on November 23, 1894 in Orr, … Continue reading Grave Story: Jesse Petty (1894-1971)
Here lies Russ McKelvy, an early two-way baseball player who played parts of two seasons in two different leagues. McKelvy was an outfielder and pitcher for the Indianapolis Blues of the National League (1878) and the Pittsburgh Allegheneys of the American Association (1882). Russell Errett McKelvy was born on September 8, 1854 in Swissville, Pa. … Continue reading Grave Story: Russ McKelvy (1854-1915)
Here lies Carl Pohlad, former owner of the Minnesota Twins. During his tenure from 1984-2009, he went from a hero who saved the Twins to a villain who almost drove the team out of existence. Such is the life of a baseball executive. Carl Pohlad was born on August 23, 1915 in Des Moines, Iowa, … Continue reading Grave Story: Carl Pohlad (1915-2009)
Here lies Claude Jonnard, one-half of the Jonnard twins that played in the 1920s and ‘30s. He was the older of the two, having been born an hour ahead of his brother, Clarence. Claude pitched for the New York Giants (1921-24), St. Louis Browns (1926) and Chicago Cubs (1929). The Jonnard boys were born in … Continue reading Grave Story: Claude Jonnard (1897-1959)
Here lies Walter “Whitey” Hilcher, a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds for parts of four seasons. The “Whitey” nickname came from his blond hair. He played for the Reds from 1931-32 and again from 1935-36. Walter Hilcher was born in Chicago on February 28, 1909. It doesn’t appear that his family stayed in Chicago for … Continue reading Grave Story: Whitey Hilcher (1909-1962)
