Here lies Harley Boss, a first baseman in the 1920s and ‘30s, a college baseball coach, and a central character from a largely forgotten scandal. He played for the Washington Senators (1928-30) and Cleveland Indians (1933). Elmer Harley Boss was born on November 19, 1908 in Hodge, La. He was a three-sport athlete at Louisiana … Continue reading Grave Story: Harley Boss (1908-1964)
Here lies Bert Brenner, who had a brilliant major league pitching debut but had only one more major-league appearance after that. Brenner played for the Cleveland Naps (1912). Delbert Brenner was born in Minneapolis on July 18, 1887. Brenner never played in professional baseball until he threw his first pitch for Cleveland. He had played … Continue reading Grave Story: Bert Brenner (1887-1971)
Here lies Harold “Chief” Wonson, who had a brief career as a pitcher in the minor leagues. He would go on to a long teaching career, but he still found a way to make it to the majors – as a batting practice pitcher. Harold Wonson was born on August 3, 1918, in Washington, D.C. … Continue reading Grave Story: Harold “Chief” Wonson (1918-1998)
Here lies Mike Kelley, one of the most important figures in the history of Twin Cities minor-league baseball. He was one of the last of the independent minor-league team owners. He also was a first baseman for the Louisville Colonels in 1899, the last year Louisville had a major-league team. Michael Joseph Kelley was born … Continue reading Grave Story: Mike Kelley (1875-1955)
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)
