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Obituary: Glenn Mickens (1930-2019)

July 13, 2019 ~ Sam Gazdziak ~ Leave a comment

R.I.P. to Glenn Mickens, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers and a longtime coach on the UCLA baseball team. He died from pneumonia on July 9 at the age of 88. Mickens played for the Dodgers in 1953. Glenn Mickens was born in Wilmar, Calif., on July 26, 1930. He stayed in California for his education, … Continue reading Obituary: Glenn Mickens (1930-2019)

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From better times (like, a couple of weeks ago). Me and little man hanging out in the dugout of the @gostripers at Cool-Ray Field. I haven’t posted much lately, thanks to work and... *motions to everything happening.* It’s easy to get depressed about the current state of affairs, and I’ve definitely fallen into that pit. But beautiful pictures and fun history lessons go a long way toward elevating my mood, and Instagram fortunately has both in good supply. I’ll get back to regular postings once my current wave of deadlines has past. I hope everyone out there is coping well and staying safe. Let’s look out for one another until things get back to normal, whenever that may be!

Here lies Joe Delahanty, who had a long and pretty successful minor- and independent-league career before playing for a short time in the major leagues. Delahanty played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1907-1909. No other family has sent five brothers to the major leagues. The brothers were written about constantly in the papers at the turn of the century. Ed, naturally, was the main topic, considering he was one of the best hitters in baseball and then died in such a tragic way. The other four brothers earned their share of newsprint as well, and it was news when a team, major or minor-league, had a Delahanty on the roster. That’s why I can understand why some people might think the Cardinals signed Joe Delahanty as a publicity stunt. He was, after all, 31 years old with no major-league experience. I don’t agree with it. When Joe Del made his Cardinals debut, he had a long and largely successful career already. While not all of his stats are available from his early years, he was a solid hitter, a guy who could hit in the .280s and occasionally as high as the .330s. He hit a ton of triples, stole a good amount of bases and fielded well wherever he played, infield or outfield. He was good enough that he could hold out for a larger contract, as he did in Allentown when he played with brothers Tom and Jim, and get his money. He may have been past his prime when he finally reached the majors, but he was a fine ballplayer in his own right. In 1907, he hit .355 for the Williamsport Millionaires, and the Cardinals picked him up at the end of the season. Stunt or not, he had 3 hits and 3 stolen bases in his MLB debut and hit .318 in 7 games for the Redbirds. In 1908, he hit .255 and slugged .333, making him one of the team’s better hitters. By 1909 though, Del had noticeably lost a step. His average dropped to .215, and he was released at the end of the season. In parts of three seasons, Delahanty played in 270 games and slashed .238/.301/.315. He had 222 hits, including 15 triples & 4 homers. When he retired, Joe opened a bar in Cleveland with brother Willie and then became a deputy sheriff. He died of a stroke on January 29, 1936 at the age of 60.

Here lies Bill Wambsganss, a deadball era infielder who is best known for performing an unassisted triple play during the 1920 World Series – a feat that has never been duplicated in the postseason. Wambsganss played for the Cleveland Naps/Indians (1914-1923), Boston Red Sox (1924-25) and Philadelphia Athletics (1926). How does an unassisted triple play happen? Like this. It’s Game 5 of the 1920 World Series, and the Indians are up 7-0 over Brooklyn, thanks to a couple homers including the 1st grand slam in Series history. Brooklyn’s Pete Kilduff and Otto Miller start the 5th inning with singles, bringing pitcher Clarence Mitchell to the plate. Mitchell, a good-hitting pitcher, rips a line drive up the middle. It looked like a sure base hit, so Brooklyn’s baserunners took off running. Wambsganss runs to his right, leaps up and snatches the ball out of the air. 1 out. He lands near second base and steps on the bag, doubling up Kilduff. 2 outs. He turns and sees Miller standing right by second base, mouth open in amazement. Wambsganss taps him on the shoulder and runs off the field. 3 outs. There have been a handful of unassisted triple plays in baseball history, but that was the only one in the World Series. It pretty much guaranteed Wambsganss eternal fame as the answer to one of baseball’s great trivia questions. Wamby, as he was called, was a pretty good infielder who had a 13-year career in the majors. He was the son of a Lutheran minister, and he went to seminary school too. But he found his true calling when he joined the school’s baseball team. His father, a big Cleveland fan, allowed Wamby to join the Indians instead of the Church. In 13 seasons, Wambsganss slashed .259/.328/.327, with 1,359 hits that included 215 doubles, 59 triples and 7 home runs. He stole 140 bases, scored 710 runs and racked up 521 RBIs. When his playing days were over, he spent 4 seasons as a manager and scout in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Wamby remained active and a good interview into his 90s. He died in Lakewood Hospital on December 8, 1985 after being hospitalized in November for heart failure. He was 91 years old.

Here lies Jim Delahanty, a well-traveled infielder who may have been banned from baseball – unofficially. He played for the Chicago Orphans (1901), New York Giants (1902), Boston Beaneaters (1904-05), Cincinnati Reds (1906), St. Louis Browns (1907), Washington Senators (1907-1909) & Detroit Tigers (1909-1912), as well as the Brooklyn Tip-Tops of the Federal League (1914-15). Jim Delahanty was born in Cleveland on June 20, 1879. Given Ed Delahanty’s success, teams across the country scrambled to sign any of his brothers. Jim would become an excellent player in his own right, but his first couple of major-league stays with the Orphans and Giants were short and unsuccessful. After a couple of great seasons in Little Rock, Jim gained notice as a top third base prospect. He was signed by Boston for 1904, starting a string of short stays with multiple teams. The reason he switched teams could partly be explained by his on-field work. He was a good hitter, but his defense was lacking. Mostly though, Delahanty was a troublemaker. He was one of the most infamous umpire-baiters in baseball. He only wanted to play for managers he respected, and if he was unhappy, his play suffered. Teams were happy to get him, because he was good, but they would be just as happy to get rid of him later. Delahanty ended up with the Detroit Tigers just in time to help push them into the 1909 World Series. He hit .346 in a losing effort to the Pirates. In 1911, Jim hit .339 with 94 RBIs, which was his career best. The following season was marked by Ty Cobb jumping into the stands to attack a heckler. He was suspended for that stunt, and the Tigers went on a 1-game strike in support of their teammate. Delahanty was a ringleader, and that may have been his downfall. He was released soon after, though he was batting .286 at the time. No other MLB team tried to sign him. Had Del’s behavior gotten him blackballed from the game? It’s very suspicious. Jim finished his career by playing in the Federal League, an outlaw major league. He hit .283 in 13 seasons. Delahanty worked on a street repair crew in Cleveland for years. He died on October 17, 1953, after several months of poor health. He was 74.

Another look at the Delahanty Family plot at Calvary Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio. Ed and Frank Delahanty are buried here. Joe and Jim are buried elsewhere in the cemetery, and Tom Delahanty is buried in Florida. Despite the fallen headstone nearby, the cemetery is well maintained and is home to war heroes, Ohio politicians and other sports stars. Also, disco singer/porn star Andrea True and polka king Frankie Yankovic. Interesting place to visit.

Here lies Steve Evans, one of the early 20th Century’s unrivaled flakes. Evans was an outfielder/first baseman for the New York Giants (1908) & St. Louis Cardinals (1909-1913), and the Brooklyn Tip-Tops (1914-15) & Baltimore Terrapins (1915) of the Federal League. Louis Richard Evans was born in Cleveland on February 17, 1885. Maybe. All the baseball stat sites list his birth year as 1885, but his draft cards and his obit list it as 1883. I tend to agree with the earlier date. He first started playing baseball in 1907 and made it to the majors, briefly, in 1908. He tried to avoid demotion to the minors by literally running away from Giants manager John McGraw when McGraw tried to send him away. He got a hit in 2 at-bats with the Giants. Evans was claimed by the Cardinals and became the team’s everyday right fielder starting in 1909. He got a good share of hits and drew plenty of walks, but he excelled at getting hit by pitches. From 1910 through 1912, Evans led the NL in getting hit, including a record-breaking 31 times in 1910. In 1911, he hit .294 with 13 triples, 5 homers and 71 RBIs. The next year, he raised his home run and RBI total by one apiece while batting .283. Not that he was perfect. On multiple occasions he stole third base when there was already a Cardinals baserunner occupying the sack. Once he stole third when player-manager Roger Bresnahan was on it. When Bresnahan asked him what the hell he thought he was doing, Evans said, “I’m going right back where I came from,” and ran back to second. Then there was the time he went out to right field with a stool and Japanese parasol to cool himself in the St. Louis heat. Or when he slept through a train wreck and woke up surprised to find his sleeping berth was upside down. He was a master storyteller and was told many times to go on the Vaudeville circuit. In the 1913-14 offseason, Evans joined a round-the-world baseball exhibition series. He was picked as much for his entertainment value as for his playing ability. Evans’ last season was in 1917. He retired to Cleveland and got a government job. He died on Dec. 28, 1943 at the age of 60. Or 58.

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