Tag: MLB

R.I.P. Whitey Herzog

April 17, 2024
Whitey Herzog, 1987 (John Mena / Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license)

Dorrel Norman Elvert “Whitey” Herzog was born on November 9, 1931 in New Athens, Illinois. As a left-handed outfielder, he was originally signed by the New York Yankees, but was traded to the Washington Senators in 1956 and went on to make his major league debut with the Senators in April of that year. As a player, Herzog played for the Senators (1956-1958), the Kansas City Athletics (1958-1960), the Baltimore Orioles (1961-1962), and the Detroit Tigers (1963).

After a couple of years with the Athletics as a scout and a coach, Herzog joined the New York Mets, where he went on to become the director of player development. He left the Mets at the end of the 1972 season, thus embarking on his managerial career. Herzog served as manager for the Texas Rangers (1973), the California Angels (1974), the Kansas City Royals (1975-1979), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1980-1990). Over the course of his career as a manager, Herzog led six division winners, three pennant winners, and one World Series winner (the 1982 Cardinals) while compiling a 1,281–1,125 (.532) career record.

Herzog was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans’ Committee on December 7, 2009. Following his induction, the Cardinals retired the jersey number 24, which he wore during his managerial tenure with the club. Whitey Herzog died on Monday, April 15, 2024 at the age of 92.

Rest in peace.

This day in baseball: Hank Aaron starts for Milwaukee

March 14, 2024

Hank Aaron made his first start as a Brave on March 14, 1954 in a spring training game against the Red Sox. The opportunity came after Bobby Thomson broke his ankle the day before sliding into second base. Aaron notched three hits, including a home run, in the spring training game, impressing the Braves enough to offer him a major league contract.

Hank_Aaron_1974
Hank Aaron, 1974 (public domain)

Chicken Wolf

March 4, 2024
Chicken_Wolf
Jimmy “Chicken” Wolf, 1887 (public domain)

William Van Winkle “Jimmy” Wolf was born on May 12, 1862 in Louisville, Kentucky. He was the only player to appear in the American Association in all ten seasons of its existence. All ten of Wolf’s AA seasons were played for his hometown team, first known as the Louisville Eclipse in 1891, then known as the Louisville Colonels from 1882 to 1891. Wolf set a number of career American Association records: most games played (1,195), total bases (1,921), hits (1,438), doubles (214), and triples (109). 

When the American Association folded, Wolf went on to play for the St. Louis Browns of the National League in 1892, which ended up being his last season in the majors. He played in just three games for the Browns before being let go. He would then play in the minor leagues until 1894, before retiring from baseball.

To Wolf’s family growing up, he was known as “Willie.” The nickname “Chicken” was supposedly given to him by Eclipse teammate, Pete Browning. According to the story, the Eclipse manager instructed the team to eat lightly before a game, but Wolf succumbed to his appetite and stuffed himself on stewed chicken. He then played poorly in the game, committing several errors. Pete Browning made a connection between the stewed chicken and Wolf’s lackluster play and hung the nickname “Chicken” on him. The name caught on with his teammates and the local press. 

About halfway through his professional career, Wolf then became known as “Jimmy” Wolf in the Louisville newspapers. However, the origin or reason for this change remains unknown.

Following the end of his playing career, Wolf returned to Louisville, and in 1894, he joined the Louisville Fire Department. Five years into his firefighting career, while rushing to the scene of a fire, Wolf’s engine collided with a pushcart, and Wolf suffered a serious head injury in the accident. Wolf was declared “mentally unbalanced” and, in 1901, spent time in the Central Asylum for the Insane outside Louisville. Wolf died on May 16, 1903 at City Hospital in Louisville. William Van Winkle Wolf was laid to rest in Louisville’s Cave Hill Cemetery.