Major League Baseball Player, Manager. The light-hitting catcher for a time was the batterymate of the great Walter Johnson. He also gained fame on August 21, 1908 for being the first man to catch a ball dropped from the Washington Monument. He played eight years in the major leagues with the Cincinnati Reds (1904-05), Boston Braves (1905), Washington Senators (1908-11), New York Yankees (1912) and one game with St. Louis in 1931. He hit just .206 lifetime with two homers. He got his first taste as a manager duing 1929 season when he succeeded the Cardinals' Billy Southworth in the middle of the season for one game. He then was replaced by Bill McKechnie as the Cardinals finished fourth. He took the reins again the next season, leading the Redbirds to the National League pennant, but the Philadelphia Athletics won the World Series four games to two. He was the first manager ever to lead his team to a pennant in his first year as skipper. To show it wasn't a fluke, his team called the Gashouse Gang, led by Frankie Frisch, Jim Bottomley, Chick Hafey, Pepper Martin, Paul Derringer and Burleigh Grimes, won the pennant again. This time they turned the tables on the A's with an exciting 4-3 World Series victory. In 1932, though, the club limped to a 72-82 record and a sixth-place finish. The following year with the Cards mired in fifth place with a 46-45 record, he was fired. He returned to manage the hapless St. Louis Browns in 1938. They were 53-90, in seventh place, with nine games to go when he was dismissed again. He was Harry Caray's sidekick for the Cardinals' broadcasts from 1945-50. He also had the nickname of "Old Sarge."
Major League Baseball Player, Manager. The light-hitting catcher for a time was the batterymate of the great Walter Johnson. He also gained fame on August 21, 1908 for being the first man to catch a ball dropped from the Washington Monument. He played eight years in the major leagues with the Cincinnati Reds (1904-05), Boston Braves (1905), Washington Senators (1908-11), New York Yankees (1912) and one game with St. Louis in 1931. He hit just .206 lifetime with two homers. He got his first taste as a manager duing 1929 season when he succeeded the Cardinals' Billy Southworth in the middle of the season for one game. He then was replaced by Bill McKechnie as the Cardinals finished fourth. He took the reins again the next season, leading the Redbirds to the National League pennant, but the Philadelphia Athletics won the World Series four games to two. He was the first manager ever to lead his team to a pennant in his first year as skipper. To show it wasn't a fluke, his team called the Gashouse Gang, led by Frankie Frisch, Jim Bottomley, Chick Hafey, Pepper Martin, Paul Derringer and Burleigh Grimes, won the pennant again. This time they turned the tables on the A's with an exciting 4-3 World Series victory. In 1932, though, the club limped to a 72-82 record and a sixth-place finish. The following year with the Cards mired in fifth place with a 46-45 record, he was fired. He returned to manage the hapless St. Louis Browns in 1938. They were 53-90, in seventh place, with nine games to go when he was dismissed again. He was Harry Caray's sidekick for the Cardinals' broadcasts from 1945-50. He also had the nickname of "Old Sarge."
Bio by: Ron Coons
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