by Clifford Blau
In 1974, the Oakland Athletics signed track star Herb
Washington as
a "designated runner"
despite the fact that he had very little baseball experience. While
keeping a player who couldn't
do anything but run was a new idea, there have been many other real
baseball players on Major
League rosters whose main purpose was to pinch-run.
The first was Wilson
Collins in 1913. This article will give the stories of all
baseball players who pinch-ran in at least half of their
Major League games (minimum 5 appearances). It will attempt to show how
they came to be
used in that capacity. The players are presented in order of their
initial Major League
appearance. (Most players have links to their minor league statistics
as well as their Baseball-Reference.com page.)
Charles William R. (Sandy) Piez was the first player to spend the majority of his Major League career as a pinch-runner. Sandy was the first of 4 sons born to German immigrants, Anton and Huldah (Hormick) Piez. Many ballplayers have been known to shave a year or two off their ages when they go into baseball. Piez stretched things a bit, though. His birth date has usually been reported as October 13, 1892. However, with the assistance of Richard Malatzky, I discovered that he was actually born on that date in 1888. Anton, a beer brewer as his father before him was, lived in New York City then. A couple of years later, he moved the family to Erie, Pennsylvania, where Charles grew up. In 1908, Sandy started college at Rutgers, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree, although he played for the Bucknell team in 1910.[1] While playing for the college baseball teams, he also started his professional career in 1910, at first playing under an assumed name, later under his own. In his fourth year in pro ball, he attracted the attention of several Major League teams by stealing 72 bases in the Virginia League. The Giants purchased his contract mid-season.[2] John McGraw looked him over during spring training in 1914, and rather than farm him out to a higher minor league, decided Piez could help the Giants by pinch-running for their slow-footed catchers. McGraw had used several players in that role the previous year, including Claude Cooper, Eddie Grant, and Jim Thorpe. Sandy, also nicknamed Sweet, did nothing but pinch-run until his 12th appearance when, after running for Chief Meyers, he stayed in the game in right field for 2 innings, not getting to bat. His next appearance in the field came on September 16. With the Giants leading the Reds 8-0, he replaced George Burns in left, and got his first at bat. Ten days later, he married Helen Middleton. Finally, on the last day of the season, Piez started both games of a doubleheader against the Phillies, playing center field in the first game and left in the second. He hit two singles and a triple, to finish his Major League career with a .625 slugging average. As a pinch-runner, he scored 8 runs in 33 games, stealing 4 bases. The following year, the Giants sent him to Rochester in the International League. Sandy only managed to steal 17 bases in 117 games in 1915, and when offered the head coach position with the Rutgers baseball team the following year, he decided to retire as a player.[3] Piez spent two years coaching at Rutgers; the team went only 6-11 under him.[4] After his coaching career, he moved back in with his parents, who now had a farm in Hammonton, New Jersey. Sandy helped raise chickens and grow fruit. He tried his hand at several business ventures, including a steel business in the south, and a sporting goods store in Philadelphia. His final job was as a salesman for a gas heater company.[5] The end came unexpectedly soon for Sandy. On December 29, 1930, he was in a car driven by his brother-in-law. The car slid off an icy bridge in Atlantic City into the ocean; while the driver escaped, Sandy drowned, leaving behind Helen, and a 15-year-old son, Charles Jr.[6]
Edward Francis Hock was born March 27, 1899 in Franklin Furnace, Ohio, near the Kentucky border. His father, Adam, the son of Prussian immigrants, was a farmer, while his mother Mary Catherine (Compliment) raised Eddie and his three younger siblings. When the U.S. entered World War I, Eddie volunteered for the Navy, serving 25 months, including nearly a year on the S.S. Nonsemond, a transport ship. He received an honorable discharge with a rating of Gunner's Mate, Third Class.[7] Hock returned home after the war and played baseball on weekends in an independent league.[8] He attracted the attention of the St. Louis Cardinals, who gave him a brief tryout during July 1920. [9] Eddie got into only one game with St. Louis. He began his professional baseball career in earnest the next year, playing for Richmond in the Virginia League.[10] A cross-handed righty batter as an amateur, he became a lefty in the pros.[11] At the close of the season, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds, who assigned him to Atlanta in the Southern League for 1922.[12] At the start of the 1923 season, the Reds kept him until early May, using him twice as a pinch-runner, before shipping him to Oklahoma City of the Western League, where he would play most of the next four seasons. Hock started the 1924 season with Cincinnati again, this time staying with them until mid-June, pinch-running ten times in sixteen appearances and scoring five times in that capacity. When they tried to send him to the minors, he failed to clear waivers, the Pittsburgh Pirates claiming him. Ironically, the Bucs immediately sent him to Oklahoma City, in partial payment for Emil Yde.[13] Hock had been playing each of the outfield positions to this point, but in 1925 Oklahoma City converted him to shortstop. Eddie was now at his peak, leading the Western League in 1925 with 53 stolen bases, and scoring 127 runs in 1926, the year he married Philomena Thieken.[14] However, although his contract was acquired by the St. Louis Cardinals after the 1926 season, he never again played in the Major Leagues. The Cards sent him to Houston in the Texas League where, despite making an unassisted triple play at shortstop, he was shifted to third base mid-season. Eddie played most of the next seven seasons with Houston, and then started drifting around the lower minors. He became a playing manager in 1935, and continued in this role through 1942, winning three pennants. Hock spent 22 years in the minor leagues, finishing third all-time in runs and hits, and first in singles. He stole 486 bases in his career. Following his time in baseball, he worked for 20 years in the diesel maintenance department for the Armco Steel Company in Ashland, Kentucky. Eddie lived with his wife and two sons, Joe and Fred, in Portsmouth, Ohio. [15] After a protracted illness, he was found drowned in the Ohio River on November 21, 1963, a suicide.[16]
Pip Koehler got his first taste of professional baseball with the New York Giants in 1925. He liked it so much, he decided to make a life of it. Horace L. Koehler was born January 16, 1902 in Gilbert, Pennsylvania, the third of four children of Franklin (a school teacher and administrator) and Ida Koehler. He went to college at Penn State, where he played baseball under Hugo Bezdek, former Pittsburgh Pirates manager. Koehler also captained the basketball squad for two years. [17] After graduating in 1923, he taught physical education at Windher High School in Wilkes-Barre for two years while playing semi-pro ball.[18] The New York Giants brought him to spring training in 1925, where he made a good impression on John McGraw. Koehler was with the Giants briefly after the season started, getting into one game as a pinch-runner before being optioned to Reading in the International League. The Giants recalled him in mid-August, and he made 11 more appearances with them, 9 as a pinch-runner. Following the season, the Giants sent him to Toledo to help complete a deal for Earl Webb. While most players would have been disappointed, Pip was glad for the move, because he didn't feel he was good enough to play in the Majors. [19] He spent the next 8 seasons in the American Association, putting up good but not great numbers. Although he had good speed, he wasn't a big base stealer. His top figure was 20 in 1926; he was also caught stealing 13 times that year. In the winters, Pip played and coached professional basketball from 1927 to 1939 in various cities and leagues; at 5' 10" tall, he was big enough to play center in those days.[20] On the baseball field, he split his time between the outfield and infield, primarily third base. He married Corinne Ann Slater in 1929.[21] In 1935, he became a playing manager in the Yankees organization, managing Portsmouth in the Piedmont League for 2 years, followed by another 3 with Akron in the Middle Atlantic League beginning 1938. Pip made the all-star team there all three years, despite playing only 14 games in 1940.[22] After he was released by the Yankees, he found a job managing Tacoma in the Western International League. Koehler, who was still living in Toledo, moved to Tacoma, where he resided the rest of his life.[23] He finished out his playing career in 1942 with Tacoma. In 1947, he was hired as manager of the Ogden Reds in the Pioneer League.[24] During the following season, with the Reds in last place, he was "reassigned" to a scouting position in the Pacific Northwest region with Cincinnati.[25] In the early 1950's, he left baseball for a decade, working part of that time for the Knights of Columbus. When Tacoma was in need of a new business manager in 1963, general manager Rosy Ryan, a former teammate of Koehler's, hired him.[26] Koehler worked for the club for more than a decade.[27] In December 1986, he passed away at home following a heart attack.[28] He was survived by his sister Mabel, two sons, John and Thomas, and two grandsons. [29]
Herman Layne was born February 13, 1901 to John G., a coal miner, and Lula Riggs Layne in New Haven, West Virginia. Apart from his baseball career, he lived there his whole life. He had two sisters and two brothers, including a twin, Harry, who also had a 13-year professional baseball career. After attending West Virginia University, Herman joined Bristol of the Appalachian League in 1922. He starred there with a league leading .354 batting average, and his contract was purchased by the Detroit Tigers.[30] The Tigers farmed him out, and he advanced the next two years to the Sally and International Leagues. Herman spent three years with Toronto, hitting at least .341 each year. After he led the league with 16 triples in 1926, Toronto traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates for $30,000 and two players.[31] Pittsburgh expected Layne to win their left field job in 1927; Pirates manager Donie Bush called him faster than Maurice Archdeacon (Herman claimed he had been timed circling the bases in 13 seconds.)[32] However, he was beaten out in spring training by Lloyd Waner. Layne appeared in just 11 games for the Bucs, 8 as a pinch-runner, before being farmed out to Indianapolis in the American Association in early June.[33] This must have been very disappointing to Herman but he got a measure of revenge on June 30. In an exhibition game against the Pirates, Layne hit two homers to lead the Indians to victory.[34] While he was playing for Indianapolis, he married Norene O. Fisher, and they had a daughter, Enid. Following the 1929 season, Herman was traded to Louisville for Eddie Sicking.[35] In his first season with Louisville, he led the American Association in triples and stolen bases. He spent 3 and a half seasons with Louisville. His batting average fell to .302 in 1932, the worst of his career, and it had dropped even lower when he was released by Louisville in June 1933. Indianapolis welcomed him back for the remainder of the season, and he finished his career in 1934 with Charleston, West Virginia in the Middle Atlantic League. Layne's career batting average was .327, and he played for five pennant winning teams in his 13-year career. After his retirement from baseball, Herman returned to New Haven, where he had a long and successful career in business. His business interests included real estate, coal mines, and produce, and he served as president of the Mason County Bank.[36] Herman Layne passed away on August 27, 1973 of a heart attack.[37]
Success came quickly, but proved fleeting for Dinny
McNamara.
Tragedy was longer-lasting. Born John Raymond McNamara on September 16,
1905 in Lexington, Massachusetts, he was the
7th of 10 children born to Dennis and Katherine (Lynch)
McNamara, 3 of whom died before their
first birthday. Nicknamed Dinny after his father, a mason, John was an
all-around sport star at
Lexington High School, and then went on to attend Boston College.[38]
There he played center
field on the baseball team and fullback for the football team for 4
years.[39] Following
graduation, he signed a contract with the Boston Braves, and in early
July made his debut as a
pinch-runner, scoring a run. In fact, Dinny would pinch-run 7 times in
his first 8 days with the
Braves. After going 0 for 9 in 3 starts, McNamara was optioned to
Providence of the Eastern
League, where he finished the season. That fall, he started a job as an
assistant college football
coach.[40] Signing up to aid his former coach Frank Cavanaugh at Boston
College, Dinny went
along with him when Cavanaugh accepted the head coach position at
Fordham University in
New York. When the 1928 season began, McNamara was back with the
Braves, but again saw
limited action, pinch-running 6 times and making 3 other appearances
before being returned to
Providence at the end of May. Although he fielded well for Providence,
his hitting was weak, as
he could only manage a .266 slugging average in 320 at bats. Dinny gave
up on baseball, and
concentrated on coaching. After 5 more years at Fordham, he returned to
Boston College in
1934 as assistant football coach and freshman baseball coach.[41] The
following year, he was
named head football coach. However, an automobile accident two years
earlier had left him
with emotional problems, and the strain of being head coach was too
much for him. With a 3-1
record, he resigned.[42] A lifelong bachelor, he lived out his days in
Lexington, apparently
never working again. His death certificate gave his profession as
retired football coach. A
second automobile accident put an end to his life, as he was hit while
walking near his home in
December 1963.[43]
Patrick Nicholas Capri was born November 27, 1918 in New York City. Pat went to New Utrecht High School and attended Brooklyn College for two years, then signed a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals organization in 1938.[44] He worked his way through their enormous farm system, spending two years with Fostoria in the Ohio State League, then playing for Williamson in the Mountain State League in 1940 and Asheville in the Piedmont League in 1941. He led the latter two leagues in double plays by second basemen, and made the league all-star team in 1940 while knocking in 105 runs and scoring 98.[45] He was on the roster of Springfield in 1942 when he suffered a knee injury. It was severe enough to keep him out of military service, and he was placed on the voluntarily retired list.[46] That December, he married Rita Petrizzo.[47] They would later have a daughter. In 1944, he was reactivated, and started the season with the Columbus Red Birds, who soon released him. He signed as a free agent with Newark, which also released him. However, the Boston Braves, fearing that regular second baseman Connie Ryan would be called up for military service, signed Capri as insurance.[48] As it worked out, when Ryan reported to the Navy in late July, the Braves made other arrangements for a new second baseman, and Capri was released in early August. He got into 7 games with Boston; only in the last one did he do anything but pinch-run. Capri quickly found another spot due to the manpower shortage; he signed with Indianapolis. Soon after he joined the Indians, though, he suffered a broken nose, and missed two weeks.[49] He closed out the season with Indianapolis, playing 20 games with a .318 batting average. However, he left baseball for good after that, working as a self-employed paper hanger.[50] Pat lived in Brooklyn until his death in 1986.
Some pinch-runners were accepted by their teammates; others were thought to be a waste of a roster spot. Only Joe Tepsic was accused of costing his team a pennant, though. Joseph John Tepsic was born September 18, 1923, one of ten children in Slovan, Pennsylvania. After graduating Union High School in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, he enrolled at Waynesboro College, where he played football despite weighing only 145 pounds.[51] When America entered World War II, he enlisted with the Marines and was bayoneted in the left shoulder by a Japanese soldier in the battle of Guadalcanal.[52] It took him two years to recuperate; after he did, he enrolled in Pennsylvania State University, where he starred on the baseball team and the football team, besides running the hundred-yard dash for the track team.[53] He compiled a .500 batting average in baseball, and scored 8 touchdowns in 8 games in football as a freshman.[54] Following his second spring with the baseball team in 1946, he signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers for an estimated bonus of $17,000. At the time, that was the highest bonus the Dodgers had given. [55] Now a robust 175 pounds, Joe was a newlywed, having married Margaret Sherry in May; they already had a baby son.[56] Part of his agreement with Brooklyn was that he would be kept on the Dodgers the remainder of the season.[57] Due to his inexperience, however, Joe was used sparingly, appearing in just 15 games, 10 of them as a pinch-runner. With the team in a tight pennant race with the Cardinals, general manager Branch Rickey offered Tepsic a reported $1500 to accept assignment to the minors, but he stubbornly insisted on continuing to warm the Dodgers' bench, feeling he was better than most of the players on the team. Rickey had hoped to recall veteran Chet Ross. The Cardinals and Dodgers finished the regular season tied, and St. Louis won the playoff for the league title. Many Dodgers felt that Ross could have helped them win at least one extra game down the stretch, and blamed their loss on Tepsic. They voted Joe just a 1/8 share of their second-place bonus money.[58] In 1947, the Dodgers were no longer restricted from optioning Tepsic to the minors, but when they did so, he indignantly said he would quit before going down.[59] He did in fact go home for two weeks before agreeing to report to St. Paul. His attitude continued to be a problem; despite a .302 batting average, he was sent to Ft. Worth in the Texas League "to promote harmony on the team."[60] Playing right field, Tepsic made a good impression in the Texas League with his speed, stealing 14 bases in his first 31 games before tailing off. However, the Dodgers sent him outright to Ft. Worth after the season. He went to spring training with the Montreal Royals in 1948, where he tried learning to switch-hit.[61] He stayed with the Royals briefly; his only appearance with them was as a pinch-runner.[62] When they assigned his contract to Nashua, Joe once again threatened to quit.[63] As a compromise, he was sent to Lancaster in the Interstate League instead. He spent the next few years drifting around the minors. By 1950, he had a new attitude, no longer claiming that he was entitled to a Major League position he hadn't earned.[64] However, he never played his way back to the top. In 1952, after failing to impress Denver in the Western League when they purchased his contract, Joe realized he wasn't going to make it in baseball, and left the game.[65] He returned home, where he owned and operated a small grocery store with a lunch counter, Village Dairy Store.[66] Now retired, he lives in Tyrone, Pennsylvania.
Jack Dempsey Cassini's chance of becoming a major league star ended almost before it started. He was born October 26, 1919, the third of five children born to O.J. Cassini, a lather, and Ida (Sprague) Cassini. His younger brother Eddie would grow up to be a minor league umpire.[67] At the age of 19, Jack began his professional career by tearing apart the Ohio State League. Playing 99 games for Tiffin, he compiled a .396 batting average while scoring 118 runs and had a league-leading 51 steals. Following the season, his contract was acquired by the Cincinnati Reds organization, which assigned him to Ogden in the Pioneer League.[68] He led that league in steals in 1941, but spent the next four years in the Army. He served with the Army Engineers, paratroopers, and Air Force without ever going overseas, being discharged as a staff sergeant.[69] While in the Army, he married Rosemary Straub.[70] They would later have 2 daughters.[71] After the war, the now 25-year-old Cassini was assigned to Syracuse in the International League. After a slow start there, he was sent down to the Texas League, where he finally got his timing back while splitting his time between second, third, and shortstop. When Johnny Neun asked him during spring training in 1947 which was his best position, Cassini replied that Bill McKechnie thought it was third, Jewel Ens believed it was second, and club president Warren Giles said he should look for a front office job. The Reds' manager didn't appreciate that bit of humor, and released Cassini.[72] Jack went back to the Texas League, which he led in runs and stolen bases (by 23). During the season, he won a race against Joe Tepsic to determine who was the fastest man in the league.[73] He started playing winter ball, too, going to Cuba, where he would play five seasons, twice being named to the league all-star team.[74] Tulsa, which had given Cassini a conditional $750 signing bonus the year before, now sold his contract to Indianapolis in the American Association for $6,500.[75] After leading the AA in steals, the Pittsburgh Pirates purchased his contract.[76] Jack was a candidate for the third base job, but in his month with the club, he only got into 8 games, all as a pinch-runner. He scored 3 times, including the only run on opening day. Then he went back to the American Association. Following the 1949 season, he was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers in a deal for Danny O'Connell.[77] Jack spent 4 years playing for the Dodgers' farm club at St. Paul, leading the American Association twice in steals, giving him 6 league titles for his career. He made the AA all-star team in 1952 and 1953, making five times he was so honored in Organized Baseball.[78] He played in Puerto Rico during the winter, where he was named to the All-Caribbean Series team as he helped Caguas to the title.[79] Then he was traded to Montreal, where he spent one season playing right and left fields. Subsequent to the 1954 season, he was obtained by Memphis of the Southern League to be their manager. Jack played second base for the Chicks, and had them a game and a half out of first on August 2, when he was hit in the face with a pitch.[80] He suffered a broken cheekbone, and blurred vision. This put him out of action for the remainder of the season, and effectively ended his playing career. He spent more than 20 years after that as a scout and sometimes minor league manager. He is now retired and living in Arizona.
Howard Edward Phillips was born July 8, 1931 in St. Louis, Missouri. After graduating from Hannibal High School in 1949, where he earned letters in baseball, basketball, football, and track, he signed a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals organization.[81] Eddie had a fine season in 1950 with West Frankfort in the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League, scoring 119 runs in 117 games and stealing 36 bases. Promoted to the Western Association in 1951, he led the league in triples while stealing 28 bases for St. Joseph. However, he would never again steal more than 8 bases in a season. Phillips advanced to the Western League in 1952 and led it in batting average. A .306 batting average in the Texas League the next year, despite an ankle injury, led to his promotion to the Cardinals in September.[82] Although he was able to play both infield and outfield, Eddie got into only 9 games with St. Louis, all as a pinch-runner, scoring 4 times. In the off-season, he worked as an electrician's assistant for the Burlington Railroad. [83] Phillips started 1954 with Houston before being promoted to Columbus in the American Association. He would spend the next 5 seasons in Class AAA, on six different teams. On his birthday in 1958, he broke up Juan Pizarro's no-hitter with 2 out in the ninth inning.[84] He also played in Panama for 3 winters, helping Carta Vieja to the pennant in the 1954/55 season. In March 1959, he married Joyce Ann Easley.[85] After 1960, his playing career came to an end. He drove a gas truck for a while, then went to work for the American Cyanamid Chemical Company. Phillips stayed with them for 25 years, becoming a supervisor, before retiring. He still lives in Hannibal, Missouri.[86]
The bonus rules of 1946-50 and 1953-57 led to a lot of young players sitting on Major League benches rather than developing in the minors. Since they weren't ready to do anything else at that level, many were used extensively as pinch-runners. Some, like Al Kaline, went on to have great careers. Others, like Tommy Carroll, never achieved much else in baseball. Thomas Edward Carroll, Jr. was born September 17, 1936 in New York City, the middle of three children. The son of a grocer, Tommy starred both athletically and scholastically at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School.[87] He played on an all-star scholastic baseball team sponsored by the Brooklyn Dodgers in the summer of 1953 and then went to Notre Dame. After compiling a .550 batting average as a freshman and playing semi-pro ball in the summer, he was highly desired by professional teams.[88] The Yankees beat out a dozen others, signing Carroll to a bonus estimated at anywhere from $35,000 to $60,000. Due to his bonus, he had to remain on the Yankees' roster for two years. He impressed Casey Stengel with his swing and his attitude, but mostly rode the bench.[89] In those seasons, he got into 50 games, pinch-running in 33 of them. He also pinch-ran twice in the 1955 World Series, which he called the greatest thrill of his career.[90] After the Series, when most of the Yankees went on a playing tour of Japan, Tommy went back to Notre Dame to continue his studies.[91] He would keep doing that until he finally earned his degree. At 6' 3", he was quite tall for a shortstop, and the Yankees tried him at third base in 1956. Following his bonus stint, the Yankees optioned him to Richmond for 1957, where he hit with some power, but managed only a .213 batting average. He raised that to .278 in 1958, splitting the season between New Orleans and Denver. After that season, he did a six-month stretch in the Army.[92] For 1959, the Yankees sent him to their Kansas City farm team, but the now 22-year-old saw little action there, and was sent down to the minors. Although he tried playing winter ball in Venezuela that year to help his chances of progressing, Tommy never returned to the Majors. After playing a few more years, he left baseball and entered public service. He worked in the State Department for many years, serving as a diplomat in several countries in South America.[93] In 1987, he left government work to join a private company as director of executive protection and travel safety.[94] He is now retired, and living in Fayetteville, Georgia.
Mack Edwin Burk was born April 21, 1935 in Nacogdoches, Texas. Like Tommy Carroll, he was a bonus player, condemned to sit on a bench for two years. In Stephen Austin High School in Houston, he was an infielder. He also started two games as a pitcher in American Legion; in the first he threw a no-hitter. In the second, he got knocked out after two innings and gave up pitching. He got a basketball scholarship to the University of Texas in Austin, where he also caught for the baseball team. In his first start for the basketball team, he suffered a broken collarbone, which sidelined him the rest of the school year. He got back into action in the summer, playing for the Mechanics' Uniform Supply team (his father Edwin worked for them) in the American Baseball Congress and helping them win the national championship with a .420 batting average. Several Major League teams recruited him after that, and he signed with the Phillies for an estimated $40,000 in August 1955, which he said he would use to buy an 800-acre ranch with his father.[95] Burk reported to the club in 1956. Philadelphia signed him as a catcher, but he got into only one game in the field; he also got to the plate just once, rifling a single off Joe Nuxhall. His other 13 appearances were as a pinch-runner. Early in the 1957 season, Burk was drafted into the army, serving a six-month tour of duty.[96] Following his release, he played ball in Panama. The bonus rule was revoked after the 1957 season, so Philadelphia was able to option Burk to the minors. He spent most of the 1958 season with Williamsport in the Eastern League. The Phillies did recall him briefly during the summer and used him once as a pinch-hitter. In 1959, he started out in the Eastern League, but after going 11 for 14 with three home runs over the Memorial Day weekend, he earned a promotion to Buffalo in the International League.[97] But the next year he was in the Sally League, and then called it a career. After baseball, he worked in electrical supplies sales and still lives in Houston. [98]
Bobby Henrich was another bonus baby who didn't give much of a return on his team's investment. Born Robert Edward Henrich, a distant relative of the Yankees' Tom Henrich, on December 24, 1938, Bobby first attracted the attention of pro scouts following his junior year at Compton (Cal.) High.[99] He was the center fielder of the Compton Junior Legion team that a tournament in Anaheim. Henrich was voted "best hustling player" by the scouts.[100] In 4 years of Legion ball, he compiled a .482 batting average, as well a .484 average in high school. He ran the 100-yard dash in 9.7 seconds, and also played football and basketball in high school before concentrating on baseball his senior year.[101] He was an excellent student, and made All-Southern California baseball team as a senior.[102] Bobby was offered several college scholarships and was also wooed by many professional baseball teams. The Cincinnati Reds got a jump on the other clubs, though, by signing Bobby's father Ed, a junior college coach, as a scout.[103] Soon after, Bobby signed with the Reds for an estimated bonus of $30,000.[104] Since that was after the 1956 season had ended, Bobby went to Compton Junior College over the winter, then went to spring training with the Reds.[105] Henrich had played both shortstop and center field in high school; manager Birdie Tebbetts decided to try him out at short, but said he would definitely make it as an outfielder if he didn't succeed there.[106] The former California sprint champion was selected as the Reds' fastest runner in a sportswriters' poll that spring.[107] At only 18 years old, Henrich mainly sat on the bench once the regular season began; he got into 29 games that year, pinch-running in 16 of them, although he would sometimes stay in the game. He filled 5 positions that year. Bobby felt he was getting good experience, saying that the pitching he faced in batting practice in the Majors was better that what he saw in high school.[108] During the winter, he went to South America and played ball, getting into the International Series with the Carta Vieja club of Panama.[109] With the repeal of the bonus rule, Bobby was allowed to be optioned to the minors in 1958, and he spent the season with Savannah in the South Atlantic League, playing third base. The Reds recalled him in September and again used him mostly to pinch-run. In 1959, Henrich returned to Savannah before earning a mid-season promotion to the Reds. After a brief stint there, he was sent to the Pacific Coast League, and again was recalled to Cincinnati in September. In November 1959, Bobby married Virginia Lee Broobeck.[110] The following year found him playing for Nashville in the Southern Association, and after the season, at the age of 22, Henrich left baseball. He went into the insurance business. Bobby currently lives in Lahabra, California.[111]
Don Eaddy escaped the bonus rule trap, but couldn't escape the long arm of Uncle Sam. Born February 16, 1934 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Eaddy was a three-sport star at the University of Michigan.[112] Playing under Ray Fisher, baseball was his best game; he was All-Conference 4 times, making the All-America team as a senior third baseman, and helping the team to the national championship in 1953. He led the Big 10 in stolen bases his senior year.[113] Rival coach Fred Lindstrom called him "a sure Major League prospect."[114] After graduating with a B.S., Eaddy was recruited by several teams.[115] Not wanting to sit on a bench for 2 years as a bonus player, but also hoping to get a shot in the bigs quickly, Eaddy accepted an offer from the Chicago Cubs for a major league contract at less than the bonus limit. He began his professional career as a shortstop with Des Moines in the Western League; he started a triple play in his first game.[116] After a few games, he was sent to the III League, where he finished the season with a .304 batting average. His time there was interrupted by 30 days of ROTC training.[117] After getting a look in center field in spring training with the Cubs, Eaddy was back with Des Moines to start 1956. Don was carrying a .390 batting average after 11 games when he was called up by the Air Force for active duty as a second lieutenant.[118] He spent the balance of 1956 and the next two years in the service.[119] When he returned to baseball in 1959, the Cubs gave him a longer look. Due to his status as a veteran, Chicago was able to keep him on the roster as a 26th man.[120] However, not long after cutdown day, the Cubs sent him down to the Eastern League.[121] He soon earned a promotion to Fort Worth, and in late July returned to Chicago for the balance of the season. Unfortunately, he didn't get to play much in either stint with the Cubs. Eaddy was used in just 15 games, 14 of them as a pinch-runner. Out of options, Don was outrighted to Ft. Worth after the season.[122] He also went to Cuba in the winter, leading the league in walks and helping Cienfuegos to win the Caribbean Series.[123] Eaddy continued to play in the Cubs organization for 5 more years; he never stole more than 9 bases in a season. Despite fracturing a wrist during spring training, his best year was probably 1962, when he hit a game-winning home run in the all-star game, and was named to the Topps AA All-Star Team.[124] In 1963, he was slowed by hepatitis.[125] That winter, he helped Cinco Estrellas in Nicaragua to win the International Series, driving in 3 runs in the final game of the league playoffs.[126] His .347 batting average in Nicaragua helped convince the Cubs to give him another look in 1964. They listed him as a candidate for the second base job left vacant by Ken Hubbs' death, although he had played very little there, being mainly a third baseman.[127] As it turns out, he didn't play there much in spring training either, mainly working at shortstop. He went back to the minors, where he closed out his career as a utility player for Salt Lake City. Following baseball, Don purchased a Burger King franchise in his hometown, where he still resides.[128]
Roy Gleason was another player whose career was interrupted by military service. The only person to serve in Vietnam after playing Major League Baseball, he suffered serious battle wounds, and never made it back to the bigs. Roy William Gleason was born April 9, 1943 in Melrose Park, Illinois. A star outfielder and pitcher at Garden Grove High School in California, he signed with the Dodgers in June 1961 for an amount reported as anywhere from $55,000 to $108,000. He struck out 205 batters his senior year, but the Dodgers saw him as an outfielder.[129] At 6' 5' ½" and 227 pounds, they envisioned him as another Frank Howard but with speed [he ran the 100-yard dash in 9.7 seconds].[130] A right-handed hitter in high school, the Dodgers taught him to switch-hit in the Arizona Instructional League.[131] Due to the first year player draft, he was added to the Dodgers' 40-man roster that winter.[132] After looking him over in spring training in 1962, Pete Reiser said he "has the size, desire, speed, and arm to become a great player."[133] As it turned out, the one thing he lacked was the ability to make contact. In the California League that year, he struck out 214 times in 488 at bats. For his career, he would strike out an average of .44 times per at bat. He did cut down his strikeouts some in the Northwest League in 1963, and in September was called up to Los Angeles. Gleason appeared in 7 games as a pinch-runner and 1 as a pinch-hitter, smacking a double. Roy never achieved the greatness predicted for him; those 8 games were the extent of his Major League career. By 1965, the Dodgers were losing patience with him; he had been removed from the 40-man roster, and after a horrible start in the Northwest League, some consideration was given to converting him to a pitcher.[134] He made a few appearances on the mound, but his arm proved to be as wild as his swing. In 19 career innings, he walked 37 batters. He moved around a lot in the Dodgers' organization. Gleason joked that "they don't even send me a contract anymore, they just mail me a new road map."[135] He did manage to lead the Northwest League in homers in 1966, as well as strikeouts. As a big, good-looking athlete in southern California, Roy was a natural to get acting offers, and in the mid-1960s appeared in a few television shows and was up for the lead in a war movie. However, the producer thought Gleason was too big to be a soldier.[136] The United States government had a different idea, though. Although he thought he was safe from the draft because he was the sole support of his mother, sister and her child, Roy got his draft notice in April 1967. Although he tried to fight induction, he was sent to basic training, and soon shipped out to Vietnam. In his 8 months in Vietnam, he served with distinction, winning a Bronze Star for pulling 3 injured soldiers to safety. Promoted to sergeant, he led search-and-destroy missions for the 9th Infantry.[137] On one such assignment, an explosion sent shrapnel through his leg and left wrist.[138] He was evacuated to a hospital, leaving behind his personal effects including his 1963 World Series ring. That was the end of his military service. Roy went back to baseball, although his grip was weak due to his wrist injury. After one more year in the Dodgers' chain, he was drafted by the California Angels, who had him play in the Mexican League in 1970. Once again, he hit for power, but struck out an inordinate number of times. In January 1971, he was involved in a truck crash, suffering a broken collarbone. Trying to come back too soon, he reinjured it, bringing his playing career to an end. After baseball, he drifted from job to job and had a short-lived marriage. Moving to Greece, he worked for NATO for a few years. Returning to California in the early 1980's, he got a job as car salesman with the help of former roommate Jimmy Campanis. Now retired, Gleason lived out of the spotlight for years until the Dodgers invited him to throw out the first ball at their September 22, 2003 game. During the ceremony, the club presented him with a replica of his lost World Series ring.[139]
Charlie Finley had many innovative ideas as owner of the Athletics. One of these was having a player on the roster just to pinch-run. While Herb Washington was the most notorious of these players, the first to embody Finley's concept was Allan Lewis, the Panamanian Express. Born December 12, 1941 in Colon, Panama, Lewis attended Felix Olivares High School.[140] On his 18th birthday, he married Barbara Hall; they would go on to have 6 children.[141] Signing with the Kansas City Athletics in 1961, he spent his first season in Albuquerque in the Sophomore League. Lewis did well enough to earn a promotion to the Florida State League in 1962, which would be his home for most of the next five seasons. Although he maintained a good batting average there (.298), he rarely walked and hit for very little power. During the winters, he would return home to Panama and play in the winter league there. He called playing in the 1964 Inter-American Series and getting a hit off Major Leaguer Juan Pizzaro the biggest thrill of the first 10 years of his career.[142] In 1965 he made the Florida State League all-star team, stealing 76 bases. That still wasn't enough to get him a promotion, but he finally grabbed Charlie Finley's attention in 1966 by leading the league in runs and hits while stealing a league record 116 bases. The A's purchased his contract, and made him the subject of Finley's great experiment. It didn't start off well for Lewis, as he was picked off first in his first appearance. Earlier pinch-runners rarely stole bases but that was what Lewis was there for. In 28 pinch-running appearances in 1967, he stole 14 bases in 19 attempts (his success rate was more than 80% during his minor league career.) Lewis spent part of the season with the A's Southern League team in Birmingham; he helped them to a pennant and hit .381 in the Dixie Series victory over Albuquerque of the Texas League.[143] The A's cut him from their roster after the season, but he wasn't discouraged.[144] In Panama that winter, he led the league with a .374 batting average as Balboa won the league championship.[145] Lewis started the 1968 season in Birmingham, and was promoted to the A's, now in Oakland, in August. The next few years were more of the same; he split his time between playing full time in the minors and pinch-running for the A's. While Lewis could hit and field, he rarely got a chance to do so with the A's; he had only 31 plate appearances in 157 games spread over his 6 seasons with them. Allan never really won the acceptance of his Oakland teammates; many thought his roster spot should have gone to a more complete player.[146] Management didn't always agree; when Reggie Jackson was hurt in the 1972 League Championship Series, they got permission to add Lewis to the World Series roster, and he pinch-ran in 6 of the 7 games.[147] Although he was caught stealing both times he tried running on Johnny Bench, he did score the tying run in game 4, and the final run in their 3-2 win in game 7. Lewis' last year in the Major Leagues was 1973; he suffered a dislocated shoulder just before spring training ended, and he seemed to have lost some speed at 31; he stole only 7 bases in 11 attempts in 35 games, although he did score a career-high 16 runs.[148] He also scored a big run in the League Championship Series. His teammates voted him only a 1/10 share of their World Series money; meantime, he was voted the most popular player on Birmingham by their fans.[149] After his playing career, he worked as a coach in the Panama League and as a scout for the Cleveland Indians and the Phillies, becoming the Phillies' Latin American Scouting Supervisor in 2003.[150]
Herman Hill spent parts of two seasons with the Minnesota Twins, mainly as a pinch-runner. Just as he seemed on the verge of breaking out of that role, tragedy struck. Born in Tuskegee, Alabama October 12, 1945, one of 13 children, Herman Alexander Hill signed with the Twins as an undrafted free agent in 1966. As a high school football player at Southern Freehold High in New Jersey, he had been all-state.[151] After struggling his first year in the Gulf Coast League, Hill made the necessary adjustments, and in 1967 became a Florida State League all-star.[152] He helped Orlando to win the second-half title in the Western Division, scoring the game-winning run in the clincher on a throwing error on his steal attempt.[153] Stealing 58 bases in 68 attempts, Herman led the league in on base average. He started the next season in the Carolina League, and quickly earned a promotion to the Southern League. A .300 batting average and 36 steals for Denver in 1969 encouraged the Twins to call Herman up in September. He got into 16 games for them, 13 as a pinch-runner, scoring 4 runs. Hill, a left-handed hitting outfielder, was once timed at 9.5 seconds in the 100-yard dash, and could get down to first base in 3.4 seconds.[154] In the winter, he played for Caguas in Puerto Rico. He went back to AAA to start 1970, but was recalled by the Twins in June. He spent 3 weeks with Minnesota, getting into 14 games, playing center field and pinch-hitting as well as pinch-running, but a .105 on base average sent him back to Evansville. In September he was back with the Twins, and this time was used mainly as pinch-runner. Looking to bolster their bullpen, the Twins traded Hill to the St. Louis Cardinals after the season in exchange for Sal Campisi.[155] Once again, Hill played winter ball, this time for Magallanes in Venezuela. On a day off there, Herman went swimming with his wife of less than a year and some of his teammates and their wives. A powerful wave pulled him out to sea, and although the others tried to rescue him, one nearly dying in the attempt, Hill drowned.[156] He was the third career pinch-runner to meet that fate.
John Robert Gamble, Jr. was born February 10, 1948 in Reno, Nevada to John Sr. and Muriel (Westergard) Gamble.[157] A shortstop at Carson City High School, he was drafted in the second round of the June 1966 amateur draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.[158] Gamble played that summer and the next in the Pioneer League. He stole only 8 bases in those two seasons, but for Daytona Beach in the Florida State League in 1968, he swiped 38 in 46 tries. His hitting and fielding didn't progress as quickly; he made 76 errors that year. After a brief stint in the California League in 1969, he spent the balance of that season and all of the next back with Daytona Beach, where he started playing third base. Although he had only a . 341 on base average and a .298 slugging average in 1970, his 60 steals in 75 attempts were enough to get him drafted by the Detroit Tigers' organization. With the Tigers, he advanced up to AA in 1971 and AAA in 1972, splitting time between short and third. In September of 1972, he was called up by the Tigers, and got into 6 games with them, 4 as a pinch-runner. That offseason, he attended the University of Nevada.[159] In 1973, he was back in Toledo, but was recalled by the Tigers in mid-May. Gamble scored the winning run in his first game back with Detroit as a pinch-runner. The Tigers used him 6 more times, always as a pinch-runner, before returning him to the minors. In 1974, the Tigers moved their AAA affiliation to Evansville in the American Association, and Gamble finished his career there in 1976. In 1975, he helped Evansville to the league title, hitting triples in each of the first two playoff games against Denver and making a great double play then driving in the final run in a 4-3 victory in game 4. In the Junior World Series, he knocked in the winning run in the final game against Tidewater, giving Evansville its first such title.[160] Married in February 1970 to Dawn Carter, John celebrated the birth of his second child, daughter Tawnya, on August 6, 1976 by hitting a home run.[161]
Perhaps the greatest pinch-runner in history, Matt Alexander pinch-ran 271 times, stealing 91 bases and scoring 89 runs, all records. He was born Matthew Alexander Jr. on January 30, 1947 in Shreveport, Louisiana, to Matthew Sr. and Gertrude (Wooten) Alexander.[162] At Bethune High School, he was an all-city basketball player, and also pitched on the baseball team. His senior year, 1965, he helped them to the Louisiana State AAA Championship, getting two pitching wins in the playoffs, including one against Vida Blue.[163] Matt played baseball at Grambling State University, making the all-conference team twice, and was later named to the Southwest Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.[164] Chosen in the second round of the June 1968 amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs after his junior year, Matt started his professional career in the Pioneer League.[165] However, he would return to Grambling to continue his education in the winter. When he could make time, he pursued his hobbies of shooting pool, swimming, and drag racing.[166] Alexander made the all-star team as a second baseman in the Pioneer League, although he stole only 2 bases. An .825 OPS and 23 steals in 71 games in the Midwest League the next year earned him a mid-season promotion to the Texas League. At this point, however, his development was interrupted while he served two years in the navy, although he did play ball on a navy team in Hawaii.[167] Upon returning to civilian life, he went back to the Texas League, where he stole 38 bases in 41 attempts. Having been shifted to third base in 1969, he played outfield and second base for Midland in 1972. Alexander was promoted to AAA in 1973, and got his first taste of the Major Leagues in August, seeing action in 12 games for the Cubs, mostly as a pinch-runner. The following season he was with the Cubs most of the year, getting a chance to play third base when Bill Madlock was hurt until a pulled leg muscle slowed him down.[168] Out of options, the Cubs sent him outright to Wichita after the season, but a week into the 1975 season, the Oakland A's acquired him to be their newest "designated runner." His new teammates, who were unhappy with the Herb Washington experiment, and less than thrilled with having a second roster spot filled by runner Don Hopkins, soon took a liking to Alexander. Matt, who replaced Washington on the Oakland roster, was a switch-hitter who could play both infield and outfield, and was a smart runner as well. Gene Tenace called him "100% better than Hopkins or (Washington.)"[169] For example, on August 27, he pinch-ran for Billy Williams in the ninth inning of a tie game. Stealing second, he continued on to third on a wild throw, then scored on a short fly ball to win the game against the Yankees. He helped in other ways, too. A student of pitchers, he used his knowledge to help Vida Blue improve his pickoff motion.[170] In 1977, he tutored rookie Mitchell Page in base stealing; Page later stole 25 straight bases to tie the American League record.[171] Alexander's 1975 season was interrupted when a bad hop grounder during batting practice hit him in the eye, requiring surgery.[172] Although he returned to action in July, he didn't get into any League Championship Series games. In 1977, the A's added a new wrinkle to their use of specialists. For a period in late May and early June, they would list Alexander as their starting shortstop in road games, let him hit in the top of the first, then replace him in the field. In a seven-game stretch, he reached base 4 times, stealing 5 bases, and scoring 3 runs in this role. They dropped that experiment soon, though, and with the club weakened by free agency, the A's gave up on Alexander after the season. Out of baseball, he started attending barber college back home in Shreveport.[173] When rosters expanded in September 1978 though, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed him, and he would be with them on and off through the 1981 season. Although once again used mainly as a pinch-runner, Matt came through when asked to hit, going 12 for 27 with the Bucs. In 1979, when Pittsburgh won the NL East, Alexander finally got to participate in the post-season, scoring a run in his only LCS game, and being caught stealing in game 2 of the World Series. Matt also spent some time in the minors; in 1979, he had the biggest day of his career with Buffalo in the Eastern League, going 5 for 5 with 4 extra base hits on August 10.[174] When the Pirates released him, he continued his playing career in the Mexican League. In 1983, at the age of 36, Matt proved he could still run by stealing a league-record 73 bases. He played a couple more years in Mexico, then retired. Alexander married Rose Marie Williams a few days after being drafted the Cubs, and they had two children, Yolanda and Matthew III.[175]
The Oakland A's were happy enough with their "designated runner" experiment in 1974 to add a second such speedster in 1975, although this one would be a real baseball player, Don Hopkins. Hopkins was born January 9, 1952 in West Point, Mississippi. He starred in 4 sports at Benton Harbor High School. Hopkins helped the baseball team to the Michigan state championship; he also ran a 9.5 second 100-yard dash for the track team. After high school, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Montreal Expos.[176] After a brief stint in the Gulf Coast League in 1970, he advanced to the Class A Northern League in 1971. Here he first showed his ability as a base stealer. Despite garnering only 39 hits in 191 at bats, he also stole a league-leading 39 bases. An .843 fielding average as an outfielder showed his weakness with the bat was matched by his glove. The Expos invited him to a special three-day camp they held for the fastest players in their minor league system, where he was trained in base running, stealing and bunting.[177] The following year, he set a New York-Pennsylvania League record with 63 stolen bases.[178] Hopkins was thrown out only 9 times in 70 games. He split 1973 between the Florida State and Eastern Leagues, stealing an additional 58 bases, including 5 in one game for Quebec City. A .232 slugging average in the Eastern League, though, outweighed his running. In 1974, he first showed some promise with the bat, managing a .366 on base average in the Carolina League. He also saw time in AA and AAA that year. Near the end of spring training in 1975, his contract was purchased by the Oakland A's. The idea was to have another runner, but one who, like Allan Lewis, could be used in the field and hit when needed. However, the reality was that Hopkins rarely did either, playing only 10 innings in the outfield and getting only 8 plate appearances in his 82 games in 1975. His 74 games as a pinch-runner is second only to Herb Washington's 92 in 1974. In addition, Hopkins wasn't as successful in the Majors on the bases as he had been in the minors. He carried a career 84% success rate in the minors, but had stolen only 15 bases in 24 attempts when the A's sent him back to AAA in early August. He did better when recalled in September, stealing 6 bases in as many tries, but the A's decided they could get along without his services in 1976, bringing him back in September for just 3 more pinch-running appearances. After one more year in AAA, his playing career came to an end.
After Matt Alexander's release in 1977, the Oakland A's waited less than a year to add another pinch-runner to their roster. Darrell Lee Woodard was born December 10, 1956 in Wilmar, Arkansas to Eardee and Arthalene (Sanders) Woodard.[179] At Bell High School in Los Angeles, California, he earned letters in 4 sports, and was second-team All-City as a senior.[180] After high school, he signed with the A's as an undrafted free agent.[181] A shortstop, he spent his first two years in professional ball in the short season Northwest League. In 1975, he led the league in fielding average as the league's all-star shortstop and had a fine .408 on base average. However, he had only 7 extra base hits in 246 at bats. He spent the next two seasons in the California League, reaching base at a good rate but showing almost no power. Woodard shifted to second base during the 1976 season. In 1977, teamed with Rickey Henderson on Modesto, Woodard stole a remarkable 90 bases in 97 attempts, while Henderson added a league-leading 95 steals. Darrell was voted best baserunner by the league's managers.[182] The following year saw him playing in the AA Eastern League; in August he was brought up to the A's. In his first game on August 6, he scored the winning run as a pinch-runner. Darrell got into 33 games with Oakland, 22 as a pinch-runner. He also saw action at second base and even once at third, but failed to get a hit in 9 at bats. As a pinch-runner, his success was mixed, being thrown out stealing 4 times in 7 attempts, but also scoring 9 times. The following year, he was involved in an unusual transaction, as the A's sent him and another player to the Miami team in the new Inter-American League in exchange for George Mitterwald, who was to serve as Oakland's bullpen coach.[183] The Inter-American was an ambitious attempt to bring a summer league to Latin America and featured 6 teams in 4 countries on the Caribbean Sea. Miami won both halves of the abbreviated season; when the league ceased playing on June 30, Woodard joined Midland in the Texas League before finishing the year with Wichita in the American Association.[184] Darrell started in the South Atlantic League in 1980, and worked his way back to AA, playing for Birmingham in the Southern League in 1981 and 1982. In the latter season, he roomed with Cuban defector Barbaro Garbay, and helped ease the latter's transition to America, learning some Spanish while teaching Garbay English.[185] Garbay would go on to play for the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers, but Woodard's playing career came to an end.
Alberto Lois was once called "a young Roberto Clemente."[186] Like Clemente, he was sometimes accused of malingering, and his career ended prematurely. Unlike Clemente, however, he never became a star. Alberto Lois was born May 6, 1956 in Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic to Eligio and Lucio (Feliciano) Lois.[187] He was signed for the Pittsburgh Pirates by legendary scout Howie Haak in 1974.[188] That year he played 119 games in the Western Carolinas League, stealing 37 bases in 49 attempts. However, he would never play as many as 100 games in any subsequent season. Repeated injuries, some of which the Pirates suspected were not serious enough to keep him out of the lineup, held down his playing time. Lois also reported late to spring training each year, causing the Pirates to question his desire. Nelson Norman, former Pirates shortstop, who played ball with Lois when they were youngsters, said Lois was undisciplined yet so talented that he would come to a game drunk and still get 2 or 3 hits.[189] Still, he advanced rapidly through their farm system. In 1976, 12 triples and 24 stolen bases in 65 games in the Texas League led to his promotion to AAA. He closed the season there with a .300 batting average. In 1977, he got off to a fast start at Columbus, but the injury bugaboo struck again, and Lois played only 42 games that year. 1978 saw him hurt again, and he spent time down in the Carolina League getting some playing time. Come September, though, the Pirates called him up, although he saw limited action. It was pretty much the same story in 1979. This time, however, he was recalled in mid-August for a week, and then again in September, doing nothing but pinch-running in eleven games, scoring six times. During the winter, Alberto returned home and played in the Dominican Winter League, tying for the home run leadership (with three.)[190] Then a tragedy brought his playing career to a screeching halt. On his way home from a game, driving a truck load of friends, Alberto tried to beat a train to a crossing, and failed. The resulting collision cost the lives of 6 of his passengers. Lois' right eye was injured in the wreck, and his impaired vision left him unable to play any more. He was haunted by this accident, and was unable to hold a job for many years afterwards.[191] Lois still lives in the Dominican Republic.
John Paul (Jay) Loviglio was born May 30, 1956 in Freeport, New York to Jerry and Margaret (Spelatis) Loviglio.[192] He played football as well as baseball at East Islip High School.[193] In 1972, the baseball team won the Suffolk County championship.[194] Following high school, he attended Suffolk County Community College. The Philadelphia Phillies signed him as an undrafted free agent in May 1977.[195] An outfielder in school, he was moved to second base by the Phillies. He split that season between the New York-Pennsylvania League and the Western Carolinas League. Loviglio showed unusual plate discipline for a young hitter, walking more often than he struck out in both leagues. The following year, playing for Peninsula of the Carolina League, he added running to his game, stealing 50 bases in 65 attempts. In 1979, he was promoted to Reading of the Eastern League, where he made impressive gains in the field, making only 3 errors the first half and leading the league in assists and fielding average. The league's managers chose him for the all-star team.[196] The Phillies added him to their 40-man roster that fall. During the winter he played in the Venezuelan League. Jay put in a full season in AAA in 1980, and in September was promoted to the Phillies. He got into 16 games there, 14 as a pinch-runner, and he scored 6 times in that capacity. At the end of spring training in 1981, Philadelphia traded him to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Mike Proly.[197] The Sox optioned him to Edmonton, and recalled him in September. Once again he was used mostly as a pinch-runner, although he also saw some action in the field and got 15 at bats. After a pulled muscle in spring training cost him a chance to make the White Sox, 1982 was virtually a rerun of 1981, although this September saw him get a trial at second base; he pinch-ran only twice. The highlight of this month must have been September 24, when he beat out a bunt with 2 outs in the 13th inning, then scored the winning run on a double against the Twins.[198] With Loviglio out of options, the White Sox sold his contract across town to the Cubs after the season.[199] The Cubs sent him to Midland, and recalled him for a final appearance in July 1983. They then released him. Following his playing career, Loviglio became a minor league manager and coach for the Cubs, Pirates, and Rockies from 1986- 2004.[200] Jay currently lives in East Islip, New York with his wife Joanne, whom he married May 23, 1980. He is the father of three girls, Kelly Ann, Randi and Patti.[201]
Thaddeaus Iglehart (Ted) Wilborn was born December 16, 1958 in Waco, Texas to Charles and Yvonne (Iglehart) Wilborn.[202] His brother Chuck played several years in the San Diego Padres' organization. Ted was drafted in the 4th round of the June 1976 amateur draft by the Yankees.[203] After graduating C.K. McClatchy High in Sacramento, Texas, Wilborn was assigned to Oneonta of the New York-Pennsylvania League, where he struggled.[204] His second season in pro ball was spent in the Florida State League, where he also had trouble hitting, although he did draw 45 walks in 262 plate appearances. It was his third season that was his breakthrough year, 1978. Formerly a left-handed hitter, he starting switch-hitting.[205] Sent back to the NYP, Wilborn stole 57 bases in just 65 games for Oneonta. Combined with a .428 on base average, that was enough to induce the Toronto Blue Jays to make him a Rule 5 draftee.[206] Required by the rules to keep him on their active roster for 3 months or risk losing him, the Blue Jays used Wilborn in 22 games, 15 as a pinch-runner, before optioning him to the International League. Following the season, the Yankees reobtained Wilborn in a multi-player trade.[207] They sent the switch-hitting outfielder to their Nashville farm team, recalling him in September. Ted got into 8 games with New York, pinch-running in 4 of them. That was the end of his Major League career. He spent 1981 back in Nashville, leading the Southern League in runs scored, and for the first time playing some at second base. After the season, Wilborn was traded to the San Francisco Giants along with Andy McGaffigan for Doyle Alexander. Ted spent several more years playing minor league ball. In 1984, while with Denver, he started the first triple play in the American Association in 4 years. [208] His playing career came to an end after just one game in the International League in 1987.
Not to be confused with the contemporary NBA player of the same name, Rodney McCray is best known for a highlight reel crash through a fence in Portland. Although he dropped the ball on that play, he had already made a reputation as an excellent fielder. Rodney Duncan McCray was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 13, 1963. Undrafted out of high school, he started attending Santa Monica (CA) Junior College in 1981. Although he was drafted by the White Sox in the January 1981 draft, he continued in school, transferring to West Los Angeles Junior College for his sophomore year. Rodney was later chosen by the A's and Dodgers before finally signing with the San Diego Padres in 1984.[208] He began his professional career in the Northwest League, where he slugged only .250, but showed some promise with 65 walks and 25 stolen bases in 71 games. Promoted to the South Atlantic League, he played two years with Charleston. With 108 walks and 81 steals in 1986, he advanced to the Carolina League in 1987. After that season, he was chosen in the minor league draft by the Chicago White Sox.[209] McCray spent two more years in Class A for the Sox, as his batting eye and speed couldn't outweigh his weak bat. He finally broke through to AA in 1990, but was there only briefly when he suddenly found himself called up to Chicago. Despite a .180 batting average, McCray was summoned to provide outfield depth when Dave Gallagher was injured. His Birmingham manager, Ken Berry, himself a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, said that McCray was "one of the best center fielders I've seen in a long time."[210] Entering his first game in the 11th inning on April 30, McCray made a game-saving catch in center field in the 12th, with the White Sox winning the game in the 13th.[211] Rodney stayed with the Sox for a month, was recalled briefly in July, and rejoined the club in September. Overall, he played 32 games for Chicago, pinch-running 24 times as well as filling in in all 3 outfield spots. He was sent outright to Vancouver after the season; he was playing for the Canadians in 1991 when he ran through the fence chasing a fly. September found him reacquired by the White Sox, who used him again mainly as a runner, although he did get his first two Major League hits. After the season, he became a free agent. The New York Mets signed him, and used him in 18 games. He pinch-ran 14 times, and frequently stayed in the game for defensive purposes. Rodney got to bat only once with the Mets; on May 8 he delivered a game-winning single against the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth.[212] A few days later, the Mets sent him down to Tidewater, and in June released him.[213] In 1994, he took a coaching job in the independent Pioneer League. He became a Padres scout in 1996, and the following year returned to minor league coaching with the Expos and then the Royals for a season each. In 1999, he was hired by the Cincinnati Reds' organization and currently coaches their Louisville farm team.[214]
BIBLIOGRAPHY-
Information on birth and death dates and family members from United States Censuses as found on Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest and from Baseball-Reference.com. Statistics from various sources including Baseball-Reference.com and Official Baseball Guides.
College information from SABR Collegiate Committee databaseNOTES-
[1] Rutgers University Archives, Bucknell Alumni Office