Posted By:
Jodi BirkholmThe most interesting thing of all is that Hershberger's own reasons for taking his life supposedly have NOTHING to do with baseball. Suicide and depression ran in his family (I believe his father and one other relative both preceeded Hershy in the same manner). Several years ago I was visiting friend and former NL catcher Harry Danning and the subject of Hershberger came up. He is the one who poo-pooed the whole notion of the suicide being baseball-related. He said that only he, Hershy's roommate Bill Baker and Bill McKechnie knew the real reason, and left it at that. Even after over 60 years, he would not speak of whatever Willard's true demons actually were. I don't know how he found out, but I guess we'll never know. Harry passed away a few years ago, as did Baker.