OT/Professional athletes in the family?

[uffda51]

I know that some of us at NET 54 are related to famous ball players, and others played pro ball themselves. No such luck for me. No one even smoked tobacco or collected cards. I've been searching for a pro athlete in the family tree for quite a while but have drawn a blank - until now. Lots of Puritans, missionaries, scientists, preachers, slaveowners, etc. but finally, a pro athlete. Sort of.

Some of you have seen this photo before. Any thoughts on the location? Could it be NYC?



I can't be postive that this guy is a relative but he probably is. I'm still working on that part of it. But I've since found more photos, newspaper articles and his full name - Oscar V. Babcock. I'm guessing he was born around 1880.




Nice outfit.






There is more here:
http://imageevent.com/uffda51/oscarv...theleapofdeath

Apparently he was an amateur bicycle racer but a professional stunt bicycle rider, as well as a biplane pilot. He belonged to a club called The Harlem Wheelmen and participated in some six-day bike races, very popular at the time.






Any stories of professional athletes in your family to share?

[Robextend]

I believe my cousin is married to someone whose brother is married to the sister of former MLB catcher Sal Butera. His son Drew currently plays for the Twins.

[novakjr]

My Grandfather Cobby Caputo was inducted into the Ohio Boxing Hall Of Fame in '94. He took me to my first Indians game back in '89 or '90(it was one of the old-timer game days), and introduced me to his friend Mel Harder after the game. I'll tell ya, I was in heaven that day. I still have my ticket stub signed by Harder from that game somewhere in my collection..

[Kawika]

Originally Posted by Robextend

I believe my cousin is married to someone whose brother is married to the sister of former MLB catcher Sal Butera. His son Drew currently plays for the Twins.

The six degrees of Sal Butera.

[byrone]

My uncle, Barrie Poole, was the first Canadian to ever win a N.H.R.A. drag raging major "National" event. He was selected as Chatham, Ontario's "Man of the Year," a title whose previous recipients included Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins. Barrie even has a few cards, issued by Fleer in the early 1970's.


http://www.peisportshalloffame.ca/pe...tiy.cfm?ID=103

[cubsguy1969]

Does the wife's family count? She's Dominican and has a cousin pitching in the minor leagues. He's in the Astros organization and will be in high Single A next season Here's his bio. Jose Trinidad.

http://tinyurl.com/28n5omb

She had another cousin who made it to Double A ball as a relief pitcher in the Giants organization before getting cut.

And she has another cousin who's a shortstop that the scouts in the DR were sniffing around when he was 14. I think he's 16 or 17 now. Not sure what the latest is on him, but supposedly, he's the best of the bunch.

Shocking, isn't it? Dominican boys who play baseball.

As for athletes in my family? Notsomuch. I'm still waiting for an MLB scout to happen to drive by when we're playing in my company softball league. He'll see my rocket arm out in left center and sign me up. Never mind that I'm 41.

Rob (Future Cubbie)

[Exhibitman]

My avatar is my grandfather's 1st cousin, Ray Miller, who was the #1 ranked lightweight contender in 1929 (made the cover of Ring in April 1929) and is the only man to KO HOFer Jimmy McLarnin. He was later a very well regarded referee in NY and was included as one of two referees in the 1951 Ringside set.





Another cousin was lightweight Bennie Berris, who was a club level fighter who drew with HOFer Young Corbett III in one fight.

[Unclerube]

Great uncle..and still looking for his card BTW.

[MacDice]

A distant relative on my wife side of the family, former Pirates catcher and MLB manager, Harry Smith

[Griffins]

My wifes great aunt was on the Hungarian gymnastics team at the '36 Berlin Olympics, winning a bronze medal. She was also Hungary's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

[drc]

Not pro, but my paternal great grandfather was the quarterback of the first Michigan State football team. Have a copy of the team photo somewhere.

[FUBAR]

well I 've been told i am a relative of someone famous, but have no proof.

my mom's side i am a descendant of Sir John A Mcdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister.

The real no proof relation is my last name is Drysdale. Don was suppose to be a relative, but think my dad is probably full of it!

[ksfarmboy]

My brother Justin Hromek is a professional bowler. He's won a few tournaments including the U. S. Open. One of his victories occurred in a doubles tournament with the legendary Dick Weber as his partner. This victory enabled Mr. Weber to have victories in 4 different decades. As a side note my brother also appears in the movie Kingpin in a cameo spot.

[margoaepi]

My father's great uncle was Nat Fleischer, founder of Ring Magazine and the Boxing Hall of fame. Not an athlete per se, but not bad.

As an aside, saying this makes me feel like Dark Helmet from Spaceballs: "I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate."

[where the gold at?]

Wynn "Hawk" Hawkins played on the indians from 1960-1962

[GoldenAge50s]

My cousin was Moritz Herman Flohr, nicknamed "Dutch" or Mort and was signed off the Duke University campus by Connie Mack. In 1934, straight out of Duke, he pitched in 14 games for the Phil A's. In spring training 1935 he deleloped arm problems and never played ML ball again.

I just picked up this Geo Burke photo of him in the recent MEARS auction, one of only 2 known poses of him in his A's uniform.

Also showing a PC auto of his, of which I have several and a couple of auto index cards he signed for me in the early '90's when his eyesight was going bad & was not in good health when I last saw him. He died in 1994.

[Bilko G]

My Girlfriends cousin is an Olympic gold medalist and one of the most famous female Hockey players to ever play the game, Cassie Campbell.

[slidekellyslide]

The closest my family comes to fame is not in sports...my great uncle Vernon Presley was Elvis Presley's first cousin..he died a few years back. I have relatives on my dad's side that were heavily involved in Boston politics from the 1950s through 70s.

[jp1216]

Originally Posted by uffda51

Some of you have seen this photo before. Any thoughts on the location? Could it be NYC?

That looks like Cleveland to me - Terminal Tower downtown.

[novakjr]

I know I already chimed in once about my grandfather. But I forgot to mention that my sis-in-law's father was a professional bowler in the 80's named Tom Crites.

[ChiefBenderForever]

My 2nd cousin held a record for a long time of bowling a 300 on live tv, talk about excitement lol !!!