Who is your favorite obscure baseball player?

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Posted By: Justin

Anybody out there have a favorite marginal player? Who is it an why?

One of mine is Mysterious Walker. Anyone with a name like that is good in my books. Does anybody know how he got such a cool nickname?

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Posted By: Rhys

Pickles Dillhoefer - Great up and coming player who died young after an operation for injuries suffered during a game in 1922.

Roy Castleton - First Mormon Major league baseball player.

Eddie Grant - World War 1 hero who was immortalized in his own time with statues and accolades for being killed during his service but almost completely forgotten today.

Rhys

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Posted By: Josh Adams

Pants Rowland.

Go Go White Sox
2005 World Series Champions!

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Posted By: Rich Klein

Jimmy Wynn and Cesar Cedeno and from the pre-war era -- let's say Orval Overall -- what a cool name

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Posted By: Bob Pomilla

Does Victory Faust count?

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Perhaps not obscure, but I always liked the reliever Doug Jones. He was such a slow pitcher, his fast ball was his change up. I remember he'd toss consecutive 60 mph pitches, then throw his slow pitch.

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

Myron Grimshaw
Pickles Dillhoefer

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Posted By: Frank Evanov

Specs Toporczer. He was almost blind when he played [he eventually lost all his sight], but he lasted almost a decade in the majors and hit .279. He has a chapter in "The Glory of Their Times.".

Frank

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Posted By: davidcycleback

As a former baseball autograph collector, I had a pile of obscure early 1900s players. Some players had lifetime MLB careers that consisted of literally one at bat (retired a 1.00 or 0.00 hitter). Some pitchers played in one game. I always wondered what was the history behind their careers, especially when the pitcher when didn't give up a run and the player got a hit.

I also like Raph E. Miller, who played in the 1800s. He lived a long, long time, so his autographs are common for a 19th century player. The autographs and letters I've seen of his were written when he was in his mid to late 90s, and it looked like he had written while standing on a jack hammer.

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Posted By: howard

Sam Militello. Wasn't even that long ago but pretty much forgotten today. Statistically was one of the great minor league pitchers ever before he got injured. Something like 34-8, 1.75 ERA and plenty of K's. Managed to pitch a few good games with the Yankees in the early 90's before his career was effectively ended at twenty-two.

Does Buck Freeman count as obscure to pre-war experts? The only guy ever to hit twenty-five HRs and twenty-five 3Bs in the same season. Otherwise, I'll pick Tex Neuer.

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Posted By: Bill Stone

Boileryard Clarke --1893-1905

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Posted By: john/z28jd

When i first wanted to buy a t204 card i went for the most obscure player i could find in the set.The reason was i was collecting t206s and figured at that time i could go for t205s and t207s afterwards so i wanted a t204 player that wasnt in any of those sets just so it was someone different. I eventually settled on Tom Reilly who also happened to be the cheapest card the guy had for sale. Since then ive bought 4 more Reilly cards and really havent found any info on the guy and that was at least 10 years ago i bought the first one.

Also Jack Martin who is from the same town i used to live in and now currently work in.He was a member of the 1914 miracle Braves team and only played one other year. In fact now,my grandfather has been in the hospital for the last month and when i go see him, the hospital is on a street named after Martin. I always walk(out of my way) to see the old picture of Martin while he was with the 1912 Yankees that hangs in the hallway

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Posted By: J Levine

Jack Clements- Phillies, one of the last left handed catchers and an interesting guy.

Post war- Mickey Hatcher for many reasons but I truly embraced him as a favorite for the quote, "I would rather be the worst player in major leauge baseball rather than never playing major leauge baseball at all."

Joshua

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Posted By: joe brennan

Boog Powell and Moose Skowran. (sp)

In Rememberance of James W. Brennan Sr. 1924-1982. Dad, thanks for everything you did for me.

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Posted By: Seth B.

Vintage - Arlie Latham

Modern, I was always a fan of Orel Hershiser, and also Chris Sabo (crazy Rec Specs!)

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Posted By: John S

I like Ed Abbaticchio, one of the first Itilian-Americans of note to play professional baseball. He is also played professional football for the Latrobe, PA team.

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Posted By: jay behrens

Guy Hecker, the only pitcher to win a batting title. Benny Kauff is also a fave.

Jay

I love pinatas. You get to beat the crap of something and get rewarded with candy.

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Posted By: Dave S

Big Ed Reulbach and Vic Saier..

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Posted By: Anonymous

Germany Schaefer comes to mind.

It was Schaefer who created the rule that you could not return to the previous base after advancing on a previous play.

He stole second one day. The next pitch he stole first. The next play he stole second again.

How would you like to be the pitcher, the catcher or the umpire (let alone the scorekeeper) after this sequence?

Germany Schaefer-a true pioneer.

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Posted By: joe brennan

Germany Schaefer comes to mind.

It was Schaefer who created the rule that you could not return to the previous base after advancing on a previous play.

He stole second one day. The next pitch he stole first. The next play he stole second again.

How would you like to be the pitcher, the catcher or the umpire (let alone the scorekeeper) after this sequence?

Germany Schaefer-a true pioneer.

Why would he want to steal first again? Am I missing some kin od oscure stategy or was he just padding his numbers?

In Rememberance of James W. Brennan Sr. 1924-1982. Dad, thanks for everything you did for me.

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Posted By: Rhys

I believe Schaefer was trying to draw a throw for a double steal. He went to second and the catcher did not throw, so he took off aain and stole first. I think it worked if I remember right, but I am sure it was an attempted double steal.

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Posted By: Judson Hamlin

19th C- "Pa" Harkins - he's in the Old Judge set and he was a local (New Brunswick, NJ) guy
pre-WWII- Jack Quinn (not really obscure, but enough)

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Posted By: Brian

Paul Strand

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Posted By: Larry

Don Gullett. If only he hadn't injured that rotator cuff..

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Posted By: Jerry

Glenn Myatt
Played 16 years,1920-1936 mostly for Tris Speaker's Indians. Use to visit him when I was a kid, he worked with my step Dad on the waterfront in Houston.

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Posted By: Randy Trierweiler

Based on name only:

Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish.

AKA Cal McLish

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Posted By: Ken McMillan

Rich Nye of the 1969 Chicago Cubs. Lefty pitcher who later went on to Veterinary Medicine. Pre war Fred Merkle Famous for the Merkel Deboner

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Posted By: Anonymous

In my lifetime - Bill Lee & Mark Fidrych. Two entertaining nutjobs.

Oh, and there was an even more obscure player that was my favorite....but I can't remember his name.


Rob M.

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Posted By: Bruce Babcock

Ping Bodie & Ivy Wingo. Matt Batts. Biff Pocoroba. Hurricane Hazle.

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Posted By: David Kern

Zeke Bonura and Smead Jolley. If they'd played in the DH era they might have been HOFers.
Johnny Dickshot - one of the all-time grat names.
Modern era - Ron Kittle, Walt "No Neck" Williams

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Posted By: Bill Todd

That's an easy one--Clyde "Deerfoot" Milan.
2,100 hits
.285 BA
almost 500 SB--88 in 1912, 75 in 1913
58 DPs--not bad for a center fielder; Mays only had 60
and durable-- >120 games in 11 of his 16 seasons, and none of this move-him-to-first-so-we-can-keep-him-in-the-lineup jazz, either. (Would you bump Joe Judge off first?)
He also coached for the Senators into the mid-1950s.

Bill

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Posted By: Dave Williams

Mike Phillips - utility infielder with the Mets and Cardinals in the 70's.

He got the last hit of the year for the Cardinals one year, and for several years after I gave out (to no one but the list on my wall as a kid) THE MIKE PHILLIPS AWARD to whoever got the last hit of the year.

Other MIKE PHILLIPS winners included Jim Lentine and Lou Brock.

I was also collecting Mike Laga cards at one time, he is the only player to hit a ball out of Busch Stadium (albeit a foul ball).

Pre WW2 it would have to be Terry Moore, the great centerfielder for the Cardinals (largely forgotten now, but perhaps not 60 years ago)

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Posted By: Bob

Turkey Mike Donlin. Yes, yes I know he wasn't obscure in 1909 but hardly anyone other than people on this board know what a great (and colorful) player he was.
Also the 1965 American League MVP, shortstop Zoilo "Zorro" Versalles of the Minnesota Twins.

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Posted By: Cy

When I was a kid, any time I played a game I would always say, "I'm Gene Alley" and run out to play shortstop.

Gene Alley was a shortstop for the Pirates in the 1960s.

Cy

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Posted By: CN

Mine would have to be George Theodore AKA the stork. He looked very awkward in the outfield. He played for the Mets in I think 1973-1974 until an awful colission ruined his career. CN

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Posted By: Ed

Archibald Graham (not to be confused with Burt Lancaster).

NY Giants. 1905. The most marginal entry in the baseball encyclopedia I can find.

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Posted By: john/z28jd

Larry Yount,the brother of Robin had less of a career than Graham did. He hurt his arm while throwing his warm-up pitches after being called in from the bullpen and never pitched in that game,then never made it back to the majors.Hes only in the baseball encyclopedia because his name was announced,not for actually playing

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Posted By: peter chao

A pretty average player for the Cubs. The guy's one claim to fame is that his story formed the basis for "the Natural."

Peter

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Posted By: T E McMorrow

Choo Choo Coleman, NY Mets, class of '62!

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Posted By: Scott Raasch

Obscure enough that you don't hear him mentioned very often...

"Cool Papa" Bell

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Posted By: Harriet

Frederick Mitchell Walker aka Mysterious Walker was my grandfather. My father told me Fred got the nick name because he was AWOL from games and when he turned up, his pitching was inconstant. However, he was pretty consistent OFF the field - which doesn't really count! Very tough & stern man. His also had a passion for football - he coached at University of Texas and Chicago, and all 3 of his sons playing college football, with Paul Frederick Walker football captain of Yale 1946 going on to play pro football. Does anyone have any photos they can share with me? I'm living in Australia and hard to find stuff down here. Many thanks.

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Posted By: fkw

Home Run guys like Cy Williams, Gavvy Cravath, and Joe Hauser (69 HRs in one season), and some of the PCL guys, Smead Jolley, Ping Bodie, Lefty O'Doul, etc.

and of course Ike Boone, how can you not like a guy who had 323 Hits and 218 RBIs in one season.... and a career .370 Average.

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

He's not really obscure, but probably not very well known either considering how long and how well he played the game. Roger "Doc" Cramer is a local hero in the Jersey shore area of Long Beach Island. He was a pretty good player in his day - 20 years, .296 career batting average, 2705 hits, won a World Series with Detroit in 1945.

He was also a very good outfielder, which won him the nickname "Flit" (after a popular mosquito insecticide of the day) because, like Bob Ferguson before him, he was "Death To Flying Things."

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Posted By: leslie westbrook

Granny Hamner

C'mon, it's just so close to "Hammer" that he gets an "A" in my book.

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

What a great thread! I missed this one.

My favorite obscure player of my lifetime was Josias Manzanillo. Manzanillo was a journeyman relief pitcher who was super-enthusiastic about being in the big leagues. When he went out to pitch at the beginning of an inning, he RACED out to the mound, and at the end, he RACED to the dugout. He always had a smile. Fun to watch.

My favorite obscure player of all-time is Lena Blackburne. Lena was a weak-hitting infielder around the turn of the century who later became a coach, manager and scout. He made his mark on baseball by discovering a mud pit on the banks of the Delaware River on the New Jersey side. The mud from that pit is now called Lena Blackburne's Baseball Rubbing Mud - the company still exists and is now used to rub up the baseballs before every major league game, and most minor league games as well. I just recently began collecting Blackburne's cards.

-Al

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Posted By: Larry

Roy Hobbs

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

George 'Chief' Johnson. The only full time Nebraska Indians player to make it to the major leagues..played with the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Packers of the Federal League. Died a young man when he was murdered in Des Moines, IA in 1922.



Third from left in the top row

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Posted By: Clint

My favorite player would be Forrest "Woody" Jensen. He played for the Pirates in the 30's. As a kid I would marvel at his stories of Babe Ruth. He also played for Wichita's minor league club as well as starring in the local National Baseball Congress tournament.

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Posted By: Marc S.

Chas. Ferguson. May have been a true 19th century superstar, but for his catching typhoid fever.

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Posted By: Bob Pomilla

A guy by the name of Bob Cremins, who was up for the proverbial "cup of coffee" with the Red Sox about 1927. He tells a funny story of when he faced Babe Ruth in a game. I got to know Bob a little in the 70's & 80's when he was in the business of providing and erecting the ring for small time boxing and karate events or "smokers" and I was working with fighters.