Tim Hagerty
Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas broadcaster. Author of two baseball books and baseball history articles. Visitor of 49 states.
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Articles by Tim Hagerty
Did you know the Superdome was once home to a Minor League team?
On Sunday, one of the world’s most-watched sporting events will take place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Believe it or not, decades before Super Bowl LIX came to town, the same building was home to a Minor League Baseball team for one season.
July 27, 1885: Chicago’s John Clarkson pitches a no-hitter vs. Providence
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Unum’s Liz Ahmed On The Company’s 175 Years In Business
It's a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest employers here in Chattanooga, home to its headquarters. Unum - the insurance provider - is celebrating 175 years in business. The past few months, we’ve shared a few conversations with voices at Unum. For this latest conversation, I spoke with Liz Ahmed - the company’s executive president for people and communications - at Unum headquarters.
Society for American Baseball Research
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Society for American Baseball Research
Fred Osborne was a Canadian pitcher and outfielder who won three consecutive minor league batting titles, played for the worst Pittsburgh team in National League history, and had to be institutionalized in his early 40s. His death details were unconfirmed until 2019. Frederick W. Osborne was born in May 1865, in Alberta, Canada. His father Henry worked as a grocer and his mother Sarah stayed at home and maintained the house. Henry was born in England in 1827 and Sarah was born there in 1830.
August 6, 1887: Bud Fowler joins the Montpelier Capital Citys
Black baseball pioneer and 2022 Hall of Famer Bud Fowler played for at least 15 minor-league teams from 1878 to 1895, and he’s considered the first acknowledged African American professional baseball player.1 One stop on his journey was with the Montpelier Capital Citys of the 1887 Northeastern League.
August 23, 1931: Chick Hafey goes 5-for-5 in Cardinals’ 16-1 win over Braves
Future Hall of Famer Chick Hafey went 5-for-5 with two home runs, a double, and eight RBIs in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 16-1 win over the Boston Braves on August 23, 1931. It was the first game of a doubleheader that had to be scheduled because of a rainout on May 15. It was also one of 101 regular-season wins for the Cardinals, who won the World Series six weeks later. The Cardinals entered the doubleheader at the tail end of a 17-game road trip, while Boston was winding down a 23-game homestand.
Society for American Baseball Research
Ben “Old Reliable” Taylor played professionally from 1909 to 1929 and got his nickname from his consistent on-field performance. Taylor is considered one of the best first basemen in the history of Black baseball. He was also a longtime manager. Today he is immortalized in Cooperstown as a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Benjamin Harrison Taylor was born on July 1, 1888, in Anderson, South Carolina, to father Isham and mother Adeline (née Hayne).
July 31, 1909: ‘Bad’ Bill Dahlen gets ejected for the 34th and final time as a player
Bill Dahlen’s ferocious temper earned him the nickname Bad Bill and got him thrown out of dozens of games. His 34th and final ejection as a player came on July 31, 1909, in the Boston Doves’ 3-2 road loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.1 Dahlen in 1909 was in his 19th major-league season and his second season with Boston. At age 39, he was the oldest regular player in the National League. He began his big-league career at age 21 with Cap Anson’s Chicago Colts in 1891.
June 7, 1889: Louisville’s Pete Browning hits for second career cycle
The Louisville Colonels didn’t have many bright spots during their major-league-record 26-game losing streak1 in 1889, but Pete Browning’s cycle on June 7 was one of them. Browning’s feat came in Louisville’s 9-7, 11-inning road loss to the Philadelphia Athletics. The Colonels entered the game losers of 13 straight American Association games and followed it by losing 12 more in a row. Their 26-game losing streak lasted from May 22 to June 22.
September 16, 1924: Cardinals’ Jim Bottomley sets single-game record with 12 RBIs
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Society for American Baseball Research
Jimmy “Pony” Ryan had the batting skill to hit .308 in his 18-year major-league career, the throwing ability to set a National League record for career outfield assists, and a temper that provoked him to punch multiple reporters and a train conductor. James P. Ryan was born on February 11, 1863, in Clinton, Massachusetts, a town in the central part of the state with a population around 3,800 at the time of his birth.
August 4, 1884: Buffalo’s Pud Galvin pitches his second major-league no-hitter
Pud Galvin stood 5-feet-8 and weighed 190 pounds. Despite that stocky frame, Galvin won 365 major-league games, including a no-hitter for the National League’s Buffalo Bisons against the Detroit Wolverines on August 4, 1884. Buffalo and Detroit played five games in Detroit from August 2 to 8 and Galvin started four of them. He pitched a one-hit shutout on August 2, the no-hitter on August 4, and a three-hit shutout on August 7.
Society for American Baseball Research
Jesse “Bill” Williams was one of the premier defensive infielders in the Negro Leagues during his career. “He could field anything that came his way at short and throw batters out from deep in the hole,” one writer said in describing his skills.1 He is also known as the Kansas City Monarchs player who switched positions to make room for Jackie Robinson. Jesse Horace Williams was born to Willie W. Williams and Carrie M. Austin on June 22, 1913, in Henderson, Texas, 130 miles east of Dallas.
June 6, 1935: Satchel Paige strikes out 17 for Bismarck in exhibition against Monarchs in Winnipeg
On June 6, 1935, Winnipeg’s Osborne Stadium reopened after renovations with an exhibition that featured future Hall of Famers Willard Brown, Satchel Paige, and Bullet Rogan. The game ended in a scoreless tie. The Kansas City Monarchs, an independent team in 1935, were considered the home team for the exhibition, while the integrated professional team from Bismarck, North Dakota, was considered the road team.
Society for American Baseball Research
Dick “Cannonball” Redding pitched professionally from 1911 to 1936 and got his nickname from his blazing fastball that knocked back catchers.1 Redding claimed he once fired a brand-new baseball against the side of a building and the ball broke apart.2 His velocity was so legendary that some historians have wondered if Redding was the hardest-throwing pitcher of all time.3 Redding was durable; he frequently started games on back-to-back days and sometimes started both ends of doubleheaders.4...
May 15, 1888: Philadelphia’s Harry Stovey hits for the cycle
Harry Stovey had the power to lead his league in home runs five times and the speed to lead the league in triples four times. Using that power and speed combination, Stovey hit for the first major-league cycle of the 1888 season in the Philadelphia Athletics’ 12-3 American Association win over the Baltimore Orioles on May 15.
Society for American Baseball Research
It took “Oyster Joe” Martina a long time to reach the majors — but when he finally got there, he made it count, winning a World Series in his only big-league season, 1924. Although Martina went just 6-8 that year, his record at lower levels was legendary. In 21 seasons — seven with 20 or more wins — he was 349-277. That win total is second in minor-league history to Bill Thomas (383). John Joseph Martina was born on July 8, 1889, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Society for American Baseball Research
Wabishaw Spencer “Doc” Wiley played in the Negro Leagues for 15 seasons and earned his nickname by becoming a practicing dentist. He was an offseason dentist during his playing career and transitioned to dentistry full time once his playing career ended.1 Various sources give various birthdates for Wiley.
Society for American Baseball Research
Charlie Mason was a co-owner and, for one game, a player for the 1883 American Association pennant-winning Philadelphia Athletics. He held other jobs throughout his baseball career and was an innovator, credited with conceiving the ladies day promotion and the rule that gave batters first base after they were hit by a pitch. Charles Edward Mason was born on June 25, 1853, in New Orleans.
May 31, 1884: Mountain Citys fall in final major-league game played in Altoona
The Altoona Mountain Citys were a short-lived major-league team that played in the short-lived Union Association. The club’s lone season lasted 25 games and ended with a 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Monumentals on May 31, 1884. The Central Pennsylvania railroad city of Altoona was not originally in the Union Association’s plans. League President Henry Lucas spent months lining up clubs in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Washington.
Blondie Purcell - Society for American Baseball Research
William Aloysius Purcell played and managed in the major leagues from 1879 through 1890 — but as one author quipped, “‘Blondie’ Purcell is better remembered for the color of his hair than his record as a manager.”1 Purcell also showed a willingness to cause trouble along the way. He later became a bookmaker and his death details remain a mystery to this day.
June 9, 1939: Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams homer for Red Sox in 18-7 win over Browns
Future Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams both homered in the Boston Red Sox’ 18-7 win over the St. Louis Browns in the second game of a doubleheader at Sportsman’s Park on June 9, 1939. It was one of 111 losses that year for the inept Browns, who finished an American League-record 64½ games out of first place.
Finding Ray Fagan: A Minor League Mystery
Sometimes numbers tell a story. Sometimes that story is a mystery. I came across the Baseball-Reference page for Raymond Fagan and was stunned by what I saw. It says Fagan went 13-0 with a 1.16 ERA for the Class D Oklahoma City Senators in 1915. Now the stunning part – it says it was his only professional season. Despite those dominant results, it appears Fagan never pitched again. What happened to Raymond Fagan? Did he suffer a career-ending injury? Did he get into legal trouble and change his name?
Society for American Baseball Research
Michael “Fancy” O’Neil was a boxer and ballplayer who stepped on the field with four future Hall of Famers in his only major league game. He also had to be institutionalized multiple times and his death details were a mystery until 2019. O’Neil was born in Hudson, New York, to Irish parents Michael and Sarah O’Neil. Michael worked as a laborer and harness maker while Sarah was a homemaker. Both Michael and Sarah were born in 1824. As for Fancy’s date of birth, it depends on who you ask.
The telegram to Pie Traynor and the lost Pirates pennant of 1938
In the winter of 1937, Chester Washington, a writer for the black newspaper The Pittsburgh Courier and later an influential publisher, wrote the following telegram to Pittsburgh Pirates manager Pie Traynor. “KNOW YOUR CLUB NEEDS PLAYERS STOP HAVE ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYERS RIGHT HERE IN PITTSBURGH STOP JOSH GIBSON CATCHER FIRST BASE B. LEONARD AND RAY BROWN PITCHER OF HOMESTEAD GRAYS AND S.
A Missing Major Leaguer: What Happened to Fred Osborne?
Fred Osborne’s entry in The Baseball Encyclopedia: The Complete and Official Record of Major League Baseball. When researching two-way players, I came across one Fred Osborne, who pitched and played left field for Pittsburgh in 1890. But a startling line in Osborne’s Wikipedia bio veered my research in a different direction. Died: Unknown It’s not just his Wikipedia page.
Reggie, Rollie and La Russa: Single-A teammates
It's a bright June afternoon at Aces Ballpark in Reno, Nevada. Arizona Diamondbacks Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa just gave a closed door speech to the Reno Aces, Arizona's Triple-A affiliate. La Russa walks through a tunnel toward the third base dugout, where he'll meet a reporter.
Umpires Ejections and Player Ethnicity: An Analysis
Nonwhite players are at disproportionately ejected compared to white players. (via Buck Davidson) Editor’s Note: This piece was adapted from a presentation at SaberSeminar 2018. The Nationals beat the Diamondbacks on May 13, in a game started by Jeremy Hellickson and saved by Sean Doolittle. During that game, Paul Goldschmidt had four plate appearances. He struck out twice, once looking on a strike that was below the zone.
This day in history: Minor league team wins 209-10
Written By Tim Hagerty Share (Paul Nisely/SN Illustration)(Getty Images) https://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/2/37/milb-04-110414-getty-ftrjpg_1pu0f3xao8cqi109tehuiu9aay.jpg?t=2086162929&w=500&quality=80 Columbus suffered a 199-run Buffalo beatdown on June 8, 1869. The Buffalo Niagaras pummeled Columbus 209-10 that day. The Niagaras set the tone with a 40-run first inning and later racked up 58 runs in the eighth. All nine Buffalo players scored 20 or more times.
Did President Dwight Eisenhower play professional baseball under a false name?
03/01/2015 Written By Tim Hagerty Share (Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/8a/a4/eisenhower-dwight022815-getty-ftrjpg_puaw36j7uypl1sv3f8dog4f33.jpg?t=-772133085&w=500&quality=80 Trivia question: has a professional ballplayer ever become president of the United States? Some evidence says yes. President Dwight Eisenhower reportedly played for Class D Junction City in 1911 and used a false name to maintain eligibility for collegiate athletics.
“Mr. Equilibrium”
There’s a question I often see thrown around Facebook baseball chats or internet groups, “If you needed a hit, just one hit, who would you want up at the plate?” It’s a question I’ve heard during workplace watercooler sessions, sitting around watching a game with friends, and on call-in radio shows, and my answer has always been the same: George Brett. That’s probably informed by his many timely postseason home runs.
The Most Entertaining Umpire in Minor League History
He wiggled his hands when calling strikes, opened boxes of baseballs with his teeth and slid with runners for a closer view. He also umpired more minor league baseball games than anyone in history. Umpire Harry “Steamboat” Johnson was on the field in ballparks across the country from 1911-1946, and his stories are as great as his nickname.
Very superstitious: The judge who banned an unlucky fan
At least one court of law believed in baseball curses. In October of 1928, a California judge banned a fan from the ballpark for hexing the local team. Frank Nutter was a Sacramento Senators supporter and some of his fellow patrons observed that he was bad luck. When Nutter was at Edmonds Field, the Senators lost. When he wasn't, they didn't. The Curse of Nutter spread all the way to the bench, and not the one in the dugout.
El Paso 2 Fresno 0 - Sept. 7 2018
The El Paso Chihuahuas shut out the Fresno Grizzlies 2-0 Friday in Game 3 of the best-of-five playoff series to keep their season alive. The Chihuahuas now trail Fresno two games to one. Allen Craig hit a two-run double over right fielder Kyle Tucker in the first inning to bring in the only two runs of the game. It was the third shutout win in Chihuahuas’ postseason history, with September 9, 2016 at Tacoma and September 15, 2017 versus Memphis being the others.
This day in history: Minor leaguer hits eight home runs in one game
The Corsicana Oil Citys scheduled a Texas League game for Sunday, June 15, 1902, but there was one problem — it was against the law to play baseball on Sundays in Corsicana. The game was moved to nearby Ennis, Texas and fans that didn’t travel to see it missed the most powerful performance in minor league history. The temporary ballpark in Ennis had a wooden fence in right field only 210 feet from home plate. Left-handed sluggers like Jay Justin Clarke drooled at the sight of the site.
Cow Tipping: The time a player was injured by a cow
DeFreitas kneeled down and wrapped his hands around the cow's udders as laughter filled Paducah's Brooks Stadium. Then the calf hurt his calf. "DeFreitas not only lost, but was unable to play that evening because the cow kicked him in the shins," the Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball reported. Maybe the nearby leather gloves provoked the cow. Just weeks after the milking mishap, the same two teams were scheduled to meet in the league finals.
This day in history: Game ends because of a wild bull
The Austin Senators didn't take any bull. The Texas League club was in the field during a home game on July 28, 1888 when a wild bull appeared and rumbled onto the field. Running the bases met running with the bulls. Players scampered to all corners of the ballpark as fans shrieked with fear.
The home run that disappeared and didn't count
The Fall River Brienies went from a swing and a mist to a swing and a miss. The Brienies' Class B New England League road game against the Lynn Leonardites on May 20, 1911, unfolded under murky conditions. "An east wind blew a thick fog from the ocean across the Lynn baseball park," the Brooklyn Daily Eagle described.
Tire swing: The homer that flew through a tire
Al Meau served in World War II, worked as a prison guard and raised 13 kids. He also hit a home run in 1947 that they’re still talking about in Bluefield. The Boston Braves signed Meau that year and assigned him to the Class D Bluefield Blue-Grays. His pitching accuracy helped him lead the team in wins, ERA and innings. Meau showed similar precision one day at the plate.A local trucking company partnered with the team and hung a tire above the right field fence.
The professional baseball team that adopted a kid
The Texas League's Houston Buffaloes finished third in 1908, but they led the league in kindness. The Buffaloes were on a road trip train ride and befriended a mother and her young son. The mother quietly slipped away, leaving the two-year-old boy behind. "Authorities searched for the mother, but it soon became obvious she had abandoned the child among a group of men she believed she could trust," a Texas League newsletter reported. MORE: Where was baseball's longest home run?
Don't dive for that ball: The Triple-A game that was played on concrete
Portland Beavers outfielders didn't want to dive on opening day in 1969. The Beavers, then the Indians' Triple-A affiliate, played at Civic Stadium in downtown Portland, Ore. Their ballpark gained national headlines that winter from a significant field announcement. "The city council yesterday voted unanimously to carpet Portland's city-owned Civic Stadium with artificial turf," the Arizona Republic reported.
Tire swing: The homer that flew through a tire
Al Meau served in World War II, worked as a prison guard and raised 13 kids. He also hit a home run in 1947 that they're still talking about in Bluefield, W.Va. The Boston Braves signed Meau that year and assigned him to the Class D Bluefield Blue-Grays. His pitching accuracy helped him lead the team in wins, ERA and innings. Meau showed similar precision one day at the plate. A local trucking company partnered with the team and hung a tire above the right field fence.
Fire-eating minor league manager a motivational genius
Mike Pinto knows how to fire up a crowd. Pinto, manager of the independent Southern Illinois Miners, works as a motivational speaker during the winter. He travels from city to city inspiring business people, sometimes in front of crowds as large as 5,000 at corporate conventions. To show the audience how to face its fears, Pinto ignites a stick, then puts it in his mouth. You can see for yourself at the one-minute mark of this video: Twice a year, Pinto asks players to eat fire in a team meeting.
That time a pitcher threw a complete game barefoot
Forget "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. Marlin Stuart went shoeless and sockless. Stuart grew up in the 1930s throwing hickory nuts at squirrels to strengthen his arm. By the time he was 18, Stuart was dominating the muggy sandlots of Arkansas and getting attention from MLB scouts. When the St. Louis Browns signed him in 1940, Stuart told them he had never seen a pair of spikes. “I can just naturally pitch better when I can feel the diamond dust oozing between my toes,” Stuart told Sporting News in 1940.
Double no-hitters: Games with no hits for either team
What's more rare than a no-hitter? A game with both teams finishing hitless. Some of these uncommon games concIuded early because of darkness, while others were won by teams that scored on errors, sacrifices, walks or other methods. MORE: Greatest individual pitching performances in MLB history There has never been a complete-game double no-hitter in the major leagues. It has occurred 10 times in the minors: Aug.
Double no-hitters: Games with no hits for either team
What's more rare than a no-hitter? A game with both teams finishing hitless. Some of these uncommon games concIuded early because of darkness, while others were won by teams that scored on errors, sacrifices, walks or other methods. There has never been a complete-game double no-hitter in the major leagues. It has occurred 10 times in the minors: Aug.
That time a baseball team took the field in dress suits
The Stars, a minor league team in the New York State League, had equipment packed for opening day in Rochester, N.Y., on May 3, 1885, but their uniforms weren't ready. Team management kept asking a local seamstress about the omitted outfits. Their needling questions went unanswered. "The Stars played while attired in nine different suits," the Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball reported. Syracuse lost the game 8-3. Maybe their ties were too tight.
Remembering the home run that went only 2 feet
Oyler was batting for Class D Minneapolis during a soggy home game versus St. Paul when an inside fastball hit his bat and shot straight down. "Torrential rains had soaked the field the night before, and the ball disappeared into the mud two feet in front of home plate," the book "Long Ball: The Legend and Lore of the Home Run" described. "Oyler was the only man in the park who knew where the ball was.
Cameron Maybin was once a bat boy, but now he's living MLB dream
Cameron Maybin has been a center fielder, a left fielder and a bat boy in his professional baseball career. The 10-year major leaguer grew up in Asheville, N.C. and worked as a bat boy from 1999-2001 for the Single-A Asheville Tourists, a Rockies affiliate. "It's been awhile since I did that job. It was a blast," Maybin said. "I was able to be around some young professionals and understand how you want to treat the game, how you want to work. "You see some good things, you see some bad things.
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