Wilmington [Delaware] Evening Journal, December 22, 1920:
There’s something a wee bit queer in the case of Charley Herzog, Chicago Cub infielder.
Charged openly by Rube Benton of offering him a sum of money to throw a ball game, Herzog has been resting under a cloud. At the gathering of the wise men in the east, [National League President] John Heydler completely exonerated the Cub infielder.
Thie sort of halfway clears the matter up, but President Veeck, of the Chicago club, says that waivers have been asked on Charley, and if he is released “we will tell him why when the tine comes.”
That was a weird thing for Veeck to have said, particularly when he could have said tactfully that Herzog is 35 years old and was terrible this past season.
Elsewhere in the news 100 years ago today, the New York Herald reports that the Black Sox prosecutions are going to be difficult and that Charlie Comiskey is likely to sell the club. (The Sox stayed in the Comiskey family for another 38 years.)
Reader Comments and Retorts
Go to end of page
Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.
1. Jefferson Manship (Dan Lee) Posted: December 22, 2020 at 10:35 AM (#5995488)C: Elrod Hendricks (7.5 WAR)
1B: Matty Alou (23.1 WAR)
2B: Bill Boyd (1.9 WAR)
3B: Steve Garvey (38.1 WAR)
SS: Hervey McClellan (-2.7 WAR)
LF: Lonnie Smith (38.5 WAR)
CF: Ken Landreaux (10.4 WAR)
RF: Glenn Wilson (13.1 WAR)
SP: Steve Carlton (90.2 WAR)
SP: Zach Britton (14.5 WAR)
SP: Tom Underwood (9.9 WAR)
SP: David Nied (2.7 WAR)
SP: Greg Smith (1.8 WAR)
RP: Michael Jackson (18.9 WAR)
Manager: Connie Mack
Fun names: Buster Burrell, Pop Tate, Wes Obermueller
Not that one: Gary Cooper
Well, today's Birthday Team manager certainly knew his strong infields.
Lonnie Smith had more WAR than Steve Garvey, and in 3500 fewer career plate appearances.
He had 2+ WAR seasons for five different teams, and had I not looked I wouldn't have been able to name the five teams.
EDIT: I'm also noticing he played in the World Series for four different teams... I can't imagine many others have done that.
EDIT: Nailed it. But I totally forgot about his 44-game stint in Baltimore at the end of his career.
Sadly, today is the anniversary of his suicide, not his birth.
I'm not sure what the crieteria would be exactly, but we need some sort of Matty Alou -- Felix Millan style All-Star team.
Yikes, sorry, I botched that link. Just read the story, I guess the extent of his head injuries can't be known but it sounds like so many NFL players' suicides.
5'9" and under, 175 lbs and under?
Problem is, our best 9 players will all be 2B.
NTTAWWT.
At the time, much was made of the fact that Lonnie won World Series with three different franchises in 1980, '82 and '85.
In my All-80s League (OOTP), I limited such players to only one incarnation, so I have Lonnie playing for the '82 Cardinals only (6.2 WAR, second only to 1989 with the Braves [8.8]). The '80 Phillies and the '85 Royals were p!ssed, obviously, and threatened to strike, until I reminded them that the league only existed in the mind of a chubby, middle-aged guy with time on his hands. (The move had an interesting upside: Pat Sheridan, who is from Michigan and actually played Little League with my older brother, took Lonnie's spot in the OF with the '85 Royals!)
You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.
<< Back to main