Baseball History Podcast

Frederick Charles Hutchinson, nicknamed “Hutch”, was born August 12, 1919 in Seattle, Washington. Hutchinson was an aggressive, relentless, and smart pitcher, but did not have overwhelming speed. He was hot-tempered, given to tossing furniture about the clubhouse and smashing light bulbs after frustrating defeats. But he was extremely well-liked as a player, and as a manager, commanded love and admiration from his players.

Jon Edgar Warden was born October 1, 1946, in Columbus, Ohio. He was a left-handed pitcher for the Detroit Tigers in the 1968 season. He contributed to the Tigers pennant with four wins and three saves in 28 games in relief. After the 1968 season he was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the expansion draft. Injuries, however, kept him from playing again in the Major Leagues.

Albert John Weis was born April 2, 1938 in Franklin Square, New York. Weis, a light-hitting utility infielder, was a switch hitter until the end of the 1968 season, after which he batted exclusively right-handed. He was the most improbable of heroes in the 1969 Miracle Mets’ World Series. His ninth-inning single won Game Two and his seventh-inning homer tied Game Five, making the final Met victory possible; prior to the World Series had hit just six career homers.

Joseph John Hauser, nicknamed “Unser Choe”, was born January 21, 1899 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The lefthanded-hitting Hauser batted .323 as a rookie in 1922. In 1924 he led the A’s with 27 Home Runs and 115 Runs Batted In but the rest of his major league career was undistinguished. However, he went on to make a name for himself in the minor leagues, where he became the first player ever to hit 60 or more home runs twice in a professional career.