Baseball History Podcast

Charles August Risberg, nicknamed “Swede,” was born October 13, 1894 in San Francisco, CA. Risberg was a light-hitting, rifle-armed shortstop who played a key role in baseball’s biggest scandal. He was a rising young player in the American League when he was banned from the game at age 25.

Jack Houston Rothrock was born March 14, 1905 in Long Beach, CA. He is sometimes listed as John Rothrock but his given name was Jack. Rothrock was a switch-hitting utility player who performed at all nine positions. He was a line drive hitter and aggressive baserunner with little power but good speed.

arold Arthur Trosky, Sr., born Harold Arthur Trojovsky and nicknamed “Hal”, was born November 11, 1912 in Norway, Iowa. The first baseman’s career reached its apex in 1936, when he led the American League in runs batted in with 162, but he has been consigned to relative obscurity because his career overlapped the trio of Hall of Fame first basemen Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, and Lou Gehrig.

Robert Richard Boyd, nicknamed “Rope”, was born October 1, 1919 in Potts Camp, Mississippi. Despite his high batting average, he lacked the home run punch expected from a first baseman and was primarily a pinch hitter in his last seasons.

Robert George Weiland was born December 14, 1905 in Chicago, Illinois. Left-handed pitcher Weiland’s record is a reminder that the team you play for can have as much as anything to do with your won-loss totals. It was his misfortune to play for the worst two teams in the American League for the first six and a half years in the majors putting up a combined record of 20-50.

Early Wynn Jr., nicknamed “Gus”, was born January 6, 1920, Hartford, Alabama. He was a burly, hard-nosed competitor, who treated every ballgame as if it were a war. His durability helped him lead the American League in innings three times and also helped him last 23 seasons.

George Clyde Kell was born August 23, 1922, in Swifton, Arkansas. Easily the best player to emerge during the WWII player shortage, Kell remained the American League’s premier third baseman long after the war had ended, and eventually earned a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Roger Thorpe Peckinpaugh, nicknamed “Peck”, was born February 5, 1891 in Wooster, Ohio. Peckinpaugh was one of the finest defensive shortstops and on-field leaders of the Deadball Era.

Alfonso Ramon Lopez, nicknamed “Al”, was born August 20, 1908 in Tampa, Florida. A solid major league catcher whose record of games caught stood for more than 40 years. He later found great success as manager.

John Lester Moss, nicknamed “Les”, was born May 14, 1925 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Moss played as a catcher for the St. Louis Browns for the most significant portion of his career, and was a backup catcher almost all his career. He also scouted, coached, and managed in the White Sox and Tiger organizations for nearly 30 years.