Archive for January, 2011

 

Miller Huggins, Outside the Majors 

Miller James Huggins 

Miller Huggins was born on March 27, 1878 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in a rough local neighborhood, attended the city’s public schools and the University of Cincinnati and called the city home, on and off, until his passing. 

Miller’s parents were James T. Huggins and Sarah, nee Reid. James was born in England circa 1844 and immigrated to the United States in 1866 when he was 22 years old. He played cricket growing up. In Cincinnati he supported his family working as a grocer. Sarah, two years younger than James, was born in Ohio. The Hugginses lived not far from Sarah’s family. Sarah passed away some time between having her last child in 1882 and the 1900 U.S. Census; unfortunately, as many know, much of the 1890 Census no longer exists. 

Huggins had three siblings: Arthur, four years older; Clarence, two years older; Myrtie, four years younger. All his siblings survived him. 

James Huggins wanted his son to get an education. Miller wanted to play baseball. So, Miller did both until it became clear that he could do well on a professional diamond. After high school, Huggins enrolled at the University of Cincinnati circa 1896. In 1902 he graduated with a law degree at age 24. He passed the Ohio bar but never practiced law because of his other driving interest. 

BASEBALL 

As a teenager, Miller played amateur and eventually semi-pro ball in and around Cincinnati. He also played for his university and would use an alias while playing pro ball to protect his amateur status. He played semi-pro ball around Cincinnati for the Shamrocks and Hamilton Krebs, among others. 

In 1899 Huggins played his first year of pro ball, under the alias of William Proctor, for the Mansfield (Ohio) Haymakers of the Interstate League. His Brother Clarence played for the team as well. Miller played in the outfield until Clarence came up lame one day; he then moved to Clarence’s spot at shortstop and played the rest of the season at short or third base. Along his baseball travels, Huggins met Max and Julius Fleischmann, sons of leading Cincinnati businessman Charles Fleischmann. 

The Fleischmann family of Cincinnati had a profound influence over Huggin’s early baseball career. Charles Fleischmann, and his brother Max, began a yeast production company in 1868. He eventually made millions selling yeast, flour, other bakery products and distilling whiskey and other liquors. The Fleischmann Yeast Company still thrives today.

Charles Fleischmann came to the United States during the Civil War from Austria, where he managed a distillery. There were many things he found agreeable about his adopted land but one thing he could not tolerate was the deplorable taste of American bread. Bread was baked at the time with yeast made from fermented potato peelings.

He returned to Austria to gather samples of yeast used in the baking of his beloved Austrian bread. With the yeast cultures Fleischmann also brought back his brother Maximilian. The brothers quickly formed a partnership with a Cincinnati distiller, James Gaff and in 1868 America had its first standardized yeast. The baking industry was revolutionized. The partners later opened a subsidiary named the Fleischmann Distilling Company and America had its first distilled gin as well.

Both products gained immediate acceptance, and at the the Great Centennial Exposition in 1876 in Philadelphia the Fleischmann’s “Vienna Bakery” overwhelmed the visitors. Demand for the yeast needed to make the warm, fresh bread handed out from the Fleischmann’s booth caused the partners to build a fourth factory in Peekskill, New York.

James Gaff died in 1879 and Fleischmann bought his share of the business for $500,000. He became a leading citizen of Cincinnati, a director in two dozen companies and was elected to the State Senate. He was also well-known for his extravagances, often hosting elegant parties on his $80,000 yacht, Hiawatha. 

In 1883 Fleischmann purchased land and built a resort community near the Catskills in New York State. The area today is known as Fleischmann, New York. Fleischmann had an interest in baseball and erected a ballpark and put together a semi-pro outfit called the Mountain Athletic Club to entertain and attract wealthy vacationers. The Fleischmann’s ran a first class baseball operation, paying their men well and providing a posh atmosphere. 

The club began playing in June each year after the vacation season started. Honus Wagner played for the club in 1895. The Fleischmann’s signed Huggins, still under the pseudonym Proctor, to play in 1900. Incidentally, 1900 was the year Julius Fleischmann became mayor of Cincinnati. 

By 1901, Huggins had entered law school after graduating with his undergraduate degree. He joined St. Paul of the Western League that year, this time using his real name. He only hit .210 though. At the end of each season with St. Paul, Huggins would join semi-pro clubs around Cincinnati to make some extra cash. Huggins also worked in skating rinks during the off-season and developed a life-long fascinating with roller skating and its economic potential. 

With St. Paul again in 1902 Huggins did much better, posting a .28 batting average. This brought Huggins to a fork in the road. He now knew he could do well in professional baseball; his father though wanted the degree (and of course the intended career). Huggins spoke to one of his professors about the dilemma. Supposedly, the professor – future U.S. President William Howard Taft – advised him to pursue his passion. 

Huggins did just that and told his father of his choice; however, he would graduate as well. In fact, American League Washington National manager Tom Loftus was interested in signing Huggins in 1902, but Huggins decided to remain out west and complete his studies. 

He played for St. Paul again in 1903, hitting .309. By this time, Max and Julius Fleischmann had purchased the Cincinnati Reds with local political kingpins Garry Herrmann and Boss Cox. In September the Reds purchased Huggins from St. Paul for $3,000. He made his major league debut on April 15, 1904. 

LIFE OUTSIDE THE LINES 

Huggins was a life-long bachelor. He lived much of his later life with his sister Mrytie. She lived with him in, Cincinnati, St. Louis, New York and during the winters in Florida. New York sportswriters referred to her as his “constant companion.” He also lived with, at times, and supported his mother’s sister Matilda. 

In 1914 Huggins was part of an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the Buffalo club of the International League. More successfully, Huggins began to speculate in real estate and the stock market, especially after drawing substantial salary and bonus checks with the New York Yankees. 

He purchased property mainly in Florida, especially around St. Petersburg where he maintained a winter residence (until his death). Huggins spent a great deal of time and energy managing his portfolio of stocks and real estate. 

Among his favorite activities wintering in Florida was fishing and roller skating. He also spent quite a few vacations at Dover Hall, the Georgian winter retreat owned by Yankees’ magnate Col. Huston. 

In February 1926 Huggins decided that he was spending too much time with his investments, so he sold most of his real estate holdings – orange groves in the Indian Rock district of St. Petersburg – to a Brooklyn businessman for $150,000. 

DEATH 

Huggins was a small, wiry guy. He was often irritable due in large part to insomnia, constant worrying, perpetual headaches and struggles to maintain his appetite. At the onset of September 1929 Huggins was suffering from the above and a persistent cold and looking particularly haggard. He also developed a small boil under his left eye. He was also fretting over the Yankees who were trailing the Philadelphia Athletics in the standings; in fact, on the 4^th Huggins virtually conceded the pennant in an interview. 

After Labor Day, Huggins missed three games due to illness, turning over the club to his closest companion on the club Charlie O’Leary and Art Fletcher. The A’s clinched the pennant on September 14. In the 15^th Huggins left the dugout in the middle of the first game of a doubleheader to sit under a heat lamp and try to lance his persistent boil. After then, his time with the club was intermittent as his eye worsened. 

On September 20 Huggins woke with his eye nearly swollen shut. He was also running a fever and fighting off a cold. He called his personal doctor (and Yankee consulting physician) Dr. Edward A. King. Huggins was then admitted to St. Vincent’s Hospital where he was found to be suffering from the effects of influenza and erysipelas, a skin disease. 

At the hospital his fever spiked at upwards of 106 and never really fell to any acceptable level. Unfortunately, antibiotics were not available in September 1929. He was given three or four blood transfusions to no avail. The infection spread and Dr. King held little hope for a recovery. Huggins became delirious and fell in and out of consciousness. Family, friends and baseball associates were constantly at his bedside. He knew the end was near and called for his lawyer at some point to discuss his will and get his affairs in order. 

On September 25 at approximately 3:15 in the afternoon Huggins passed away at age 50. The word reached the Yankees via telegram fifteen minutes later during the fifth inning of a game in Boston. The flag was dropped to half-mast and both clubs met at home plate for a minute of silence. Seven thousand fans stood as well. The Yankees ended up winning in eleven innings, 11-10. 

All American League games were cancelled on September 26. The funeral took place at 2 pm on the 27^th at the Church of the Transfiguration in New York City. Over 500 people attended, most of which were baseball associates. Some estimates suggest that as many as 10,000 people lined the streets, over 2,000 of which passed the coffin to take a final look at the Yankees’ manager. The pallbearers were: Fletcher, O’Leary, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Earl Combs, Tony Lazzari, Bob Shawkey (his replacement as manager) and Herb Pennock. 

At 4 pm the body was placed on a train headed to Cincinnati. Huggins was accompanied by his sister, his brother Arthur (Clarence lived in Tennessee and made his own way to Cincinnati), personal friend and business associate Bob Connery, Jacob Ruppert, Ed Barrow, Pennock, and sportswriters Ford Frick, Marshall Hunt, William Slocum and Charlie Segar. 

The party arrived in the morning of the 28^th. There was another public viewing and a service. Huggins was interred at the Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati in a plot at section 53, lot 172. 

Huggins’ will (written on 8/1/1927) was read on October 14 in St. Petersburg. He left an estate worth approximately $250,000, of which $200,000 went to his sister. 

On May 30, 1932 the Yankees dedicated a monument to Huggins and placed it in the cavernous centerfield at Yankee Stadium; it was the first of many. He was later inducted into the National Baseball and University of Cincinnati Hall of Fames.

 

Benny Kauff and Automobiles 

11/13/1917

Kauff is only slightly injured in an auto accident. He is the passenger of race car driver Howdy Wilcox. They slammed into an iron railing; the car was demolished. 

3/19/1919

Soon after his Army discharge, Kauff weds Miss Hazel Cassley in Lancaster, Ohio (her hometown). She is the daughter of a Pennsylvania Railroad engineer. 

At some point Kauff opened an automobile accessory business at 135 Columbus Avenue in Manhattan with Giants pitcher Jesse Barnes. Among the employees are Frank Home (or Hone), Kauff’s half-brother, James F. Shields and James Whelan. The business failed by early 1920. 

2/17/1920

Kauff is arrested by Detective Sergeant Martin Owens and Frank Horan of New York City’s Automobile Squad on suspicion of grand larceny – the theft of an automobile. The case is assigned to Assistant District Attorney Moses R. Rytenberg and will be placed in front of the grand jury on February 19. 

A car was stolen from James F. Brennan of 788 West End Avenue in Bronxville on December 8. Kauff applied for a license on this car on December 13 and sold it two days later to Jacques (or Ignatz) Engel, a stock broker, for $1,800. The car was recovered in Engel’s possession. 

Kauff claimed that under his orders Frank Home purchased the vehicle on October 27, 1919 from a William Dorst. Kauff first saw the vehicle at his place of business shortly thereafter and that’s where it resided until sold to Engel on December 15. Kauff produced a hand written bill of sale to that effect. 

Kauff is freed after posting $2,000 bail money provided by a surety company. 

2/19/1920

Kauff’s former employees James F. Shields and James Whelan were arrested by Detective Owens in connection with stealing a different car valued at $5,000. The car belonged to Edward J. Beard. It was stolen out front of a restaurant on December 4. Shields and Whelan were arrested trying to sell Beard’s car to a Joseph Kerner for $3,000. 

Shields and Whelan were later indicted, found guilty but given suspended sentences for turning state’s evidence and testifying against Kauff. 

2/19/1920

Kauff is indicted and released again on $1,000 bail before Judge Wadhams. The charges are grand larceny and criminally receiving a stolen automobile. 

BASEBALL

Kauff plays 55 games for the Giants in 1920 before public pressure forced the Giants to trade him to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League on July 2. McGraw reacquired Kauff after the season. On January 15, 1921 he signs a one-year contract with the Giants for $6,500 and reports to spring training with the rest of the players. 

In the third week of March 1921 Kauff is ordered to meet with Judge Landis, baseball’s new commissioner. After the meeting Kauff returns home and does not rejoin the Giants. On April 7 Landis declared Kauff ineligible. Landis cites Section 2, Article 4 of the National Agreement (major-minor league rules) relating to players under indictment. 

5/2/1921

Kauff’s trial is set for May 4, 1921 in front of Judge Cain at the West Side Court. 

5/10/1921

James Shields testifies that he, James Whelan and Kauff stole Brennan’s car on December 8. Kauff was the one to physically break into the car; he did so with a screwdriver. The trio then drove the car to their garage, removed the license plate, changed the tires and repainted the body. Then, they sold the car for $1,800, each taking an equal share. 

Whelan testifies that they hatch the plan over dinner. Kauff said that he had a prospective buyer for a specific model of car (like Brennan’s) if they could locate such. 

5/11/1921

Kauff testified and continued to make his claim that he purchased the car from William Dorst of the Cumberland Hotel on October 27, 1919. He had a receipt and further testified that he did not alter the receipt. He then sold the car to Jacques Engel. After Kauff was approached by the detectives and found out the car was stolen, he refunded Engel’s money. 

John McGraw and George Burns testified as character witnesses for Kauff. 

There is no mention in the papers that Dorst testified. 

5/12/1921

Refuting Shields and Whelan, Mrs. Kauff testified that on the night that Kauff supposedly split up the sale money with his cohorts he was having dinner with her and a friend. Yes, Kauff did leave for a half hour to “transact business” (sell the car) but upon his return he promptly turned the $1,800 over to her. 

Jesse Barnes testified that their auto accessory business was a failure and that they had to borrow money (which they still owed some) from the Giants to cover the debts. 

5/13/1921

The jury in Kauff’s case acquitted him of both counts after deliberating for less than an hour. 

Soon after the acquittal Kauff applies for reinstatement. And he did so a second time without gaining a favorable response. To boot, Kauff was a suspected game-fixer who was known to carry wads of cash around . Landis wasn’t about to invite him back. 

9/7/1921

Kauff tells reporters that he has plans to sue Judge Landis to obtain his reinstatement. Kauff soon obtained an injunction on his behalf in his fight for reinstatement. 

In the end the court ruled in January 1922 that it had no grounds to act on Kauff’s behalf. 

2/6/1925

A lawsuit against John McGraw was dismissed by the appellate court. Mary A. Butterfield had sought $30,000 from the Giants’ manager for an auto accident. McGraw’s car was driven by Frank Home, Kauff’s half-brother. The case was dismissed because McGraw was in Philadelphia at the time and he claimed that his automobile was used without his permission. 

8/3/1927

Kauff filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in an attempt to receive his contracted salary for 1921. The club has paid him $2,000 so far, but Kauff claims he is still owed $4,500. The case was still being disputed in January 1928. 

Kauff moved to Columbus, Ohio to be closer to his wife’s family. The Kauff’s had one child, a son named Robert. His obituary said he worked as a scout and a clothing salesman. 

3/21/1931

Kauff was found guilty in federal court and given a suspended 5-month sentence in a liquor case. Kauff agreed to leave the Columbus area for good instead of confinement in the Franklin County Jail. 

5/6/1931

The New York Times reports that Kauff is back in New York looking for a job.

 

Barbaro Garbey

Righthander, 5’10”, 170 lbs. 

Barbaro Garbey, the youngest of nine siblings, was born on December 4, 1956 in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. 

The Garbey family produced one of the finest crops of athletes in Cuba. Barbaro’s brother Rolando, a light-middleweight boxer, won the country’s first international gold medal in boxing at the Pan American Games in 1967. He also won a silver medal at the 1976 Olympics in Mexico City. He added a bronze medal to his collection at the Montreal Olympics eight years later. In 2004 he coached the national boxing team at the Athens Olympics. 

Their sister Marcia placed fourth in the long jump at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. At the time it was the highest a Cuban woman ever placed in a track and field event.

BASEBALL IN CUBAN 

Barbaro started playing baseball at age 8. When he was eleven years old in 1968, he was recruited into what he terms as “a school for sports.” He took classes in the mornings and played ball in the afternoons. 

From there, he joined the Havana Industriales and played in amateur international tournaments as a member of the Cuban national squad at the end of each season (Castro had outlawed professional baseball back in 1961). In 1976 he won the batting title with the Industriales with a .328 mark. He played on the Cuban national team in both 1976 and ’77. 

In 1978 Garbey was one of ten players banned for accepting cash in a run-shaving scam. He took money to keep scores close; though, he said he never actually threw any games which is highly questionable. He wasn’t conciliatory about it either declaring, “I know I did right. A lot of people say it was wrong. I say it was right. Garbey claimed the 95 peso a month stipend that he received was much too insignificant for him to live on, stating flatly “I can do nothing in Cuba with 95 pesos. I believe no one in the world can live on 95 pesos.” He needed the money for his family. 

LEAVING CUBA 

In 1980 Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro temporarily lifted his no-exit edict. Between April and October 1,700 boats brought 125,000 Cubans refugees to the United States during the Carter Administration in what is known as the “Mariel Freedom Flotilla.” Many of the deportees were dubbed gusanos, worms, by Castro, men and women that were undesirable for one reason or another. Many had been incarcerated; many were political dissidents. 

Garbey was none of the above; he was a mere ballplayer who was shunned by the national power brokers. He wanted to play ball, so he borrowed a friend’s immigration papers and attempted to sneak on a flotilla; however, he was easily recognizable in the baseball ravenous country. He was turned away on three separate occasions. Finally, he was permitted to board on his fourth try, despite the fact that the official recognized him. The man blustered, “Okay, you want to go, get the hell out of here.” The refugees weren’t permitted to take anything with them, no jewelry or watches, not even eyeglasses. They were permitted the clothes they were wearing and a hat if they had one. The price was even higher for Garbey; he had to leave his wife and two daughters behind. 

Garbey arrived in Key West, Florida with 200 other passengers in May. He was then taken to a refugee camp at Fort Indiantown Gap in East Hanover, Pennsylvania. It was initially opened in 1931 as a training camp for the National Guard. 

Orlando Pena, a well-traveled major leaguer from 1958-75 and currently a scout for the Detroit Tigers, heard that Garbey was residing at Fort Indiantown Gap and tracked him down. He had to wait for twelve hours to be cleared for the visit. Pena was unimpressed, the supposed ballplayer was way too skinny with “blue jeans rolled up to his knees and an old T-shirt.” Pena just shook his head and asked Garbey if he could hit. He promised he could if he could eat some solid meals to regain his weight. 

Garbey signed with the Tigers on June 6 as a non-draft free agent for a $2,500 bonus with a promise of another $7,500 if he made the majors. As Garbey later lamented, “Not much money, but I was happy to get it.” He became the first Cuban to rise through their baseball system since Castro took over to sign with a pro club in the U.S (There wouldn’t be another until Rene Arocha in 1991). 

BASEBALL IN THE UNITED STATES 

Garbey was assigned to Lakeland in the Class-A Florida State League in 1980. He appeared in 26 games, hitting .364. He played the whole season in Double-A in 1981 for Birmingham in the Southern League, batting .286 in 107 games. He then joined the Triple-A Evansville club (American Association) for four games at the end of the season. 

Nineteen Eighty-Two was spent at Double-A again. He hit .298 with 99 RBI. The following year brought a promotion to Triple-A and a .321 batting average in 101 games. The year 1983 also brought a good deal of trouble. 

On May 21 he admitted to a Miami reporter that he was banned in Cuban for game-fixing. The Tigers were unaware. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and American League president Lee MacPhail discussed the matter with minor league president John H. Johnson. As a result, Garbey was placed on probation pending an investigation. 

While on probation, Garbey made matter worse. He got into a fight with a fan. He was immediately suspended after allegedly striking a heckler in Louisville with a bat on June 28. Supposedly the fan made some comment about Garbey’s starving wife and kids. The ballplayer picked up a fungo bat and attacked the individual. 

Evansville general manager saw little hope that Garbey would play out the year, stating, “This may very well be it for Barbaro…” Luckily, he was reinstated on July 26 with a $500 fine. 

Garbey never did unite with his wife and daughters. He was treated by a therapist for depression over the matter. The Tigers gladly picked up his medial expenses. Garbey would later say that Tigers general manager Bill Lajoie was like a father to him. Eventually, the couple divorced and Garbey remarried. 

Garbey made the Tigers’ roster in 1984 just in time to help the club to a 35-5 start and the world championship. He was delighted with his $41,000 salary and, of course, the $7,500 bonus (And don’t forget the World Series check). On May 15 his probation was lifted. In 110 games (mostly at 1B, 3B and DH) he batted .287 and knocked in 52 runs. In the World Series he failed to get a hit in twelve at bats. Nevertheless, he earned a ring in his rookie season. 

Garbey’s output dropped off in 1985 (.257 BA and 29 RBI in 86 games) Added that to the fact that they just didn’t know where to play him because of his mediocre fielding, the Tigers traded him to the Oakland A’s for Dave Collins on November 13. 

OUT OF THE MAJORS 

The A’s outright released him before Opening Day 1986, stating flatly said they didn’t need another DH-outfielder type with questionable fielding skills. Garbey played ball in 1986 and ’87 in Mexico and Venezuela. 

On November 27, 1986 Garbey was arrested for possession of cocaine. He was pulled over for speeding in Miami. While being questioned, he attempted to toss a dollar bill with cocaine in it under the car to hide it from the officer. When caught, Garbey asked them to give him a break since he was a pro ballplayer and this could potentially ruin his career. The arresting officer was Frank Irvine, a former Cubs’ farmhand, wasn’t sympatric, stating “I told him I played baseball but I never used cocaine.” He was held over with $5,000 bail and arraigned in December. 

On December 13, 1987 Garbey was signed as a free agent by the Texas Rangers. He began 1988 with their Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City (of the American Association). He hit .289 in 67 games and was brought up to the parent club in June to replace Oddibe McDowell. In thirty games he batted .194 to finish his major league career. 

In 1989 he appeared in 67 games for Double-A Jacksonville, an Expos affiliate. In 1990 he appeared in one game in the Dodgers’ system with Albuquerque (Dodgers system) of the Pacific Coast League. 

During the baseball strike of 1994-95, Garbey was one of the replacement players for the Cleveland Indians. On March 2, 1995 he was traded to the Reds with four others for future considerations. It was the first ever trade of replacement players. 

After retiring, Garbey went into coaching. In 2003 he was hitting coach for the West Michigan Whitecaps, a Class-A Tigers affiliate. In 2006 he worked for the Cubs at Peoria then joined the Tennessee Smokies, a Cubs Class-A club, in 2007. He is with the team in 2008. 

He was remarried to Kimberly Garbey. They have three children and live in Wixom, Detroit. He gives private hitting lessons at $80 an hour during the off-season.

 

The Brief Career of Eleanor Engle

On June 21, 1952, the Harrisburg (PA) Senators of the Class-B Interstate League signed 24-year-old Eleanor Engle (signed by team president Jay Smith and general manager Howard Gordon):

Washington Post 6/22/1952

“Tongue in cheek – today signed a curvaceous, 24-year-old stenographer to a player’s contract.”

Engle was a softball player who dabbled in playing baseball with males since high school. She had no professional experience. She was married and worked as a stenographer for the Public Utility Commission in Harrisburg.

Her hiring created an immediate stir; she was not wanted by the players, umpires or her manager. The opposing Lancaster manager threatened to protest the game if Engle was permitted on the field.

Harrisburg manager Buck Etchison

“She’ll play when hell freezes over. I won’t have a girl playing for me.”

The minor league’s chief executive was equally adamant:

George M. Trautman’s Office

“No rule specifically prohibits signing of women but such contract would not be approved by this office”

Trautman Telegram (from San Francisco)

“So as to remove any possible doubt as to the attitude of this office toward any such contract I am notifying all clubs that signing of women players by National Association clubs will not be tolerated and clubs signing, or attempting to sign women players, will be subject to severe penalties. I have consulted with Commissioner Frick on this matter and he has asked me to express his concurrence in the view that this is just not in the best interest of baseball that such travesties be tolerated.”

They did not want a repeat of the farce that surrounded the signing and use of midget Eddie Gaedel by Bill Veeck and the St. Louis Browns in 1951. In Trautman’s words, the Engle signing by Harrisburg was a “travesty.”

On June 22, a uniformed Engle took infield and batting practice to “much applause,” but did not appear in the game.

Washington Post 6/24/1952

 

Joshua Gibson 

Josh Gibson was born on December 21, 1911 in Buena Vista, Georgia, a town in Marion country in the southwestern portion of the state. He was the first child born to Mark (born circa 1885 in Georgia) and Nancy (nee Woodlock, born circa 1894 in Georgia or Alabama) Gibson. The couple was married in 1910 or 1911. They had three children: Joshua, Jerry W., born circa 1915, and Annie Larisa, born circa 1918. The Gibsons were poor Georgian sharecroppers. 

The 1910 U.S. Census shows the family of Jerry, 52, and Mary E., 36, Gibson living in Brooklyn, Georgia. Jerry’s oldest son Mark was 24 at the time (which matches with the above Mark). However, author Mark Ribowsky states that the name Joshua came from his grandfather. It is interesting though that the family name “Jerry” is carried in both families. Both Jerry and Mary were previously married before wedding each other in 1901. The 1910 Census also shows the family of Shack and Alice Woodlock, including daughter Nancy, living in Marion, Georgia. 

Josh Gibson attended public schools in Georgia. Around 1921, Mark Gibson left his family in their rented house in Minton, Georgia to seek employment in the North. He landed with relatives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and found work in the mines for the Carnegie-Illinois Steel Company. After three years, he saved enough money to send for his family. The Gibson moved into a rented brick house at 2410 Strauss Street in Pleasant Valley, a black section in North Pittsburgh. 

Twelve-year-old Josh enrolled in sixth grade at the Allegheny Pre-Vocational School, entering the electrical studies program. He then moved to high school at the Conroy Pre-Vocational School to continue his electrical studies. 

At age 15 Gibson joined his father in the mines after school and on weekends. The big, strong kid was nearing his peak physical stature of 6’1” and 215 lbs. Gibson was also drawn to swimming (winning medals locally), roller skating, football, basketball and of course baseball. 

At age 16 Gibson left school for good and began working in a Westinghouse air-brake factory in downtown Pittsburgh in 1928. He also operated an elevator at Gimbels department store, the location of the former Kaufmann & Baer’s store that was purchased by the Gimbel brothers in 1925. 

BASEBALL 

Baseball became Gibson’s passion at a young age. He played all the sports, but he made particular effort to attend as many ball games as possible to aid in his understanding of technique and strategy. He sat a many an amateur, semi-pro game and caught the traveling black clubs when possible. The Homestead Grays, taken over in 1912 (originally organized by a group of steelworkers in 1900) by Cum Posey, were the big black baseball attraction in Pittsburgh. When possible, Gibson lined up to watch the Grays. 

In 1928 at age 16 Gibson joined his first league team, a semi-pro outfit sponsored by Gimbels. With the club he played catcher before settling in at third base. That year, he was spotted by Harold “Hooks” Tinker playing in an industrial league all-star game. Tinker was manager of the Crawford Colored Giants, an amateur outfit. In 1925 a group of neighborhood boys from the McKelvey School formed what became known as the Crawford Colored Giants. The name came from their sponsor in a 1926 tournament – the Crawford Bath House, a municipal recreation center. Tinker immediately signed up Gibson. 

Gibson played for the Crawfords until the summer of 1930. He jumped the club soon after Gus Greenlee purchased it (Greenlee would transform the sandlot crew into the famed Pittsburgh Crawfords of the Negro National League). That summer, Gibson was recruited by Posey for his Homestead Grays. On July 31, Gibson made his professional debut at age 18. 

Professional career:

1930-31 Homestead Grays in the Negro National League

1932-36 Pittsburgh Crawfords in the Negro National League

1937 Cuidad Trujillo in the Dominican League

1937-40 Homestead Grays in the Negro National League

1940 Caracas in the Venezuela League

1940-41 Vera Cruz in the Mexican League

1942-46 Homestead Grays in the Negro National League 

He also played for many years in the Cuban Winter League and the Puerto Rican Winter League. Josh’s brother Jerry also played baseball, as a pitcher playing semi-pro ball before joining the Cincinnati Tigers of the Negro American League in 1943. 

To start 1937, Gibson held out trying to garner more money from Greenlee. In March Gibson and Judy Johnson were traded from the Crawfords to the Grays for two players and $2,500. It was one of the biggest deals in Negro league history. A month later, on April 22, Gibson, Satchel Paige and sixteen other Negro National Leaguers jumped to Dominican League, funded by Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo. 

The political situation in the Dominican became precarious. The American ballplayers were lived in jails for their protection. The games were played surrounded by Trujillo’s heavily armed soldiers. Gibson, though, was paid about $2,000 during his seven weeks there. In July he returned to the United States and rejoined the Grays. 

Gibson jumped the Grays again in 1940 to play ball in Venezuela ($700 a month plus a $1,000 bonus). When the league folded, he took off for home, arriving in August. He then joined Vera Cruz in the Mexican League. He then agreed to join the Grays for 1941; however, before season started he returned to Mexico for a $6,000 salary. Posey sued Gibson for $10,000 and filed a protest with the State Department. A judge sided with Posey and further ordered the foreclosure of Gibson’s house if he didn’t return to the States within a week. Gibson signed a two-year agreement ($1,200 a month after bonuses) to appease Posey and end the legal troubles. 

FIRST MARRIAGE 

Sometime in 1928 or ‘29, Gibson began seeing Helen Mason, a local Pittsburgh girl who lived 45 Panola Street with her parents James (born circa 1868 in Virginia) and Margaret (born circa 1890 in West Virginia) Mason. The Masons were married in 1910, the first marriage for each. 

Helen, a Pennsylvania native, was the same age as Josh. The Masons also had two other daughters: Rebecca, two years younger than Helen, and Octavia (called Dolly), three years younger than Helen. James repaired water main leaks for the city. 

In February 1930 Helen discovered that she was pregnant; consequently, Josh and Helen were married on March 7 at Macedonia Baptist Church. Josh moved in with the Mason family that night. 

Interestingly, Josh Gibson is listed twice in the 1930 U.S. Census. Both listings were taken in April 1930. He is listed at the residence of both the Mason and Gibson families. Oddly, the Gibson family identifies him as “Joseph.” Whether that is his middle name or not is unknown, but it is a possibility. 

On August 11 Helen, carrying twins went into premature labor. She died giving birth. Distraught, Josh left the hospital without naming or caring for the children. The Masons took the children in, naming them after their parents, Helen and Joshua Jr. Josh rejoined the Grays without a word to his teammates. He merely focused his attentions even more single-mindedly to baseball. 

Gibson was in and out of his kids lives, allowing the Masons to raise them. Josh Jr. would become a batboy for the Crawfords. In 1948 after his graduation from Schenley High School (the same school his mother Helen matriculated) Gibson, an infielder, briefly played in organized baseball for Youngstown, Ohio, in the Class-C Middle Atlantic League. He then played for the Grays from 1949-50 for Josh Sr.’s good friend Sam Bankhead and in the Provincial League in 1951, a league based in Quebec, Canada. In Canada Gibson broke his ankle sliding, ending his career. 

SECOND MARRIAGE 

In 1933 Gibson met Hattie Jones, born on January 6, 1907 in East Tallahassee, Florida. Accounts suggest that Hattie had a bland personality and placed strict demands on Gibson. She was particularly forceful that Gibson provided for her. So in the spring of 1934, Gibson purchased a two-story brick townhouse for $1,000 for the couple at 2157 Webster Avenue in North Pittsburgh near his parent’s home. They lived there however they did not immediately marry. (Some reports suggest that they were not married until 1940. However, immigration records of overseas travel list Joshua Gibson as married during his return trip from the Dominican Republic in July 1937.) 

Whenever they were married, the couple was having serious problems by 1940-41. It’s been said that Gibson’s decision to play ball in Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Mexico from 1940-41 may have just been efforts to avoid household difficulties. This may be true at times but Hattie did travel with him to at least Venezuela (and perhaps other locations) during this time. At some point he couple separated.

 MEDICAL DIFFICULTIES 

Gibson started drinking heavily at least as early as 1937, much of the time with his good friend Sam Bankhead, and later smoking marijuana. His mother had always been a heavy drinker, often throwing raucous parties. Certainly the long stretches of time he spent out of the country and on the road didn’t help the drinking. The marital troubles didn’t help as well. Helen Bankhead, Sam’s wife, would later describe with awe and disgust just how much her husband and Gibson drank in Mexico in 1941. Day after day, sometime during the game, the two would drink bottle for bottle to see who the last man standing would be. 

In 1942 virtually everyone that came in contact with Gibson noticed a drastic change in personality. He was quiet, withdrawn and depressed. He was also suffering from dizziness and intense headaches. Frazier Robinson later described Gibson in 1942, “He wouldn’t have nothing to do with you. He’d just sit. He wouldn’t talk much, wouldn’t joke around, he just lost that spark.” Gibson’s headaches were particularly troublesome by the end of the year. 

On January 1, 1943 Gibson collapsed with a seizure, remaining unconscious for a day. He was taken to St. Francis Hospital where he stayed for ten days. There, he learned that he was suffering from a brain tumor. The doctors recommended an operation but Gibson refused, fearing potential complications. Come spring training though, Gibson was back at work for the Grays in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He never did tell his teammates about his illness. At the time of Gibson’s death, rumors, but few facts, abound. 

Gibson’s drinking and behavior became even more erratic in 1943. During his last few years, Gibson’s teammates would occasionally pack their catcher into a cab headed for St. Francis so he could “dry out” after particularly long stretch of drinking. They were unaware of just exactly what care he was receiving at the hospital. During this time, he barely saw Hattie, especially considering the fact that the Grays played their home games in Washington D.C. 

In 1944 in D.C. Gibson met an attractive and vibrant woman named Grace Fournier. She was the wife of an overseas serviceman, a man she claimed was exceeding jealous and dangerous – involved with gambling and drugs. The two were inseparable, spending much of their time partying. Gibson introduced Grace to his teammates and encouraged friendship, something he refused to do with Hattie. Gibson also wasn’t shy about being photographed with Grace, something he also avoided with Hattie. Josh and Grace were frequently intoxicated, nearly nonstop. Rumors suggest that Grace also introduced hard drugs, such as, cocaine and heroin to Gibson. Luckily, the two split after Fournier’s husband returned home after the war. 

Naturally, Gibson lost his muscular physique. He ballooned to 225 pounds, much of the excess hanging around his midsection. In late 1945 it was announced that the Brooklyn Dodgers had signed Jackie Robinson. The news just seemed to depress Gibson further. 

The end was nearing for Gibson in 1946. He had refused all treatment and his self medication through alcohol and drugs was taking its toll. He became moody, even malicious at times. He was perpetually depressed and known to weep at times. His speech was often slurred and incoherent even when he was sober. Gibson had also developed kidney troubles and bronchitis (and probably liver trouble as well). 

By the end of 1946, Gibson’s weight had dropped to 180 pounds and he was too ill to play winter ball. He also became broke from his lifestyle and moved back in with Hattie, in part, because he couldn’t take care of himself. At some point he moved in with his mother. The last few months of 1946 proved to be the only extended time Gibson spent with his children. 

On January 20, 1947 a drunken Gibson went to an afternoon movie at a local theatre. There, he was found unconscious and taken to his mother’s house.  He died (of either a stroke or cerebral hemorrhage) a few hours later after requesting that his trophies be brought to him. Gibson had just turned 35 years old a month earlier. 

The funeral was held at Macedonia Baptist Church. Speculation abound, as Gibson’s friends, teammates and baseball associates didn’t know the root of his illness. He was interred at Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh, Section 50. Lot SG-C232, near Gus Greenlee.

 

THE STORY OF THE BABY RUTH CANDY BAR

In the mid-1910s, Chicago native Otto Young Schnering began producing bakery items, miscellaneous foods and assorted candies for sale locally. In 1916, the 24-year-old rented a 20’x30’ storeroom at 3256 North Clark Street that initially included one stove and a five-gallon kettle. The first product of significance was called the Amerone, a bakery item. Demand however soon shifted his solitary focus to the confection market.

Schnering worked mainly by himself but eventually began employing several assistant helpers. His father, Julius, a well-to-do jeweler, maintained the books. The new enterprise was dubbed the Curtiss Candy Company. Curtiss was Otto’s mother’s maiden name; she was a Vermont native. Due to the anti-German sentiment of the war era, Schnering thought it best not to use his surname. His father had emigrated from Elberfeltd, Germany in 1859 as a child. (Julius became a drummer in a Pennsylvania regiment during the Civil War, mustering out at the age of 13. His partner in the Chicago jewelry business was Otto Young; thus, the name of Julius’ son.)

Nineteen Seventeen sales equaled $92,623.46. As demand grew the firm moved to 3222 North Halstead Street and then to its own building in January 1919, a three story structure located on Briar Place. The Curtiss Company was making headway locally with such products as the Mint Patty, Nougat, Kandy Kake, Orange Ice, Cream Cake, Sweet Mama and Dixie Flyer.

In 1920, Schnering developed a new item which included a peanut filling covered with nougat and chocolate. It was similar to the Kandy Kake which had a pastry center topped with nuts and coated with chocolate. The new product, introduced in 1921, was called Baby Ruth. (There is some indication that the Kandy Kake wasn’t immediately removed from production, possibly indicating that the Baby Ruth was a sister product rather than an outright replacement as normally cited.)

Ever since its introduction, a debate has existed as to the inspiration of the candy bar’s name. To many it seems obvious – the great Babe Ruth, champion home run hitter of the nation’s #1 sport. Despite the obvious, Schnering claimed that it named after Ruth Cleveland.

BABE RUTH

The candy was introduced with a very similar name to a popular baseball player, George Herman Ruth, Babe Ruth. In fact, more than a few times Ruth had been referred to as “Baby Ruth,” as early as 1915:

Baltimore Sun 11/1/1915

Ruth had been very popular for at least a half decade before the introduction of the Baby Ruth candy bar, including membership on three world championship Boston Red Sox clubs in 1915, 1916 and 1918 and two 20+ victory seasons. In 1919, Ruth moved to the outfield and hit a record 29 home runs. He was then sold to the New York Yankees for an unheard of $100,000+, a sum that rocked the industry. Ruth then topped the home run mark with an astounding 54 in 1920. This made him a highly marketable figure and indeed this was an exploited aspect of the man’s legacy.

RUTH CLEVELAND

Ruth Cleveland, popularly known as Baby Ruth, was born to former U.S. President Grover Cleveland and his wife Frances in October 1891 – the same month as Otto Schnering’s birth. She quickly became a darling of the press and received a great deal of interest by reporters during the 1890s, especially as Grover Cleveland ran for and regained the Executive Mansion (White House), the only man to do so, thirteen months after her birth.

However, accounts of Ruth dropped precipitously by the end of the decade after her father left office. Ruth died at age 12 of diphtheria on January 7, 1904. Her father died in June 1908.

THE CANDY MARKET AND THE CURTISS COMPANY

It’s important to note that a major market for candy sales is children. With Ruth Cleveland dying 17 years before the introduction of the Baby Ruth candy bar, it’s highly unlikely that many people under the age of say 21 would have much recollection or interest in the former president’s daughter. So why introduce a candy bar in her honor – in 1921 too boot? (There was a certain marketing strategy of the era to advertise candy bars for adults – much in the same way energy bars are today.)

It’s no coincidence that the candy bar became identified with baseball’s home run hero, virtually exclusively. In the following article, even the Wall Street Journal saw it as so:

Wall Street Journal, 3/8/1927

Baseball, the Babe and the Baby Ruth rode high in the 1920s. Schnering promoted the bar heavily; company sales topped $1M in 1921 ($1,091,020.65). By 1922, the Baby Ruth, with a 5 cent price tag, was being sold nationwide. By 1926, 5,000,000 bars were produced daily. By then, Curtiss owned the largest candy facility in the world, shipping half a dozen train carloads of the product every day. The company also found a hit with the Butterfinger bar, introduced in 1923.

Wall Street Journal 3/17/1928

Schnering promoted the Baby Ruth well, claiming well before it was true that the item was the favorite of over 50,000,000 Americans. In 1928, Schnering leased a plane and decorated it with the Baby Ruth logo. He made tour stops throughout the country. Prior to landing, 100s of the bars were released, floating to the ground attached to tiny parachutes.

Of course, riding on the coattails of the Yankees’ slugging right fielder – perhaps the most famous man in America – provided free publicity for the chocolate bar.

In January 1964, the Curtiss Company was sold to Standard Brands; by then, its annual sales exceeded $60,000,000. In 1981, Standard Brands was bought by Nabisco and in turn by Nestle in 1990.

RUTH’S CONFECTION COMPANY

Babe Ruth was a highly marketable figure in the 1920s and 1930s, and beyond. Seeing the Baby Ruth reach national distribution by 1922, interests approached Ruth about marketing his own candy line. The Babe Ruth Home Run Confection Corporation was incorporated in March 1922; though production didn’t begin immediately.

In 1926, the now-renamed George H. Ruth Candy Company sought to trademark “Ruth’s Home Run Bar” and “Babe Ruth’s Own Candy.” In February 1930, the Washington D.C. Patent Office rejected the request declaring that the name was confusingly similar to “Baby Ruth,” whose trademark was already registered. The Court of Customs and Patent Appeals upheld the decision in 1931.

In explaining the origins of the name Baby Ruth, a company executive once claimed that:

1) “Our candy bar made its initial appearance in 1921, some years before Babe Ruth…became famous. The similarity of names, therefore is purely coincidental.”

This is a big stretch; Ruth had been famous for some time.

2) A claim that Ruth Cleveland visited the Curtiss Company at one time, thus inspiring the name

She died over a decade before the existence of the company.

BABY RUTH AND MLB

In 1995, Nestle started including an image of Babe Ruth in their advertisements of Baby Ruth. It was done with the permission of the Ruth family.

In 2006, Baby Ruth became the official candy bar of Major League Baseball. As a Nestle executive explained, “There’s always been an association [between the candy bar and baseball], however consumers got there.”

BASEBALL HEROS AND CANDY BARS

Cap Anson was the first ballplayer to have a candy bar named after him. Others include Reggie Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr., Kirby Puckett and Albert Bell. (Ty Cobb may have as well.)

The Reggie Bar was the most successful of the above. It was introduced by Standard Brands around Opening Day 1978, capitalizing on Jackson’s 1977 World Series heroics. Sales flattened and the bar was removed from production in the early 1980s after the cost of peanuts skyrocketed.

SOURCE LIST

Ancestry.com

Baltimore Sun, 1904, 1915

Chicago Tribune, 1891, 1931, 1951, 1977-1978, 1981

Encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org

Enotes.com

Hubpages.com

Lisa Damian Kidder and Bob Baker. Trout Valley, the Hertz Estate and Curtiss Farm. Arcadia Publishing, 1922.

New York Times, 1904, 1922, 1949, 1964-1965, 2006

Press Club of Chicago, Official Reference Book, 1922

Andrew F. Smith. The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. Oxford University Press, 2007.

Snopes.com

Wall Street Journal, 1927-1928, 1951

Washington Post, 1930

Wikipedia.org

 

Arthur Albert Irwin Jr. 

Art Irwin was born on February 14, 1858 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was the oldest child of Arthur A. and Elizabeth Irwin. Arthur Sr., a blacksmith, was born in Ireland in 1826, later moving to Canada where he met and married Elizabeth, a Canadian born circa 1829. 

While living in Toronto, the Irwins had Arthur Jr., Rebecca, born circa 1860, John born July 21, 1861 and William, circa 1862. The family then moved to Boston in 1862. In Boston the Irwins gave birth to James, circa 1865, Charles, circa 1867, Richard, circa 1870, Mary, circa 1872, and Ida, circa 1874. Charles was not listed in the 1880 Census suggesting that he may have passed away young. 

Most sources cite the family moving when Art was fifteen years old (about 1873), but that would be inaccurate. Multiple (3) U.S. Census references clearly state that they immigrated in 1862 (part of the confusion may be a Census reference to naturalization which occurred in 1872). To further confirm my findings, the family is listed as residing in Boston in the 1870 U.S. Census. 

An interesting note here is that Arthur Jr. is listed multiple times in the 1880, 1900 and 1910 U.S. Censuses. In 1880 he is benignly found residing with his family in Boston and as a boarder with some teammates in Worcester, Massachusetts. The reason for the multiple listings in 1900 and 1910 will be examined later. 

BASEBALL 

Irwin attended public schools in Boston. At about age fifteen in 1873, he started playing amateur baseball in and around the Boston area. There is no indication that he played semi-pro ball, but it would be more likely that he did rather than not – as he stemmed from a large family where any cash would be welcomed and semi-pro opportunities surely existed. 

Irwin was of average height and build for the era, 5’8.5” and 160 lbs. He threw righthanded and batted left. Indications suggest that he always played the infield, particularly the left side. 

In 1879 shortstop Irwin was “discovered” by Worcester (of the minor league National Association) manager Frank Bancroft. Irwin and pitcher Lee Richmond, captain of the Brown University club, joined the club in late May. Their professional debut occurred on June 2 in an exhibition game against the National League Chicago White Stockings. Richmond no-hit the club through the seven full innings that were played. 

Worcester finished the year strong and gained an invitation to ascend to the National League for the 1880 season; thus, Irwin was headed to the majors. First, Bancroft took his club, Irwin included, on an exhibition tour of Cuba. They were the first American club to do so. Irwin would later return to Cuba after the 1886 season for another tour with Philadelphia ballplayers. 

Irwin’s major league playing career:

1880-82 Worcester

1883-85 Providence

1886-89 Philadelphia

1889 Washington

1890 Boston – Players League

1891 Boston – American Association

1894 Philadelphia 

Irwin’s brother John also played major league baseball, mainly as a third baseman. He joined Art for a cup of coffee with Worcester in 1882. He then hooked up with his hometown entry in the Union Association in 1884, before finding work with major league clubs from 1886-91. John Irwin achieved the rare feat of playing in all four of the major leagues of the 19^th century: National League, Union Association, American Association and Players League. 

Arthur also managed in the majors for:

1889 Washington

1891 Boston, American Association

1892 Washington

1894-95 Philadelphia

1896 New York

1898-99 Washington 

In 1893 Irwin managed the University of Pennsylvania baseball team. He would manage there on a permanent basis from 1900-03 and in 1908, as well. He also coached on a part-time basis there and at Harvard University many other years. 

In 1897 and ’98 Irwin managed (and owned a % of) Toronto in the Eastern League. Near the end of the 1898 season Irwin traded some of his best players to the Washington Senators. He was called before Eastern League officials to account for himself, as there was a strict policy against the “farming” of players. No action was taken against Irwin; although, it was certainly fishy when he was announced as the manager of the Senators in early September. 

Throughout his career, Irwin was interested in the economic potential of other sports. He took part in efforts to establish professional leagues in soccer and “roller polo.” Some have confused his soccer relationship with football. Baseball magnates tried to establish the nation’s first professional association football league in 1894. Irwin was a part of this but it was what we refer to today as soccer not football. 

He also put effort into helping rugby catch on in the northeast United States. At Harvard in 1893 Irwin unveiled an invention which became the first football (actual football) scoreboard when it was used on November 30, 1893 in a game at Harvard. Similar scoreboards would be used throughout the northeast at stadiums, theaters and such for decades to come. When Irwin died in 1921, he was still collecting royalties on this invention. Those royalties, $1,500 a year, would be at the center of a family dispute after his passing. 

Irwin gained national fame for his coaching work at the University of Pennsylvania. In April 1894 his college team defeated the National League Phillies, his major league squad. In 1895 he published a successful baseball training manual titled “Practical Ball Playing.” In light of this recognition as a top baseball coach and teacher, Japanese authorities approached Irwin in 1911 offering him $15,000 if he would come to Japan and help train their ball clubs for three years. He turned them down. 

After he left the majors, Irwin coached at Penn from 1900-03. In 1901 he took part in the National league’s unsuccessful attempt to revive the old American Association – an attempt to block the up surging American League. Irwin was to own and operate the Boston entry. 

In July 1902 Irwin was added to the umpire roster of the National League, working 49 games through the end of the year. He did not garner favorable press for his exploits as an umpire. Several remarks were made in the newspapers highlighting his ineptitude behind the plate and on the bases and the fact that he had put on considerable weight since leaving the majors as an active player. In those 49 games he ejected ten men. 

He managed (and probably owned a % of some of the clubs):

1903 Providence of the Eastern League

1904 Toronto of the Eastern League

1905 Kansas City of the American Association

1906-07 Altoona, PA of the Tri-State League 

In 1908 Irwin was a part of Al Lawson’s outlaw Union League which lasted from March to June. He managed and operated the Washington club. 

At the end of 1908, Irwin hooked up with New York Highlanders’ owner Frank Farrell. Clark Griffith had just left the team, having run all on-the-field aspects for the club since it moved to New York in 1903. Farrell, not a career baseball man, needed men around him that were. He hired Irwin as one of his three main scouts. Irwin would travel the country seeking talent and help oversee operations during spring training. He also became a close advisor to Farrell and would accompany him on business trips and to baseball meetings. Irwin was referred to, at various times, as the club’s scout or business manager. He remained with the club until Farrell sold the franchise to Jacob Ruppert and T.L. Huston at the turn of 1915. 

He managed (and probably owned a % of some of the clubs):

1915-16 Lewiston of the New England League (1/3 owner)

1917 Toronto of the International League

1918-20 Rochester of the International League

1921 Hartford of the Eastern League 

Irwin was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. 

DEATH 

In June 1921 Irwin was suffering abdominal trouble. He was taken to a hospital in Hartford, Connecticut on June 21. He was found to have cancer and given a bleak outlook. The doctors expected him to die (and probably painfully) within a short time (perhaps weeks). He refused major surgery which would perhaps grant him a few extra months. 

Irwin gave up his job as Hartford’s manager and left the hospital around July 4^th. He took care of some business in Hartford with his wife May and then went home with her to their New York apartment. During this time he sold his royalties in the scoreboard business for $2,000. He gave May $1,500 and mailed the other $500 to Boston in a letter that cryptically stated, “God bless you all. P.S. The bills were terribly heavy.” The letter is noteworthy in the fact that he had never talked in such a manner and his addressee had never received that much money from him before. The addressee was his other wife Elizabeth. 

On July 14 Irwin left New York on the steam ship Calvin Austin bound for Boston. He was headed for his hometown and his first wife. During the trip, friends said that Irwin was depressed and talking about ending his life – stating that he was, “Going home to die.” He also discussed his medical issues and the fact that doctors had a bleak outlook. The ship arrived in Boston on July 16 but Irwin was nowhere to be found. His clothes and luggage were in his stateroom, but it was assumed that he jumped overboard at some point, committing suicide and dying in the Atlantic Ocean. 

“BOSTON” FAMILY 

As noted, Irwin grew up in Boston. Circa 1883 he married a local girl named Elizabeth, born circa 1858, often called Lizzie. The couple had four children: Arthur H. (called Herbert) in 1884; Alice in February 1886; Edna in May 1889. A fourth child was born but died young. 

“NEW YORK” FAMILY 

While in Philadelphia as manager from 1894-95, Irwin met a local lady named May, thirteen years his younger. They were married some time between 1894 and 1896. The couple had one child in June 1897 named Harold. 

DUAL LIFE 

In the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Censuses Irwin is listed as living separate lives with both families. Neither family knew about the other family. Neither wife knew about the other wife. None of Irwin’s friends or business associates seemed to know about the two wives either. 

After so many years (hard to determine when), Irwin pulled away from his Boston family. He lived primarily with May. Irwin and May moved to Manhattan, probably while Irwin was employed by the Highlanders. They are listed as residing there in the 1910 and 1920 U.S. Censuses (residing in Philadelphia for 1900 Census). 

Irwin would make infrequent trips to Boston to be with Elizabeth and their children. Elizabeth is listed as residing with her daughter Edna (Harris) and family in the 1920 Census. Irwin also sent very little money to his Boston family (hence his reference in the letter, “The bills were terribly heavy.”). By 1920, Elizabeth was near destitute. 

The families did not know about each other until visiting Irwin in the hospital in June 1921. It became public immediately after Irwin’s death. Irwin’s New York son Harold visited the hospital and found out he had a brother. New York wife May stated that the only family she knew of Arthur’s was his brothers Richard and John. Whether those two knew of May is unclear. Boston wife Elizabeth was stoic upon hearing the news, taking comfort in the fact that he was headed to her at the time of his death. 

Irwin’s Boston son Herbert was particularly bitter over the fact that Irwin had provided financially for his New York family but often ignored his Boston family. It also became clear to Herbert why his father continually slipped up during his infrequent visits by calling him “Harold.” Herbert went on the offensive after his father’s death seeking financial benefits for his mother. (In the matter of the royalties and that Irwin supposedly had a good deal of insurance.)