Friday, September 21, 2012

Chief Wilson

SABR - "Owen Wilson is most remembered for hitting 36 triples in 1912, which is not only a major league record, but also a record for all of organized baseball. To the modern fan, that fact conjures up images of a speedy leadoff hitter racing around the bases, but that image does not square with Owen Wilson. At 6' 2" and 185 pounds, the left-handed hitting slugger was powerfully built and not particularly fast (his 1912 stolen base total of 16 was one shy of his career best), and he typically batted sixth or seventh in the batting order. Wilson typically blasted his triples over the heads of rival outfielders."
SABR: Chief Wilson


Wikipedia - "John Owen 'Chief' Wilson (August 21, 1883 – February 22, 1954) was a professional baseball player. He played nine season in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1908–13) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1914–16), primarily as a right fielder. Born in Austin, Texas, Wilson was an outfielder with a strong throwing arm. He broke into the majors in 1908 with the Pirates and helped them win the pennant and World Series the following year." 
Wikipedia

Interview with “Chief Bender’s Burden” Author Tom Swift
"Hall of Famer Charles Albert “Chief” Bender played one season with the Phillies, but he is much better known for the 12 seasons he spent across town with the Philadelphia A’s. He won over 63% of his starts, and the higher the pressure was, the better he performed, winning six World Series games with a 2.44 ERA in the Fall Classic. He is also credited by many as being the inventor of the slider. While he loved Philadelphia, he also struggled here, as his Native American heritage caused him to be taunted both home and away, and belittled in newspaper reports. Even his nickname, Chief, was an insult."
Philly Sports History

Chief Bender's Burden: The Silent Struggle of a Baseball Star
"The greatest American Indian baseball player of all time, Charles Albert Bender was, according to a contemporary, “the coolest pitcher in the game.” Using a trademark delivery, an impressive assortment of pitches that may have included the game’s first slider, and an apparently unflappable demeanor, he earned a reputation as baseball’s great clutch pitcher during tight Deadball Era pennant races and in front of boisterous World Series crowds. More remarkably yet, “Chief” Bender’s Hall of Fame career unfolded in the face of enormous prejudice."
amazon

Baseball Reference

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