Johnny Kling of the 1896 Buffs went on to become the star catcher of the Turn of the 20th Century Chicago Cubs and the first former Houston player to manage in the big leagues with the 1912 Boston Braves.
As usually happens, it’s almost inevitable, Saturday’s meeting of the Early Houston Baseball History project fed the spark of new discovery. Teammate Steve Bertone noted that his own research had produced some marvel over the numbers of former Houston Buff players who later went on to become successful big league managers, and that was enough comment to incite secondary spark from others to starting filling in the blanks.
I spent some time Sunday on the DL with a disabling back “episode,” but that never stops my mind. I used the time to start filling in the blanks with the names of those former minor league Houston Buff players who later went on to become MLB managers (period). Most of the people I found actually were successful – in fact, in some cases, Hall of Fame successful.
Here’s what I found, with a nod to anyone who reads this blurb and really cares. Can you think of anyone I’ve missed or overlooked? You will be contributing to the work of history, if you come up with anything and you will be listed in our book as a contributor, if your submission of new correct information as a comment upon this column is the first to be received, and if you are willing to supply and take public credit under your actual legal name in print.
Here’s what I found – by name and year(s) of service as a Buff player – and followed by the MLB team(s) they managed by years of service with /World Series and pennant year activity, where applicable:
1) Johnny Kling (1896) – Boston Braves (1912)
2) Tris Speaker (1907) – Cleveland Indians (1919-26) / 1920 WSC
3) Jim Bottomley (1921) – St. Louis Browns (1937)
4) Eddie Dyer (1923) – St. Louis Cardinals (1946-50) / 1946 WSC
5) Don Gutteridge (1934) – Chicago White Sox (1969-70)
6) Johnny Keane (1934-37, 1946-48) – St. Louis Cardinals (1961-64) New York Yankees (1965-66) / WSC 1964
7) Walter Alston (1937) – Brooklyn Dodgers (1954-57); Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-76) / WSC 1955, 1959, 1963, 1965; MLB Pennants: 1955, 1959, 1963, 1965; 1966; 1974.
8) Danny Murtaugh (1940-41) – Pittsburgh Pirates (1957-64, 1967- 76) /1960, 1971 WSC
9) Solly Hemus (1947-49) – St. Louis Cardinals (1959-61)
10) Del Wilber (1949) – Texas Rangers (1973)
11) Vern Rapp (1950) – St. Louis Cardinals (1977-78)
12) Earl Weaver (1951) – Baltimore Orioles (1968-86) / 1970 WSC; 1969, 1970, 1971, 1979 AL pennants;
13) Ken Boyer (1954) – St. Louis Cardinals (1978-80)
14) Harry Walker (1956-58) – Pittsburgh Pirates (1965-67); Houston Astros (1968-72)
WSC = World Series Championship
The Pecan Park Eagle 
October 22, 2012 at 2:36 pm |
Check out that log he is holding – I mean bat.
October 22, 2012 at 3:32 pm |
One omission: Herman Franks (Giants, 1965-1968; Cubs, 1977-1979) played for the Buffs in 1937, along with Johnny Keane and Walter Alston. Franks, a catcher, appeared in only 10 games and hit just .130 in 23 at-bats. He spent most of the 1937 season at Sacramento, the St. Louis affiliate in the Pacific Coast League, where he hit .265. As a manager, Franks had very good teams in San Francisco but finished second four consecutive seasons despite winning more than 90 games three times. With the Cubs, his teams finished no higher than third.
October 22, 2012 at 3:57 pm |
Here are some additional major league managers who played for Houston minor league teams:
Bill Joyce (1889 Houston) – Managed New York NL teams 1896-98.
Jewel Ens (1920 Houston) – Managed Pittsburgh Pirate teams 1922-25.
Ray Blades (1921, 1922, & 1929 Houston) – Managed St. Louis Cardinals 1939 & 1940; Managed 1948 Dodgers for one game.
Joe Schultz (1932 & 1939 Houston) – Managed 1969 Seattle Pilots and 1973 Detroit Tigers.
Herman Franks (1937 Houston) – Managed 1965 & 1966 San Francisco Giants and 1977 through 1979 Chicago Cubs.
Bob Scheffing (1937 Houston) – Managed 1957-59 Cubs and 1961-63 Tigers.
Bill Norman (1941 Houston) – Managed 1954-55 Tigers.
Mel McGaha (1948, 1949, & 1952 Houston) – Managed 1962 Cleveland Indians and 1964-65 Kansas City A’s.
John McNamara (1952 Houston) – Managed 1969-70 Oakland A’s, 1974-77 Padres, 1979-82 Reds, 1983-84 Angels, 1985-88 Red Sox, 1990-91 Indians, and 1996 Angels.
Bill Hickman
October 22, 2012 at 4:47 pm |
Thank you. Bill. Thank you one and all. This is great! John Watkins was already on our list of contributors. Now the name “Bill Hickman” rightfully joins him. I think you know how much contribution means to us, but please come to Houston for SABR 2014 and we shall do our best to show you “Houston Baseball.” – It’s important to note that Cubs great Johnny Kling was not the first Buff to manage in the “Bigs” after all. Per your information, that “First Buff to the Bigs as a Manager” title goes to Bill Joyce of the 1889 club. – Johnny Kling didn’t play long for the 1896 Houston club, but he did pass through here on his way to Chicago as an outstanding catcher and later to Boston as a manager.
October 22, 2012 at 10:43 pm
Thanks, Bill, for your invitation to the SABR National Convention in Houston in 2014. Will be there if at all possible. I’m sure that it will be a stellar event.