*** Welcome to piglix ***

Mike Mowrey

Mike Mowrey
Mike Mowrey.jpg
Third baseman
Born: (1884-03-24)March 24, 1884
Browns Mill, Pennsylvania
Died: March 20, 1947(1947-03-20) (aged 62)
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 24, 1905, for the Cincinnati Reds
Last MLB appearance
August 13, 1917, for the Brooklyn Robins
MLB statistics
Batting average .256
Home runs 7
Runs batted in 461
Stolen bases 167
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • 1916 National League Pennant

Harry Harlan Mowrey (born March 24, 1884 in Browns Mill, Pennsylvania – died March 20, 1947 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania), was an American professional baseball third baseman who played in the Major Leagues from 1905 to 1917. He would play for the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Robins, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Jacob Mowrey, Harry's father and the town's sheriff, frequently housed tramps in his jail cell overnight. Young Harry became particularly friendly with one tramp, prompting one of his brothers to nickname him "Mike the Hobo."

Mowrey was best known for his unorthodox fielding style—instead of catching a hard smash in his glove, he would knock the ball to the ground and then pick it up to throw out the runner. Defending against the bunt was a corner infielder's primary responsibility during the Deadball Era, and in 1910 Alfred H. Spink called Mowrey "the best fielder of bunts in either league."

Mowrey grew up playing baseball with school and town teams in the Chambersburg area. By the turn of the century he was a third baseman for Chambersburg Academy, playing well enough in 1902 to earn a shot with an team from Chester, Pennsylvania, just south of Philadelphia, in the independent Pennsylvania League. Mowrey returned to central Pennsylvania with Williamsport of the independent Tri-State League in 1904, the same year he married Nannie K. Hammel (the couple remained married until his death 43 years later). In 1905 Mowrey joined the ranks of affiliated baseball with Savannah of the South Atlantic League. His .285 batting average and flashy defensive play at third base so impressed the Cincinnati Reds that they purchased his contract.

Mowrey made his first major league debut on September 24, 1905, playing both games of a doubleheader. He appeared in seven games that season, batting .267 but making seven errors at third base. Mowrey spent most of 1906 with Baltimore of the Eastern League, which was owned by Cincinnati manager Ned Hanlon. The Reds recalled him in August to avoid losing him in the minor-league draft, and Mowrey hit .321 in 21 games.


...
Wikipedia

...