Part Two: Michael Ebner's All-time History All-Star Baseball Team

Professor Michael Ebner has compiled his All Star Baseball team.  Who are your historic all-stars?

Catcher – Moses Fleetwood Walker – (Toledo Blue Stockings, 1884)

Fleetwood Moses

Arguably, Walker was the first African American to play major league baseball. (The Toledo franchise was then considered major league, via its status in the short-lived American Association). Walker, a graduate of Oberlin College, quickly found himself the subject of race-based ostracism. When the Blue Stockings found themselves scheduled to play an exhibition games against the Chicago White Stockings, its playing manager Adrian “Cap” Anson – future Hall of Famer – refused to take to the field unless Walker was banned from the roster. Walker’s manager countered Anson, saying that he would indeed list Walker in the starting lineup and that if the White Stockings refused to take the field they would forfeit the day’s receipts. The White Stockings played the game, but the tone for racial separatism in baseball was struck. Although African-Americans competed at the major league level into the 1890s, in the wake of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) – establishing the legitimacy of racial segregation protected by the United States Constitution – organized baseball became all white until 1947

Firstbase – Dorothy Kamenshek (Rockford Peaches, 1943-53)

Dorothy Kameshek

Kamenshek – widely known as Kammie – gained regard as an all-around athlete. Originally an outfielder, her fielding skills ed to her taking up first base where she spent most of her career. Kammie won two consecutive batting titles, 1943 and 1944, in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and also was selected seven times for its All-Star team. In the overall history of the AAGPBL she stood out as its all-time batting leader with a career average of .296. Sports Illustrated would include her, in a 1999 compilation, among the greatest women athletes of the twentieth century. Eventually her career was curtailed by persistent back injuries, but not before she received an offer – which she declined, dismissing it as a publicity stunt – to join a team in the Florida International League. During her career with the Peaches she earned a weekly salary ranging from $50 to $100. In the iconic feature-length film A League of Their Own (1992) the role played by actress Geena Davis is reminiscent of Kamenshek, referred to as “Dottie.” Baseball was only an early chapter in her life. Pursuing a college education at Marquette University, she enjoyed a long and celebrated career in Los Angeles as a physical therapist. Dorothy Kamenshek once told a journalist: “Baseball was just natural. I didn’t have to work at it too hard. School was hard.”

Second base — Jake Pitler (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1917-18)

Jake Pitler

Pitler had an undistinguished career in the major leagues, compiling a lifetime batting average of .232. No home runs! Pitler exited major league baseball, it should be clarified, to enlist in the military during the First World War. I encountered “Mr. Pitler,” as he was then referred to, as the first-base coach of my beloved Brooklyn Dodgers between 1947 and 1957. Each season when the baseball schedule coincided with Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the Dodger radio and television announcers dutifully informed listeners about his absence from the coaching box: “Today is a Jewish high holiday, accounting for the absence of Mr. Pitler.” When won their first World Series ever in 1955, the poet Marianne Moore – a devoted fan of the team – composed “Hometown Piece for Messrs. Alston and Reese.” Her classic poem – which I have cherished over the years and is widely esteemed in American culture – makes reference to Pitler (” … Jake, that hearty man.”)

Shortstop – Andy Cohen (New York Giants, 1926, 1928-1929)

Andy Cohen

Andy Cohen, native of El Paso, Texas, reached the Giants as a great Jewish hope. The team management foresaw his elevation from the minor leagues as a strategy intended to bring hordes of new fans to the Polo Grounds. The Giants would even trade away its cantankerous second baseman Roger Hornsby to the Boston Braves – eventually elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, with a lifetime batting average of .358 — to make room. Cohen had potential, but expectations were exaggerated by the Giants. “Every time Andy comes to bat,” wrote one commentator, “he feels he must make a hit . . . for the Jewish race.” Although admittedly slow-footed defensively, he showed considerable promise offensively. Over parts of three seasons he compiled a batting average of .281, including fourteen home runs. But Cohen’s promise was squandered as he became a focal point in positive as well as destructive ways that short-circuited his career in the major leagues.

Third base – Bobby Brown (New York Yankees, 1946-54)

Brown allowed himself to play part-time for the Yankees because he was pursuing a medical degree, specializing in cardiology. Also missed a year and a half while serving in the US military. Nonetheless, he played for the Yankees over the course of four seasons when they won the World Series. Upon retiring from his medical career Brown returned to baseball as a vice president of the Texas Rangers and then as president of the American League. Dr. Brown underscores that in the postwar era that more and more professional baseball players attained college educations. His lifetime batting average was .279, with 22 home runs.

Outfield – Vince DiMaggio (Boston Braves, 1937-38, Cincinnati Reds, 1939-40, Pittburgh Pirate, 1940-44, Philadelphia Phillies, 1945-46, New York Giants, 1946)

Vince DiMaggio

Vince is the oldest of the three DiMaggio brothers who played major league baseball, the others being Joe (New York Yankees) and Dominick (Boston Red Sox). Vince compiled a .249 career batting average but hit 126 home runs. He was a member of the National League All-Star team in 1943-44. Keep in mind, of course, that Vince compiled his laurels mostly during the years when baseball talent was depleted by military service during World War II. We know about several two- brother combinations playing major league baseball – Lloyd and Paul Waner, Paul and Dizzy Dean, Hank and Tommy Aaron, Ramon and Paul Martinez among several others. We also have another three-brother tandem in Cloyd, Claude, and Ken Boyer as well as the five Delahanty brothers!

Outfield – Curt Flood (Cincinnati Reds, 1956-57, St. Louis Cardinals, 1958-1969, & Washington Senators, 1971 )

Curt Flood

Curt Flood – an adept defensive player with a good bat (career batting average of .293) is best known for his unwillingness to accept a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1969. Instead he instituted litigation aimed at upending organized baseball’s longstanding reserve clause. Flood v. Kuhn made its way to the United States Supreme Court, premised on the plaintiff’s claim that major league baseball had violated the federal anti-trust statute. Flood claimed being bounded to a baseball team against his wishes seemed akin to slavery, sounding a note that seemingly draws upon the nineteenth-century African American abolitionist – and escaped slave – Frederick Douglass. His attorney was Arthur Goldberg, a famed labor lawyer from Chicago who had once served on the United States Supreme Court. The court ruled in favor of the status quo, in a 5-3 decision. In 1975 the reserve clause was overturned via arbitration, in a case initiated by Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally. This opened the era of free agency.

Outfield– Vic Power (Philadelphia Athletics, 1954, Kansas City Athletics, 1955-57, Cleveland Indians, 1958, Kansas City Athletics, 1958, Cleveland Indians, 1959-61, Minnesota Twins, 1962-63, Los Angeles Angels, 1964, Minnesota Twins, 1964, Philadelphia Phillies, 1964, and California Angels, 1965)

Vic Power supposedly would integrate the New York Yankees. But something went awry – not explained in the newspapers that I avidly scoured – that prevented him from achieving this milestone. Instead he found himself playing – initially at first base – for the dreadful Philadelphia Athletics when he entered the major leagues in 1954. Power had won the International League batting title in 1953, playing for the Yankee’s Triple A team in Syracuse. Roger Kahn, a legendary chronicler of baseball history, tells us that the underlying reason involved Power having crossed the color line in his romantic life. As a major league player Power would win seven Golden Glove awards and play on four All-Star teams.  Elston Howard joined the Yankees in 1955, the first player of color on its roster. Which MLB team was the last to integrate?

Pitcher – Dave DeBusschere (Chicago White Sox, 1962-1963)

DeBusschere pitched for the Chicago White Sox, compiling a career won-loss record of three wins and four losses before opting to devote his substantial athletic talents to playing professional basketball (Detroit Pistons, 1962-1969 and the New York Knickerbockers, 1969-1974). He was, in fact, the playing head coach of the Pistons from 1964 to 1967. An eight-time NBA all-star, DeBusschere entered the Basketball Hall of Fame with his Knick teammate Bill Bradley. Subsequently he served as general manager of the New York Nets, commissioner of the American Basketball Association (later merged into the NBA), and director of basketball operations for the Knicks. DeBusschere is one athletes on the considerable list of big league baseball players who also professionally played another sport. A handful of examples include: Gene Conley (NBA); Dick Groat (NBA); Deion Sanders (NFL);George Halas (NFL); Bo Jackson (NFL); and Vic Janowicz (NFL).  What about a National Hockey League player who also participated in MLB, NBA, or NFL?

Pitcher – Steve Gromek (Cleveland Indians, 1941-1953 & Detroit Tigers, 1953-1957)

Steve Gromek and Larry Doby

Gromek compiled a 123-108 record over seventeen years in the major leagues. His best year was 1945, when he his record was 19 wins and 9 losses. So what’s the story? Gromek, of Polish stock, publically embraced his Indian rookie teammate Larry Doby, whose home run won game # four in the World Series in 1948. Gromek was the winning pitcher.  Doby was the first African American in the American League. Their joyous embrace was captured by a newspaper photographer, gaining iconic regard because it illustrated that sports transcended racial taboos and barriers. When Steve Gromek passed away in 2002, the picture of him embracing Larry Doby attained a new round of regard. This iconic image appears frequently in American history textbooks.

Manager – The College of Coaches for the Chicago Cubs (1961-65)

Phillip K Wrigley and the "preposterous" College of Coaches

In one of major league baseball’s more bizarre turns, club owner Philip K. Wrigley – following the team’s fourteenth consecutive finish in the second division – replaced the concept of the team having a designated manager. Enter Wrigley’s preposterous invention of the College of Coaches. During those two seasons the team have six different head coaches (Vedie Himsl, Harry Craft, Elvin Tappe, Lou Klien during 1961 and then Elvin Tappe, Lou Klein, and Charlie Metro in 1962). Not a single one of them compiled a won-loss record above .500! Bob Kennedy then became the single Head Coach for 1963, compiling the team’s first winning record of 82-80, also the first winning season for the Cubs since 1946. Three future members of the Hall of Fame – Ernie Banks, Lou Brock, and Billy Williams – played for the team during this experiment. It is best recalled for the confusion and uncertainty it fostered. The College of Coaches officially ended when Leo Durocher was named as the manager of the Cubs beginning with the 1966 season.