Hometown Heros
 

That is players born in or that spent a significant portion of there life's in your hometown.Hopefully this thread will get a lot of different issues of cards posted.For me its Mr.Hooker.Born,raised,and died in Richmond Va.He even played a season or two for the local Richmond Team.Pop Tate is another that comes to mind but I don't have an example of him yet.So who is yours?

Hometown Hero...Joe Vosmik of the Cleveland Indians
 

Joe Vosmik was born in Cleveland in 1910 and played for the Indians from 1930-36. By far his best season was 1935 when he led the league with 216 hits, 47 doubles, and 20 triples. He batted .348 that season, and came in third in MVP voting behind Hank Greenberg and Wes Ferrell. I always thought how cool it would be to play professional ball in the town you grew up in. Here he is in the 1936 R322 Goudey Issue, in his last season with Cleveland.

Fred Tenney
 

Fred Tenney was born on Sunday, November 26, 1871, in Georgetown, Massachusetts. Tenney was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 16, 1894, with the Boston Beaneaters. With the exception of a brief two-year stint with the Giants (1908-1909), Tenney played his entire career with the Boston Nationals, retiring in 1911 with 2,231 hits and a lifetime .294 average. Tenney died on July 3, 1952 at Massachusetts General Hospital after a long illness. He was interred at Harmony Chapel and Cemetery in Georgetown.

My hometown, Madison Wisconsin, was the hometown of speed skater Eric Heiden and the only person to win two science Nobel Prizes, John Bardeen (both in physics). That might average out to a baseball player.

The Seattle neighborhood were I now live, West Seattle, was hometown of lobotomized actress Frances Farmer. She went to elementary school right near me, then West Seattle High.

Two guys from my hometown, Scotch Plains, N.J. "Skeets" Nehemiah was a freshman when I was a senior in high school. My brother played baseball and football with Jeff Hammonds, who played for the Orioles, Brewers and Rockies.

My hometown is Kearny, NJ, birthplace of Dots Miller. His niece married into my family, so six of my relatives are also related to him. Ownie Carroll used to live in town too, so I have a couple cards of him, as well as Sam Dente.

Ellensburg, WA - James Ferguson pitched for the Ellensburg Deathdealers in 1891. His son, Lester "Stump" Ferguson, played in the minor leagues for many years with the Kittitas Sluggers (1920), Ellensburg Hawks (1921-26), San Francisco Seals (1926-27), Minneapolis (1928), and Denver (1929-30). His career was cut short by injuries.

The Ferguson family is legendary in Ellensburg. They once held amateur rodeos at their ranch in the teens/twenties. These "Sunday rodeos" were popular events and later became the Ellensburg Rodeo, held every Labor Day weekend since 1923. Stump passed away while training horses at LongAcres Race Track in Renton (ca. 1970).

Unfortunately, no images available. Here's a photo of James' younger brother Ben (co-founder of Ellensburg Rodeo).
http://www.washingtonruralheritage.c...nsburg/id/2921

Mount Morris NY- hometown of Ross Barnes, 19th century great.

Gary,
Somewhere in my collection, I have a picture of a Mt. Morris (high school?) baseball team from 1929.

My hometown of Hamilton Missouri, birthplace of Zach Wheat. Sorry about the size of some of these pictures, have a new computer trying to get things figured out.

Players from my hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska include: Alex Gordon, Joba Chamberlain, Ted Easterly, Al Bool, Lyman Lamb, Les Mann, and Bob Cerv who was a former neighbor of mine and a nice guy.

<a href="http://s22.photobucket.com/user/nudan92/media/1878-1946%20Lincoln%20Baseball/1938lincolnlinksball2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/nudan92/1878-1946%20Lincoln%20Baseball/1938lincolnlinksball2.jpg" border="0" alt="1938 Lincoln Links photo 1938lincolnlinksball2.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s22.photobucket.com/user/nudan92/media/The%20Players/albool.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/nudan92/The%20Players/albool.jpg" border="0" alt="Al Bool photo albool.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s22.photobucket.com/user/nudan92/media/Nebraska%20Indians%20Baseball%20Team/DSC01970.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/nudan92/Nebraska%20Indians%20Baseball%20Team/DSC01970.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC01970.jpg"/></a>

Tom- I would like to see your picture. I would know if it was Mount Morris NY as I do local sports research occasionally. I don't believe I have seen an image of the 1929 baseball team. 1931 is as far back as I've seen.

Robin Roberts, the pride of Springfield, Illinois

Ken,

Fantastic Zach Wheat collection!

Thanks Joe.

I'll second that. How did you accumulate so many personal items of his?

Purchased from his family.

From Savannah ...........


The T210-1 boys:

Attachment 121238

Ernie Howard:

Attachment 121240

Camnitz (HARRY):

Attachment 121239

Always love Mulford's "devil-may-care" attitude. He was big in the last of "on road" auto racing, which had it's final days in Savannah (although he did also win the first Indy track race):

Attachment 121241

.............. some guy named Joe Jackson spent his retired life in Sav., but that has some collecting difficulties ........ :):(

Casper, Wyoming. Birthplace of the great Mike Devereaux, NLCS MVP in 1995 while playing for the Braves. It isn't the easiest task finding a Major Leauger from Wyoming though there have been a few :)

North Platte
 

Zane Smith and Bill Hayes (catcher with the Cubs who only had a cup of coffee), only 2 I know of from North Platte, Nebraska

Attachment 121288

SF had a pretty sweet run during the pre-war era... here are a few (don't have pics of my Dom and Vince, so maybe another SFer can add).

Attachment 121293
Attachment 121297Attachment 121298Attachment 121296
Attachment 121294Attachment 121299

... and my childhood hometown, Portola Valley (and tiny Corte Madera junior high) produced a couple MLBers that there when I was.

Attachment 121300Attachment 121301

There have been some great athletes born in my hometown of Milwaukee, including Olympic Gold medalist speed skater Dan Jansen, and Collin Kaepernick, the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. But as far as baseball players go, one of the game's all-time greats was born here. Hall of Famer Al Simmons.

http://www.legendaryauctions.com/Ite.../0007_med.jpeg

Simmons batted .334 over a 20 year career. He won two batting titles, hitting .381 in 1930, and .390 in 1931. He had 253 hits in 1925, scored 152 runs in 1930, and drove in 157 runs in 1927. For the first 11 years of his career, he was a .354 hitter, averaging a whopping 232 hits per 162 games played. He hit .387 in 1925, .341 in 1926, .392 in 1927, .351 in 1928, and .365 in 1929 before finally breaking through to win his first batting title. He ended his career with 2,927 hits, 307 home runs and 1,828 RBI.

Searched Baseball Almanac for
 

some of the players born where I was born (Hackensack NJ) as well as where I grew up (Saddle Brook, NJ) which when this player was born was Saddle River Township NJ.

http://img.comc.com/original/44c52fc...524e8181a7.jpg
Courtesy of COMC.com

http://img.comc.com/original/9af34d0...360ba0121c.jpg
Courtesy of COMC.com

http://img.comc.com/original/0b416cf...350c3275c4.jpg
Courtesy of COMC.com

http://img.comc.com/original/caa27b8...5ff3025697.jpg
Courtesy of COMC.com

And the one from my home town

http://img.comc.com/original/36afe93...7631f415e5.jpg
Courtesy of COMC.com

And because this thead fascinated me at 4 AM on a Sunday Morning: I never realized (and I should have) that an original astronaut was also from my birthplace

http://img.comc.com/original/9b99d0b...afdfa8a9da.jpg
Courtesy of COMC.com

http://img.comc.com/original/6aefb22...7368ddf55c.jpg
Courtesy of COMC.com

There are others as well

I've had two primary residences in my life and each has boasted a famous athlete.

I grew up in Cedarhurst, NY, a town in the southwestern corner of Long Island. During my sophomore year at Lawrence High School, our very successful football team was anchored by Lyle Alzado. Lyle was an absolute terror and the best player in the county. I was terrified of him, and whenever I saw him in the hallway I would walk the other way. He once threatened to beat me up (he thought my hair was too long) but fortunately forgot about it by the next day. We all thought he would end up in prison or worse. Luckily, he was able to channel his anger and volatility into a fine NFL career.

For the past forty years I've lived in the Cobble Hill/Brooklyn Heights area. Our most famous athlete was Jim Creighton. Creighton lived and died at his parents' home at 307 Henry Street, about four blocks away. During his years with the Brooklyn Excelsiors, he walked a few blocks to their clubhouse at 133 Clinton Street (I live on Clinton St. too, several blocks south). There is currently a plaque on the front of the building that mentions him and the great Excelsior team. When he died there was a funeral procession through the neighborhood, it was a pretty big event.

Two athletes who had little in common except they both died too young.

South River NJ Hometown to Joe Thiesmann , Drew Pearson and Alex Wojciechowicz

Oceanside, New York. Where both Dennis Leonard and John Frascatore played high school ball. Both before my time. We also claim former QB Jay Fiedler.

Josh- wasn't Boomer Esaison from your neck of the woods?

Framingham, MA: Pie Traynor!

Looks like he is from Islip, which is Suffolk County. In other words, a long way out there.

You got a pre-WWII player from there, Pete Sivess. He played for 1936-38 Phillies. A quick search didn't find any baseball cards, but he is a fairly easy autograph to obtain and there are some cool old pics around

Now that you mention that, my Grandfather new him and a group went to Pittsburg to watch him. I remember my Grandfather telling the story going on the train and horseshoe curve. I grew up in So River

well you gotta get this then! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pete-Sivess-...item43c1b4ace4

The Rock, B. J. Penn, and Oprah, are my neighbors! :) Dave.

Thanks for the info

I'm pretty sure Boomer played in Nassau County. My old gym teacher Sal Ciampi was his high school coach.

I just googled it and you are right. My bad memory.

Hi Barry! It amazes me that you have had only two primary residences in your life. Whew! I must have had 2 or 3 dozen! Dave.:)

I've lived in the same apartment for forty years!:)

I had not thought about Renaldo Nehemiah in years, but I will always have a soft spot for him. I was around 10 or 11 when my father took me to a Nehemiah autograph signing at a local mall here in eastern PA. At the time, Nehemiah was in the football portion of his athletic career. In hindsight, having an autograph session with a 49er with no playing ties to the Philadelphia market was only going to be so successful.

As result, maybe a dozen people showed up for Nehemiah's autograph. Even as a kid, I knew it was a sad turnout. I am sure it had to be a disappointment for Nehemiah to show up for such a small gathering, but he could not have been nicer. Thirty years later, I can still remember him asking me what sports I played and expressing sincere interest in my answers.

Gary,
Here is my photo from Mt. Morris, 1929.

For me in canada it is not a beaseball player. It is a hockey players .. born and death in my town. Every years i go to the cimetery to see his tombstone.

http://i55.servimg.com/u/f55/11/52/54/64/sweetc10.jpg

Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) is the pride of Mound, MN. He played football in high school so this kinda fits.

University City, Missouri. A suburb just west of St. Louis.

Bud Black, major-league pitcher
Bing Devine, General Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals
Bernard Gilkey, major-league outfielder
Ken Holtzman, major-league pitcher
Ed Mickelson, major-league first baseman
Art Shamsky, major-league outfielder
Lew Wolff, co-owner of the Oakland Athletics

Bob Gale, co-writer Back to the Future
Nelly, rapper
Tennessee Williams, playwright

I really did have an english teacher, who said on the first day of class, "If I could flunk Tennessee Williams, I can flunk you too". :D:D:D

Santee, California (a suburb east of San Diego)

Terry Forster (pitched for the White Sox, Pirates, Braves and Dodgers)
Jim Tatum (played for the Rockies and Padres)
Stephen Strasburg
Also Lon Hinkle (pro golfer)

Others who went to high school in the same district as me:

Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR)
Bill Walton (NBA HOFer)
Greg Louganis (Olympic diver)
Bill Anders (Apollo 8 astronaut)
Mark Malone (QB for the Steelers and Chargers)
Reggie Bush (Heisman Trophy)
Dennis Hopper (actor)
Brian Sipe (QB for the Browns)
Barry Zito (pitcher for the A's and Giants)

Steve

Neighborhood BB heroes
 

I grew up in Hillside, NJ (1945 - 1965)......we lived on Concord Place. Two blocks away, on Westminster Avenue, lived the Phil Rizzuto family.
Phil would drive down our street on his way to Yankee Stadium.

We always knew it was Phil because he was the only one in our neighborhood who drove a tiny 1953 Nash Metropolitan 2-seater convertible.
Phil would often stop and talk with us kids. A really friendly and talkative guy.

Needless to say, I became an avid Yankees fan. Fast forward to 1984, I'll share with you a nice story about Phil....which I will post later.


http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...Rizzuto75x.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...izzExhibit.jpg
TED Z

Scooter's scooter? (Ted, if you can would like to hear your opinion on the Magee/Magie thread below this one titled "Compare the Names" Whatchathink? Dave.

David

That indeed was the Scooter's 4-wheeled "scooter". In fact that car entered into the conversation Phil and I had in the story I'm about to tell you guys.




http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...manRizzuto.jpghttp://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...alsRIZZUTO.jpg



April 1984....I was at the ticket counter at Newark Airport for a flight to Chicago. In front of me was Rizzuto. I started the conversation reminiscing about the old neighborhood.
He thanked me for asking about his wife, Cora....and, that he still attends to his garden and flowers. They lived in a beautiful ivy covered English Tudor house. And, I asked Phil
if he still had his Nash Metropolitan ?

He was quite excited that I remembered it, it was one of his favorite cars. But, no....he had sold it to a vintage car collector.

Phil was flying to Chicago to do the Yankees game at Comiskey Park. We boarded the plane after a 2-hour delay. Phil invited me to sit in 1st class with him. We had a wonderful
time "Talkin' BaseBall" and reminiscing about the "good ole days" back in our neighborhood.


TED Z

reggie jackson is from my current hometown (Wyncote, PA) and we both went to Cheltenham High school.