Pre War Multi Sport Athletes and Coaches
 

I just acquired this Earle "Greasy" Neale 1919-21 W514 card yesterday. It got me to thinking about other Pre War multi sport athletes and coaches. Also scanned is my Hugo Bezdek from the same W514 set.

Show us your pre war multi sport stars.

Greasy Neale played Major League Baseball from 1916-1924, primarily for the Cincinnati Reds. He made the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the coach of the 2 time NFL champion Eagles from 1941-1950. Neale also played pro football (pre NFL) from 1917-1919, coached college football from 1915-1940 and also coached college basketball from 1919-1921.

Born in Prague, Austria-Hungary in 1884, Hugo Bezdek played college football at the University of Chicago from 1904-1905. He coached college football, college baseball and college basketball on and off from 1906-1949. He was the Cleveland Rams first NFL coach from 1937-1938. Amazingly, he also managed the MLB Pittsburgh Pirates from 1917-1919.

Other Pre War major league multi sports stars that come to mind include; Jim Thorpe (NY Giants/Canton Bulldogs), George Halas (NY Yankees/Chicago Bears), Ace Parker (Philadelphia Athletics/NFL Brooklyn Dodgers)

Both Charlie Berry and Walter French have cards in the '33 Goudey set also played pro football for the '25 Pottsville Maroons.

Two that I collect are Thorpe and Hobey Baker. I'd love to get my hands on more from these two. Especially Hobey Baker

https://c7.staticflickr.com/2/1665/2...29696f91_c.jpg1913 Illustrated Current news Hobey Baker's last game. by Paul Herbener, on Flickr

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1574/2...26930ceb_c.jpgConlon Jim Thorpe by Paul Herbener, on Flickr

LOVE Hobey Baker. I have one really nice image in hockey uniform in my collection but at one time I had 5-6 and I regret selling them. One of the most fascinating figures in sports history and if you buy into the suicide theory of his death, one of the most tragic as well!

He's the first thing I search for in your auctions. If you ever come across any image of him please let me know! Especially the Bain. I do agree about him being fascinating. Would make a great movie!

Sam Byrd, from the 33 Goudey set. Only person to have ever played in both the World Series and The Masters.

Wow. My kinda thread. I've been collecting cards / items of football players who also played other sports for quite a while. Will try to dig up some interesting ones and post them soon.

jeff

Paddy Driscoll is a football hall of famer who also appears in the 1919 Zeenut set. Ernie Nevers is another football hall of famer who appeared in the 1929 and 1930 (I think) Zeenut sets as well as in the Middy Bread set.

I do not know if any of these people, other than Thorpe appeared on cards, but here are some Olympians who played pro football and MLB. Post WWII there are quite a few more who did appear on cards (Bob Hayes, Sam Graddy, Michael Carter, Ron Brown)

Edmund Minahan - 1900 Olympics athletics 1907 Cincinnati Reds baseball 2 games
Sam Francis - 1936 shot put NFL Chicago and Brooklyn 1937-40
Brick Muller - 1920 silver medalist high jump. L.A. Buccaneers 1926
Jack Torrance - 1936 shot put Chicago Bears 1939-40
Jim Bausch - 1932 gold medal decathlon Chicago Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds
Sol Butler - 1920 high jump Hammond Pros, Rock Island Independents, Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs
Ray Clemons - 1936 wrestling Detroit Lions 1939
Mort Kaer - 1924 pentathlon Frankford Yellow Jackets
Pete Mehringer 1932 gold wrestling Chicago Cardinals 1934-36
Jack Riley - 1932 silver wrestling Boston Redskins 1932
John Spellman - 1924 gold wrestling Providence Steamrollers, Boston Redskins 1925-32
Charlie Strack - 1924 wrestling Chicago Cardinals 1928
Eugene Vidal - 1920 decathlon 1921 Washington Senators football 1 game. Father of author Gore. Rhys has a contract signed by him for sale that he bought from me on ebay.

I dont mind them and have others have said I wouldnt pay big bucks for them either. There is a really nice Virginia League Helmar Card with a T206 SL Portrait head shot from each team I wouldnt mind adding some day.

Multi Sport, although not baseball. Canada's greatest male athlete of the first half of the 20th century:

Football HOFer Ernie Nevers:

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Football HOFer Paddy Driscoll:

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Football HOFer George Halas:

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Amos Alonzo Stagg as a Yale baseball player:

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John Heisman as a baseball coach:

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jeff

I was recently reading about the story of Alabama Pitts and was super intrigued. For those that are unaware, Pitts was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to 8 to 16 years at Sing Sing in 1929.

In prison he joined the football, Baseball and basketball teams and was a star in all. He earned a reputation as "the most prominent jail-bird athlete in America". He tried out for two professional football teams during his sentence. After being released in 1935, he signed with the Albany Senators as a pro. After signing, the president of the NAPBL blocked his contract as he was against it. After a hearing the executive committee appealed to Kenesaw Landis who declared Pitts eligible. After injuries he played in only 43 games for the Senators and left after the 35' season. In fall of 35' he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles to play Halfback and DB. He was released after the seasons 4th game. In 36' he played basketball on a travel team with the Alabama Pitts All-Stars and resigned with the Senators in July of 36'. He spent the next few years bouncing around the Carolina league and Piedmont League in Baseball and the American Association in Football.
Pitts was never a star, but was very well known at the time and a really great story to dig into.

After reading this, I bought the following press photos as they told his story. Apologies for the auction shots with the watermark, I have not scanned them yet.

That is an intriguing story. I am going to read up on it myself.

Babe Didrikson
Two gold medals and one silver medal for track and field in the 1932 Olympics
Played on a touring basketball team
Played baseball having pitched innings in MLB during exhibition games as well with House Of David.
Played professional pocket billiards
Best known as a golfer.
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Mathewson wanted Red Grange to play baseball for him in Boston.

https://c7.staticflickr.com/2/1712/2...b8a965bb_c.jpg1925 Red Grange Illinois Baseball! Type 1. Cool Mathewson comments on reverse by Paul Herbener, on Flickr

Charlie Berry All-Pro Pottsville Maroons + MLB + Umpire

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jeff

Pid Purdy was a 5'6" 150 lb baseball and football player from Beatrice Nebraska. He played for the White Sox and Reds. He played 11 games for the White Sox in 1926. In the fall of 1926 he played football for the Green Bay Packers in the fledgling NFL. His stats are almost unbelievable, particularly for a player of his physical stature. He played quarterback and passed for 383 yards on 21 for 67 passing. He ran for 64 yards on 24 rushes. He caught 5 passes for 61 yards, punted 11 times with a 36 yard average, returned 29 punts for 323 yards, was 14 for 14 kicking points after touchdowns and had three interceptions as a defensive backs.

Football HOFer Earle "Greasy" Neale:

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Thorpe:

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jeff

Shag Shaughnessy
 

Although T206 collectors often refer to Shag as overpriced, he had an interesting multi-sport career and is enshrined in both the Canadian Baseball HOF and the Canadian Football HOF (builder in both). Captained the Notre Dame Football team, played MLB, and made it to the Stanley Cup finals as coach of the Ottawa Senators in 1915 (swept by Vancouver, so unfortunately Shag's name isn't on the cup). Also of interest to card collectors, he managed to be featured on tobacco (T206, pictured + T209... need it), caramel (E222, need it), and prewar gum cards (V355 1936 WWG, pictured + R314-5... need it) and even managed to make a Topps card (1964 Topps Banquet as part of the Rookie all-star team selection committee... need it).

As long time president of the International League, he also had his sig stamped on IL balls for many years (1960 Toronto IL champs signed ball shown).

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Alabama Pitts in his football gear:

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Nags:

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jeff

Cool!
Thanks!

Here ya go! Only two on your pre-war list with a football card that I'm aware of.

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jeff

Didn’t know where to post my new purchase but thought this might be the place. I’ve bought a couple of yearbooks in the past and saw this one and just had to buy it! I don’t even collect Earle Neale but he did play with Jim Thorpe a year and I do collect Thorpe. Anyway..it is a piece of memorabilia I just couldn’t pass up! This is a 1915 MURMURMONTIS which is the yearbook for West Virginia Wesleyan College where he went to college in 1916-17. This yearbook includes their prep school which he attended and lists him multiple times. Following are pictures of the yearbook and all the pics and an article concerning him.

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Francis “Whitey” wistert
 

I can’t post any pics right now but you can google him.

Whitey Wistert was an all-American in Both baseball and football at Michigan and was later named to the college Fb hall of fame. He appeared briefly for Cincy in 1934 and is featured in the R314 Canadian series of 1936/37.

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Wistert
 

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..Whitey and his brothers were noted football players up in their cold corner of the world. They excelled at ice fishing too.

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