J B is right... the Chief had departed us in 1954. Maybe he had a son that did something in the Reds organization, and they called him 'Chief' too. Aren't there any Reds fans any more??
I just found this, and this would be the guy I recall hearing on the radio, he never made it to the majors, he had a 66-40 record in 9 seasons in the minors:
Longtime Reds Scout Bender Dies
Former farm director spent 39 years with Reds organization
FROM: MLB.com ~
By Mark Sheldon
CLEARWATER, Fla.
A revered member of the Reds' organization passed away
Wednesday, when former farm director Sheldon "Chief"
Bender died at Fort Hamilton Hospital in Ohio. He was 88.
Bender died at Fort Hamilton Hospital in Ohio. He spent 64
years in baseball as a player, manager and executive -- the
last 39 of them with Cincinnati. Funeral arrangements were
incomplete.
As the organization's Minor League director from 1967-89,
Bender was brought in by general manager Bob Howsam
and presided over a bountiful system that provided the seed
for the Big Red Machine. Johnny Bench, Dave Concepcion,
Ken Griffey Sr. and Don Gullett later became stars in the
1970s.
Howsam died last week of heart failure at the age of 89.
"In the last three months we lost three very special men in
Chief, Joe Nuxhall and Bob Howsam," Reds owner and CEO
Bob Castellini said in a statement. "Each left his own legacy here,
and they all made very important contributions to the success
of our proud franchise. Our thoughts and prayers are with their
families."
Players later developed under Bender included Mario Soto, Tom
Browning, Paul O'Neill, Ron Oester, Chris Sabo, Eric Davis and
Barry Larkin.
In 1990, Bender became the senior advisor for player development.
He retired in 2005, but remained a frequent visitor at Great
American Ball Park.
A World War II veteran who earned a Purple Heart during his
service, Bender played and managed in the Minor Leagues for 12
seasons [1]. From 1948-66, he was with the Cardinals' organization.
To honor him in 2002, the Reds renamed their Minor League
Player of the Year to the Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award.
---
[1] Bender was a player with St.Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, New York
Giants and Philadelphia organizations, from 1938-4, 1946-53 and 1957. He
was both a pitcher and an infielder.
|