Deadball Era Player Other Talents?

[tedzan]

"Turkey " Mike Donlin and his wife were in Vaudville when he wasn't playing for the NY Giants. After his BB career, Mike went onto Hollywood and appeared
in many movies.

Had Mike taken his BB career more serious...."he would have been a contender"....for the BB HOF with his lifetime career BB = .333








TED Z

[tedzan]

Steve D

Gee....you beat me to posting about Donlin, while I was typing....great minds think alike


TED Z
.

[bcbgcbrcb]

Jim Thorpe

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Don't forget, Matty was considered one of the best college football players in the country at Bucknell.

[johnmh71]

Tris Speaker was also a rodeo cowboy. He originally threw right handed, but taught himself to throw lefty after he broke his arm by being thrown from his horse as a kid.

[Chris-Counts]

Johnny Kling was a world champion billiards champion, while another T206-era catcher, Boss Schmidt, wrestled bears ...

[CMIZ5290]

Originally Posted by Chris Counts

Johnny Kling was a world champion billiards champion, while another T206-era catcher, Boss Schmidt, wrestled bears ...

Pertaining Schmidt, supposedly he was the only player that Cobb was not willing to go to fists with....

[Paul S]

Originally Posted by CMIZ5290

Pertaining Schmidt, supposedly he was the only player that Cobb was not willing to go to fists with....

About Schmidt, I believe he (Nicholson) was in a hot tub with Kathy Bates. Talk about playing pool!

[slipk1068]

I read somewhere that Cobb did go at it with Schmidt. They moved the furniture in a hotel room and locked the door. Cobb got his ass kicked in a major way. Wish I remember where I read about that

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Chris Counts

Johnny Kling was a world champion billiards champion, while another T206-era catcher, Boss Schmidt, wrestled bears ...

He was accomplished, but I don't think he won any championships playing pool.

[cdn_collector]

Originally Posted by Runscott

He was accomplished, but I don't think he won any championships playing pool.

Am reading a Kling bio right now. I know nothing of the sport of billiards in terms of how titles are won (let alone how the sport was structured 100 years ago), but there are mentions of him having been a world champion. I don't have the book at my side right now, but next time I do I'll try to find a couple of specific references.

Regards,

Richard.

[Bocabirdman]

Originally Posted by Runscott

He was accomplished, but I don't think he won any championships playing pool.

Johnny Kling was indeed the 1909 Continuous Pool Champion defeating Cowboy Charles Weston 800-789 over 4 nights of 200 balls a night. Weston was the defending Champion, Kling the challenger. The Total Purse was $500 plus 75% of the gate. Kling crushed Weston the first night, 202 to 155 and basically limped home from there. He lost the second night 198 to 234, won the third night night 202 to 191 and lost the final night 198 to 209. Johnny had the home crowd advantage as the match took place at the Kling's Academy (Johnny's Billiard Hall) on Walnut Street in Kansas City, MO.

He only held the Title for 5 weeks, losing it the very next month to Thomas A. Hueston, 653 to 800. He did not win a single 200 ball night.

[irishdenny]

Awesome Stuff Gentleman!
I believe that we've just scratched the surface of these men who played a game in which has given us all, in some way, Grand Memories...

Steve & Ted,
Do you guys have a favorite Movie that Donlin performed in? Did he ever work along side any of the greats? Maybe Erroll Flynn? I know that I can Google his work, However, Only you guys can answer that question personally!

John,
So Speaker rode bulls... and He was a Real Cowboy!? Very Interesting...

Yeah, Thorpe was somewhat of special human being... when it came to playing anything physical, He Always Excelled!

[packs]

Honus Wagner was a great basketball player.

[irishdenny]

Originally Posted by packs

Honus Wagner was a great basketball player.

Really... Hmmm, Wags had enormous hands... I bet with his leaping ability, he could easily jam! I guess back then during the turn of the century, jamming wasn't really part of how they played the game, so it wasn't a "WoW" factor.

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by irishdenny

Steve & Ted,
Do you guys have a favorite Movie that Donlin performed in? Did he ever work along side any of the greats? Maybe Erroll Flynn? I know that I can Google his work, However, Only you guys can answer that question personally!

From 1917 to 1935, Mike Donlin was featured in 66 movies. Two of the most notable Silent Screen ones that come to mind are The General (1926..with Buster Keaton)
and Slide, Kelly, Slide (1927).


TED Z
.

[Brian Van Horn]

Including a couple post deadball era players:

George J. Burns-pool player
Lew Fonseca-singer
Nick Altrock-clown entertainer
Wes Ferrell-had Hollywood screen test.