Minor League Baseball Players

[Penale52]

Zeke Zeisz pictured in the July 2, 1954 edition of the Tonawanda News
Zeke Zeisz Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

[Penale52]

Matty Kisiel pictured in the July 2, 1954 edition of the Tonawanda News
Matthew Kisiel Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

[Cusick]

This photo of Zeisz appeared on eBay back in 2011. It also shows him in a Chattanooga uniform. Zeke was on the Washington Senators' spring roster in 1953.

[Cusick]

Gary was sort of a non-roster invitee with the Cincinnati Reds in 1998, but he was never a professional ballplayer. He had played baseball at Florida Coast College. The photo came from an article published about him by the Cincinnati Enquirer of February 27, 1998. His was an interesting story. He offered to work as the Reds' spring training batting practice pitcher for free. The Reds' GM Jim Bowden decided to take Gary up on the offer. The fact that Gary was a waiter and pastry chef at Sarasota's best restaurant probably didn't hurt his chances. At any rate, Gary never did pitch batting practice, but he went through all the daily drills with the major league players throughout that February, and came to be pals with several of them. He was age 34 at the time this dream experience was occurring.

[Cusick]

On the strength of a 12-6 record in the Florida State League in 1960, pitcher Harvey Alex was placed on the Cincinnati Reds' spring roster in 1961. This photo was for sale by a vendor named sportslot.com in 2011.

Harvey Alex Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

[rico43]

Cubans Gonzalo (Cholly) Naranjo and Gilberto Guerra at 1953 Chattanooga Lookouts picture day.

No dark-skinned players ever wore the Lookouts' uniform before 1963, but dozens of light-skinned Cubans played in the Washington Senators' system and for the Lookouts thanks to a tireless scout named Joe Cambria.

Naranjo, who had three tours of duty with the Lookouts, eventually broke through to the majors in 1956 with the Pirates. Guerra, who won 26 games the year before with Big Spring in the Longhorn League. But he would appear in only three games for the Lookouts before being returned to the Longhorn League for more seasoning (his would win 18 games there). His career ended in 1961 after three seasons in Mexico.
We own this negative. Any and all uses OK by us.

[Cusick]

Southpaw pitcher Harold Allen was on the Houston Astros' spring rosters in 1990 and 1991. This photo was for sale on eBay in 2012.

Harold Allen Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

[rico43]

From a Lexibell file, Cardinals minor league reliever Chuck Shoene (1966-1969). Earned a spring look with the Cardinals after going 7-3, 1.78 for St. Pete in 1968. But '69 would be his last hurrah.

[Cusick]

Rico43's discovery of Chuck Schoene in the Cardinals' 1969 spring camp led me to learn that Dick McVay was another pitcher who was a non-roster invitee to the same spring training session. This photo is from the Norway (IA) Baseball Museum.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/re...d=mcvay-001ric

[Cusick]

Pitcher Don Altman was on the Houston Astros' spring roster in 1969. This photo was for sale on eBay in 2010.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/re...d=altman001don

[Cusick]

Pitcher Willis Baker was on the New York Yankees' spring roster in 1946. His best season in the minors was 1941, when he went 14-7 with a 1.98 ERA for the Akron Yankees. This photo was on the lonecadaver.com website in 2011.

Willis Baker Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

[goldflamedpt]

Pursuant to a recent request, here's another J.D. McCarthy
image of Steve Chilcott in a Mets' uniform.

[Wartown_Eagle]

Thanks for posting these. This is my dad.

Originally Posted by Amazin69

Braxton, the Tribe's 11th-round pick in the 1967 January draft (from UNC-Wilmiington). Confusingly enough, the *other* Jim Braxton (the one who went on to be O.J. Simpson's fullback with the Buffalo Bills) was drafted by the Cardinals in the 9th round of the June draft that same year.

Braxton seemed to progress well through the system, but was released after posting a 13-5 record with Savannah (AA) and Wichita (AAA) in 1970. He was 27 at the start of 1971 (23 when drafted) but it's still surprising he wasn't picked up by anyone.

Reference sites call him "James" Braxton, but contemporary accounts, like this call him Jim, and he signed a 1969 Portland Beavers autograph sheet that way, so I'm calling him Jim.

Braxton got to Spring Training on two occasions. The uniform with Centennial patch is from 1969, so I'm guessing these are from 1970 and 1971.



Credit to John (Baseball-Birthdays) for the two "cleaned up" images. Even if he somehow did call Braxton "Tom Braxton", as in the jazz musician.

[Cusick]

Here's a pitcher who was called to the 1970 Cleveland Indians' spring training camp along with Jim Braxton as a non-roster invitee. This photo is from the Wichita (KS) Eagle and Beacon of March 20, 1971 and shows Ron Zuber in a Wichita Aeros' uniform.

Ronald Zuber Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

[rico43]

Evidence that just about anybody can turn up in the Lexibell stuff.

Meet Nat Dixon, RHP out of Tuskegee (Ala.) High School, Detroit's 26th round pick in the 1966 draft and 1967 big-league camp invitee -- coming before he'd ever thrown in a pro game.

Career minor league record: 1-14. Final season was 1968. But he probably had great stuff, as he threw 16 wild pitches in 173 pro innings. Still lives in Tuskegee today.

[Cusick]

Catcher Owen Johnson hit .299 with 24 HR and 93 RBI for the Pittsfield Red Sox in 1965. That performance earned him a slot on the Boston Red Sox spring roster in 1966 and his face on 1966 Topps baseball card #356 (2 Red Sox rookies). He was also on the Baltimore Orioles' spring roster in 1967. A man of the cloth later in life, he was the founder and Pastor of Grace Tabernacle Church in Loris, SC, from 1978 until his death on March 4, 2016.

Owen Johnson Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

[FatJack]

Allen Warfield Pfeiffer passed away Friday morning at the age of 91. He played 5 seasons in the minors from 1945-1950 (he missed all of 1946, apparently) following service in the war. A right-handed pitcher, Al played mostly in the low minor league affiliates of the Philadelphia A's, beginning with the Durham Bulls in '45.

Although Baseball-Reference says he was born in 1925, the obituary shows his birthday as Christmas Day 1924.

The picture accompanied his obituary.

[Cusick]

Catcher Joe Burgher was a non-roster invitee with the Cleveland Indians in 1950. The evidence that he was sent down from the Tribe that spring is attached (Arizona Republic, April 19, 1950) along with his obituary photo. I also found his name in a box score between the Indians and the Chicago Cubs on March 26, 1950. He died on July 20, 2015.

Joe Burgher Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

Joseph William Burgher Obituary - COOS BAY CHAPEL Cremation & Funeral Service

[Cusick]

Pitcher John Ford Smith was the first Afro-American player to wear a New York Giants' uniform. He was a non-roster invitee with them in 1949 and 1950. This photo is from the New Castle (PA) News of March 15, 1949.

John Smith Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

Photos of him may also be seen on the Negro Leagues thread at:
Sir Lurksalot photopack (Negro League and Nippon players) - Page 38 - OOTP Developments Forums

and

Sir Lurksalot photopack (Negro League and Nippon players) - Page 83 - OOTP Developments Forums

[kungfupandacam]

Can anyone find Edwin M. Fisher. A picture of Edwin M. Fisher. I can't find him for my life. I still can't find him, and I wonder if you can.