Ewald Pyle

Ewald Pyle played for a few teams in the forties as a pitcher; his overall career numbers weren't the best (11-21, 5+ ERA), but he was good enough to get in games with the Browns, Senators, Giants and Braves.

His Baseball-Reference page comes up short in listing his transactions:

• October 1, 1942: Traded by the St. Louis Browns to the Washington Senators for Frank Croucher and cash.
• November 1, 1943: Drafted by the New York Giants from Minneapolis (American Association) in the 1943 rule 5 draft.
• June 16, 1945: Traded by the New York Giants with Joe Medwick to the Boston Braves for Clyde Kluttz. 

First of all, it doesn't tell us how Pyle went from the Senators to the Minneapolis squad. I found it in this article about the Senators cleaning house in 1943 from the St. Petersburg Times of July 30, 1943:

“First to go was pitcher Ewald Pyle, traded to Minneapolis of the American Association for Wilfred Le Fevre [sp], a southpaw formerly with the Boston Red Sox.”

Wilfred (Bill) LeFebvre would pop up with the parent Senators later. 

Pyle played in the majors in 1945 with the Giants and Browns, but finished with independent minor league team Milwaukee. Here's how that happened, from the Telegraph of July 3, 1945:

“…the Boston Braves today obtained right hand pitcher Don Hendrickson from Milwaukee of the American association, general manager John Quinn announced.”

“The Braves turned over left hand pitcher Ewald Pyle outright to Milwaukee and will give them another player later, and transferred on 24-hour option catcher Mike Ulisney. The Boston club also transferred the option of Armond Cardone [Ben Cardoni], now with Indianapolis of the American association, to Milwaukee.”

So Hendrickson was traded to Boston for Pyle and a player to be named later, plus the Braves loaned them two others.

Hendrickson would play a couple seasons for Boston. Ulisney and Cardoni also had major league stops.

Pyle stayed with Milwaukee through their transfer to being a White Sox, and then a Boston Braves affiliate. But in 1948 he was traded to the Red Sox organization. From the Milwaukee Sentinel of May 18, 1948:

“Don Grate, a 23 year old pitching prospect, and Jim Gleeson, 35, an outfielder, became Brewers yesterday in a deal sending Ewald Pyle and Bill Sinton to the Colonels”

 

Grate would be in the majors for awhile later, while Gleeson's major league years were behind him. Sinton did not make the majors. Grate would gain some notoriety for throwing a baseball 443+ feet in 1953.

Pyle closed out his career at age 38 the next year with Louisville.

Pyle and Lefebvre from www.tradingcarddb.com
Henderson and Gleeson from pinterest
Grate from www.examiner.com
 

More About Milt Byrnes

We featured a trade involving Milt Byrnes in the last blog, but he had a couple more moves in this career that weren't chronicled on his Baseball Reference page.

After moving to the Yankees organization to the Browns' in the Ken Sears deal, Byrnes was sent to Louisville, in the Red Sox organization in 1948. From the Toledo Blade of June 8, 1948: 

“Louisville and Kansas City, eighth and seventh in the standings, completed a straight trade with Jack Robinson, pitcher, and Outfielder Milt Byrnes going to the Colonels for Outfielder Bill Sinton and Mickey Witek, second baseman.”

Robinson was called up to the parent Red Sox later, and Witek made an appearance for the Yankees later as well after a decently long previous career in the majors with the Giants. Further examination of both careers are needed. Sinton did not make the majors.

Byrnes was sold off to the Braves' Milwaukee club the next year according to the Milwaukee Journal of May 18, 1949:

“Center field, the Brewers’ most vulnerable position, will be filled Wednesday night by Milt Byrnes.”

“Jake Flowers, Milwaukee president, notified Manager Nick Cullop that he had purchased the outfielder from Louisville.”

Byrnes goes from the Braves group to the Senators AA team the next year, but that appears to be a free-agent signing, as he was released from Milwaukee.  The Milwaukee Journal of Oct. 17. 1949:

“Two players were released unconditionally Monday by the Milwaukee Baseball club – Nick Etten, first baseman, and Milt Byrnes, outfielder.”

 

Former major leaguer Etten had some interesting late-career moves, too. 

Byrnes finished in the Cubs minor leagues, and a year in single A.

Byrnes from ebay

Robinson on Louisville from outlet.historicimages.com

Mickey Witek from pinterest

Nick Etten from 

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