The Travels of a Man Named Ebba

Ebba St. Claire was a big, switch-hitting catcher who played in the fifties or the Giants and Braves, who seemingly didn't get much of a chance at the big time given his abilities. He had quite a career in transactions though.

Ebba went to Minneapolis in 1954 after awhile up with the Giants, and suffered a head injury which curtailed his season dramatically. For the start of 1955, he found himself in Richmond:

The Troy (NY) Times Record of Jan 27, 1955 has this:

"Richmond Buys Ebba St. Claire Richmond, Va. (AP)--The Richmond Virginians of the international League yesterday announced the purchase of catcher Ebba St. Claire, 33, from Minneapolis of the American Association. He split last season with the New York Giants and Minneapolis, hilling .262 in 20 National League games and .188 in the Association. He was sidelined by a head injury after reporting to Minneapolis."

Richmond, an independent team at the time, dealt Ebba to Rochester before 1955 was over.

The Lincoln Evening Journal of Aug. 17, 1955...

"Catcher Ebba St. Claire, former major leaguer with the New York Giants, was sold to Rochester by the Richmond Virginians. Richmond is now left with only one catcher, Neil Watlington, who has been out with an injured hip the past two weeks. St. Claire was hitting .232 with the International League’s last place club. Rochester is in fourth place."

St. Claire plays in San Diego in 1956, for Cleveland's organization. I haven't been able to track that move down. San Diego bounces him to Sacramento after the season...

The Lodi News-Sentinel of Dec. 8, 1956 says:

“The Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast league have traded pitcher Chet Johnson to San Diego for catcher Ebba St.Claire …

Johnson, a 38-year-old left-hander, was sold to Shreveport of the Texas League last season but refused to report.”

Johnson was quite a guy, maybe we will look at him later. Ebba's travels weren't over yet, as he never played a game for Sacramento! It was off to Toronto for him...

The Milwaukee Journal of Feb. 28, 1957...

"Toronto’s baseball Maple Leafs purchased catcher Ebba St. Claire from Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League Thursday.”

The then-35-year-old St. Claire played the season at independent Toronto, then was loaned to the Braves' AA Atlanta farm team partway through the 1958 season before being released by Toronto. 

The Montreal Gazette of March 3, 1959...

“The Leafs also said former major league catcher Ebba St. Claire, 37, owned by Toronto and loaned last season to Atlanta of the Southern Association, has been released.”

That was it for St. Claire's playing career, he stayed in baseball afterwards, and his son, Randy St. Claire, made the majors as a pitcher. 

 

St. Claire pic lifted from www.ootpdevelopments.com

Valmy Thomas Bumps an Ump, Gets Sold Twice and Shot!

Valmy Thomas was a catcher for the Giants, Phillies, Indians and Orioles in the late 50s and early 60s, born in Puerto Rico, he identified as being from St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands.

An incident with an umpire in the 1962 season saw Thomas' career take a few turns, then his life was nearly cut short during the season.

Thomas had started 1962 with Jacksonville of the Indians' minor leagues, when he was involved in an altercation with an umpire: The Spokesman-Review of Friday, June 22, 1962 had a good article on what happened...

"(Valmy) Thomas argued with (Umpire Tom) Lopat at the plate after being called out on strikes in Saturday's Jacksonville-Buffalo game. Thomas, sold to Rochester today for an unannounced figure, bumped Lopat several times and was restrained from attacking him."

Thomas was originally given a 3 day suspension and $100 fine by the league commissioner, which prompted a resignation from the umpire, Lopat. The Minor League Commissioner overruled that decision and suspended Thomas for 30 days.

Thomas never played for Rochester, and ended up heading to Atlanta.

According to the great blog On a Silver Diamond, 

" Thomas’ appearance was held up by a fine and suspension for striking an ump during a June 16 game. Thomas admitted to pushing the ump, but denied any punch, a statement verified by his teammates and most observers. Two different versions from the umpire involved clouded the issue, but Thomas was subsequently had his suspension lengthened to 30 days by the minor’s ruling body, the National Association of Professional Baseball League (NAPBL). Sisler blasted the move, claiming Thomas was being railroaded. The suspension voided the sale, since Thomas was technically suspended at the time of the transaction."

BTW, that blog is a wonderful history of Rochester baseball.

Jack Hairston's column in the Gainesville Sun of May 3, 1988  gives his view on what happened, he seems rather proud of his part in getting Thomas' suspension extended for what that is worth, and  also mentions Thomas' subsequent sale to Atlanta. Verified in the July 23, 1962 St. Petersburg Times.
That wasn't the end to Thomas' 1962 saga. He only got 13 games in with Atlanta, injured his finger, then was shot in an argument over a woman, you can read that here in the August 22, 1962 St. Petersburg Times!

He survived, but his active career didn't. He lived to the age of 84. A wild ride for Thomas in 1962!

Thomas card photo swiped from giantswax.blogspot.com  

Another Day, Another Sadowski

Ted Sadowski IS part of the family that sent (so far) four members to the Major Leagues. He spent almost his entire career in the Washington/Minnesota system except for a Class A jaunt in 1959, and a trip to Tacoma in the Giants' system in 1964.

No transaction was listed, but this was an easy one to track down, from a heck of a source: Simpson's Leader-Times from Kittanning, Pennsylvania of May 14, 1964...

" The Minnesota Twins optioned third baseman Jay Ward to Tacoma and sold pitcher Ted Sadowski outright to the same club."

Sadowski had started the year in the Twins' system at AAA Atlanta. I'll have to look further into Jay Ward's minor league career.

I think we can safely call this one a sale to the Giants, however.

Ted image from Check Out My Cards...