Cliff Mapes and Many More

Cliff Mapes was an outfielder for the Yankees, Browns and Tigers in the late forties and early fifties, and a part of Yankee championship teams in 1949 and 1950.

He may be best known as the answer to a trivia question, as he wore Yankee uniform numbers 3 and 7...both since retired for Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle.

Mapes' major league career ended with the Tigers in 1952 after a poor .197 batting average, and that is where his Baseball Reference transaction section ends. However, he was involved in a few deals afterward that involved several other major leaguers.

The Tigers sent Mapes to the Browns again after the 1952 season, but the Browns sold him and others off to the independent Toronto team (the Browns' affiliation with Toronto ended in 1952) in this deal outlined in the Dec. 6, 1952 Milwaukee Sentinel...

“The Toronto Maple Leafs purchased three players from the Browns for $32,500, Owner Jack Kent Cooke said Friday.

The players are Outfielder Cliff Mapes and Pitchers Bobby Hogue and Stubby Overmire. Mapes cost $15,000.”

Mapes was in Toronto for the first part of the 1953 season, but got off to a poor, injury-riddled start. He was sent to the Yankee's Kansas City Blues squad mid-season. From the Victoria Advocate of July 24, 1953:

“The Blues also completed a two-player trade with Toronto in which Toronto sent Harold Keller, catcher, and Cliff Mapes, outfielder, to Kansas City for Kal Segrist, infielder, and Bruce McKelvey, catcher.”

 

Mapes was back in Toronto control after the season, though, and I have not been able to trace that down. Toronto didn't keep him for 1954, sending him to Charleston. From the Toledo Blade of Jan. 10, 1954:

“The Charleston Senators traded catcher Don Griffin to the Toronto Maple Leafs today for two hard-hitting outfielders and a 29-year-old, righthanded pitcher.

President Danny Menendez of the American Association baseball club here said Griffin was traded for outfielders Cliff Mapes, who played for the New York Yankees three years ago, and Frank Colman, as well as pitcher Phil Haugstad.”

Colman was a bit of holdout as he was mulling a manager job elsewhere.

Mapes career was quickly winding down, as he was released by Charleston, and signed with AA Tulsa. Chronicled by the May 21, 1954 Milwaukee Journal:

“Cliff Mapes, former New York Yankee outfielder, Thursday agreed to terms with the Tulsa Oilers of the Texas league. Mapes was recently released by the Charleston club of the American association.”

Mapes could only manage a .155 batting mark for Tulsa, and his playing career was done.

Wow! Mapes, Haugstad from www.baseball-almanac.comColman, Keller and Hogue from sabr.com
Overmire from www.1952toppsbaseballcards.com
Segrist from

www.baseballbytheletters.com

Marv Rickert Bashes in Baltimore

Marv Rickert played at least parts of six seasons in the majors from 1942-1950, with the Cubs, Reds, Braves and Pirates, before finishing with the White Sox.

He had a couple of good years up top, hitting .263 in 111 games for the Cubs in 1946, and .292 for the Braves in 1949. His .232 with the Pirates and White Sox in 1950 spelled the end of his major league experience.

His Baseball Reference page doesn't say how he went from the ChiSox to AAA Baltimore in the Phillies' system. From the December 31, 1950 Chicago Tribune:

“Marv Rickert, who has divided his baseball career between fly catching and travel, was notified yesterday that he shortly will accumulate additional mileage.”

“The White Sox, who grabbed him in desperation last may from the Pirates on waivers to man a woebegone outfield, announced he had been peddled to the Baltimore International league club for an “unrevealed sum of cash.”

Rickert bashed 35 homers for the Orioles in 1951 and started 1952 there after not being drafted or signed by a major league club. The Browns' Toronto club had wanted him for awhile...from the May 30, 1952 Fresno Bee:

"The Toronto Maple Leafs of the International Baseball League have bought former major league outfielder Marv Rickert from Baltimore for a reported $20,000. The 32 year old veteran, with Baltimore last year, led the International League In home runs with 35. He hit .321 and batted In 104 runs."

A different article had the purchase price at $10,000. At age 31, that was Rickert's last year in organized ball.

Rickert pickert from sabr.org

 

 

Bobby Sturgeon Won't Go to Milwaukee

Bobby Sturgeon was an infielder for the Cubs and Braves in the forties, and was on the 1948 NL Champion Boston Braves.

He didn't hit well enough to stay with the Braves after the season, and was ticketed for Milwaukee. He had been sent to Milwaukee during the season, but never went, and made it known he wasn't planning to show up this time either. His Baseball Reference page transactions report doesn't track how the Braves disposed of the disgruntled Sturgeon, but we found this from the Milwaukee Sentinel of Dec. 10, 1948...

“Bobby Sturgeon, veteran infielder, was sold by the Braves to Seattle when it was learned he would not report to Milwaukee if assigned there.”

 Sturgeon got off to a good start at independent Seattle; good enough for the Los Angeles team to trade for him. From the Ellensburg Daily record of July 9, 1949...

“In a straight-across swap, the Rainiers late yesterday traded infielder Bobby Sturgeon to Los Angeles for Bill Schuster, who was a key figure in Seattle’s 1940 pennant drive.”

Schuster had some stops in the majors with Pittsburgh, the Braves, and the Cubs, appearing in the 1945 World Series.

For Sturgeon, L.A. was his last stop st that high level. He made it until early 1951 with the Angels, then went to B-level Victoria where he was a player-manager at age 31. He continued to manage and play into the mid-fifties.

Sturgeon pic from www.baseball-almanac.com

Schuster on the Rainiers from

sportspressnw.com