Jim Mangan: Headache

Catcher Jim Mangan made the major leagues with the Pirates and Giants, but didn't perform at the plate particularly well. His Baseball-Reference page shows a .153 average over 67 PA spread out in the years 1952, 1954 and 1956.

He didn't get along well with his higher-ups, either. Reports are he blew up at Branch Rickey while on Pittsburgh's roster in 1955, which sent him to Hollywood for the season, then optioned to independent El Paso. It was from there that he was sold/waived to the Giants for 1956, that transaction is on his Baseball-Reference page.

Mangan didn't think much of Bill Rigney's management style (Mangan had managed at El Paso in 1955) and got himself suspended. From the Aug 14, 1956 Billings Gazette:

"Jim Mangan, third string catcher of the New York Giants, who said Manager Bill Rigney "is the worst manager I ever played (for)" Monday was was suspended indefinitely by Club President Horace Stoneham "Mangan is suspended as of today until further notice hecause of his act in leaving the club at Pittsburgh," Stoneham's notice read. No mention was made of the 25-year-old sub's reason to newspapermen. Mangan, who was purchased from Pittsburgh, left at the end of the 2nd inning of the first game of a doubleheader with the Pirates, telling Rigney he could not "stand it any more." He stayed away from the park during the entire second game but returned to New York with the team. The San Franciscan has seen little action this season. Bobby Bragan, manager of the Pirates, said "This follows a pattern. This fellow told off Branch Rickey last year." Following this blowup, Mangan, who was owned by the Pirates and was playing for Hollywood in the Pacific Coast League, was sent down to El Paso in the WestTexas-New Mexico League. Mangan batted .245 for Holly- wood last year."

Mangan never played in the majors again, and came back in the season only to be used as a bullpen catcher for the Giants that year. In 1957, Mangan goes to the Sacramento PCL independent team in a deal not on his Baseball-Reference page.  From the Pasadena Star-News of March 23, 1957:

“Sacs Buy Receiver From N.Y. Stormy Catcher Jim Mangan today became Sacramento's headache as the Solons' front office announced that he has been purchased for an undisclosed sum from the New York Giants. Mangan is the boy who called Bill Rigney, New York Giants skipper the worst manager n baseball last year and left the club in a huff, was suspended and eventually was allowed to rejoin the team and used in the bull pen only. This spring Mangan, who formerly played with Hollywood and had a few run-ins, as well, was assigned to Minneapolis, the Giants' farm club, now training at Stanford, Fla. Mangan will stop at Minneapolis to pick up his car and drive to Pasadena, being ex- pected next week. He played in 20 games for New York and hit .100.”

Mangan played sparingly for the Solons as third string catcher, then went to AA San Antonio and the Orioles system in 1958 despite going to spring training for the Solons. There is evidently one game for Fort Worth and the Cubs system in 1957 that I can't track down.

One thing about the majors back then, if you hit less than .200 and criticized management, your career tended to disappear.

Jim Mangan photo lifted from Baseball Birthdays

 

Bob Wiesler Walked Back to the Yankees

Bob Wiesler was a pitcher in the fifties for the Yankees and Senators, best known for being a roommate of Mickey Mantle and for his ability to walk opposing batters.

For his 6-season major league career and over 241 innings, the lefty walked 218 batters while striking out just 113. In 1956 alone his stats would make any SABRmetrician cry: over 123 innings, he walked 112, striking out 49, and giving up 141 hits for a shocking 2.057 WHIP, a 3-12 record and an ERA of  6.44. Even for a bad, bad Senator team, that was bad.

Wiesler's Baseball-Reference page lists a single multi-player trade for his transactions after his initial signing by the Yankees, which sent him from the Yanks to Washington.

However, Wiesler's career continued until the 1961 season, and saw him go from the Senators to the Yankees system again, followed by the Twins and Angels in 1961.

He goes from the Senators to Richmond (Yankees system) in both 1957 and 1958, and I cannot find these deals anywhere. But he is certainly Yankees property again by 1959, as he is in spring training with the big club, sent to Richmond in an article from the News-Herald from Franklin, PA of April 2, 1959:

 “The New York Yankees today returned first - baseman Frank Leja, shortstop Rod Kanehl and pitcher Bob Wiesler to their Richmond farm club in the International League.”

Wiesler stayed with Richmond until just before the 1961 season, when he headed back to the former original Senators, now the Twins, and their Syracuse AAA club. From the Progress-Index from Petersburg, Va of April 11, 1961:

“The Vees did some cutting yesterday, and among those sent away was veteran lefthander Bob Wiesler, who was sold to Syracuse. He has been with the Vees since 1957.”

"Vees" was short for Virginians, the Richmond team nickname.

Wiesler's return to the Senators/Twins system was short-lived, one two-inning, 3-walk, 5-hit, 4-earned-run performance. From the Syracuse Post-Standard of April 25, 1961:

 “The Syracuse Chiefs began "Operation Shakeup'' yesterday by releasing Pitcher Bob Wiesler.”

Weisler finished the season at Dallas-Fort Worth, an Angels minor league team, but I could not find the signing date.

If anyone can fill in the blanks for Wiesler's moves between Richmond and Washington, let me know!

Wiesler photo stolen from http://www.tradingcarddb.com

R.I.P. and Thank You Bob Lemke

Just read of the passing of Bob Lemke.

I cannot sum up the man or his works any better than others who are doing so on the internet, so I will just say Thank You and R.I.P.

Bob was very kind to me over the years, answering questions and e-mails, coming on the air with me at least once when I had a radio show back in the day, always responded with a 'Good to hear from you again".

His interesting, informative and entertaining internet writings over the last few years inspired my own blog writing as I am sure it did others.

You will me missed, Mr. Lemke. Thank you again.

1969 Royals: Billy Harris and Steve Jones

I enjoy looking at team rosters of the past in finding players to feature on this blog, and this time my browser landed on the original Royals team of 1969. I found two players with undocumented transactions.

Billy Harris was an infielder that came from Cleveland in the expansion draft. He played a few games for the Royals in 1969, going 2 for 7 in 5 games. His Baseball-Reference page only lists his time with Cleveland and Kansas City; yet he spent his last year in the pros, 1971, in Indianapolis, a Reds AAA team.

I found a couple of references as to how that happened, both from the Indianapolis Star: from  Feb 10, 1971, and April 12, 1971.

Both mention Harris coming over from Omaha (Royals AAA) in exchange for former major leaguer Jay Ward, who the Royals were looking at as a pinch-hitter. Ward playd 1971 at Omaha, and never played for the Royals.

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Steve Jones pitched in 20 games for the Royals in 1969 after spending 1967 with the White Sox and 1968 in the majors for awhile with the Senators.

Jones' Baseball-Reference page only lists transactions up to the Royals' expansion draft, and omits later stops in the Baltimore and Cleveland organizations. Jones threw in 40 games for Omaha in 1970, then spent the last part of the season in Rochester.

Brian A. Bennett’s “On a Silver Diamond” , a great source for minor league information, has the mention that Baltimore purchased Jones from Omaha in July.

I couldn't track down his 1971 switch to the Cleveland organization.

Harris from eBay, ward from Tumbler and Jones lifted from Pinterest.

Jimmy Ripple Comes Back to the Majors

Jimmy Ripple was a pretty good outfielder for the Giants, Brooklyn and Cincinnati from the late thirties thru the mid-forties. His Baseball-Reference pages note that after a year-plus in the minors after his Reds stint, he reappears in the Majors for a short run with the Philadelphia A's...yet his transaction history stops well before then.

Ripple was sold to the Cardinals in 1941 and sent to their AAA Rochester team. From there he was traded to Toronto, independent at the time. I found a mention of the trade, possibly from  the Rochester Times-Union of July 13, 1942, on this scrapbook:

“TRADED TO TORONTO: Jimmy Ripple, veteran outfielder of major league and International League experience, last night was traded by Red Wings to Toronto for players Bill Beckman and Joe Mack.”

“Branch Rickey: Baseball’s Ferocious Gentleman” by Lee Lowenfish has this selection on this deal:

“During the 1942 season MacPhail was serving as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, an International League team with out any Major League affiliation. In August Rickey phoned young MacPhail and offered him a Minor League first baseman at Rochester, Jimmy Ripple, who he said could help the Blue Jays make the playoffs. ‘We’ll have to make some kind of deal,” Rickey cooed to the unsuspecting MacPhail, suggesting that St. Louis receive a hurler in exchange. ‘I don’t know your staff, Rickey noted innocently, ‘What pitchers do you have?’ When MacPhail mentioned the name Bill Beckmann. Rickey said he would be acceptable.”

Ripple comes back to the majors in 1943 with the Athletics. This from the Montreal Gazette of Aug. 3, 1943...

“Philadelphia Athletics today traded Jim Tyack, 31-year-old outfielder, to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Jimmy Ripple, former Cincinnati star, also an outfielder.”

The Athletics sent Ripple to Louisville (Boston Red Sox AAA team) in the offseason, This from the Spokane Daily Chronicle of Feb. 5, 1944:

“Jimmy Ripple, veteran outfielder for the Athletics, has been sold to Louisville of the American Association for an undisclosed price, the A’s announced last night.”

Ripple went from Louisville to Seattle in a deal I could not find, then was released and finished 1944, and his playing career, with San Francisco: Montreal Gazette of July 28, 1944:

“San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast Baseball League have signed Jimmy Ripple, 34, former Major League star outfielder, as a free agent, officials of the club announced today.”

“Ripple….recently was with Seattle Rainiers but was released,”

Another end-of-career journey chronicled!

Ripple and Tyack pics form pinterest.

Beckmann from COMC.com

Joe Mack from the Pecan Park Eagle blog at

https://bill37mccurdy.com/2014/06/30/once-upon-a-time-in-monessen/