Every Picture Tells a Story: 1919 Cleveland Indians

1919 Cleveland Indians at spring training, Heinemann Park, New Orleans. (Cleveland Press Collection, Cleveland State University)

Bottom Row (Left to Right): Smoky Joe Wood, of-p; batboy; Bill Wambsganss, 2b. Second Row: Johnny Enzmann, p; Terry Turner, if; Fritz Coumbe, p; Jack McCallister, coach/scout; Lee Fohl, manager; Chet “Pinch” Thomas, c; Stan Coveleski, p; Guy Morton, p. Third Row: Les Nunamaker, c; CharlieJamieson, of-p; Marty Fiedler, ss; Walter McNichols, traveling secretary; Jim Bagby, p; Steve O’Neill, c; Ray Chapman, ss; Doc Johnston, 1b. Top Row: Elmer Dobard, 3b; Tris Speaker, of; Johnny Gooch, c; Joe Engel, p; Jack Graney, of; Elmer Smith, of; George Uhle, p; Harry Lunte, ss; Chester “Red” Torkelson, p.

 

Follow SABR member Fred Schuld copied this photo from the Cleveland Press collection at Cleveland State University. It was taken by H.J. Harvey, presumably a New Orleans photographer. The photo never appeared in the Cleveland Press. Fred showed this, among his many other slides, at a SABR meeting in early 1990, and I thought it was such an interesting photo that I borrowed it and had a print made for my office. I called Fred for the identifications, and that’s where the mysteries began.

Who, for example, are Elmer Dobard and Marty Fiedler? They never did appear in a game for Cleveland, much less in the major leagues. Johnny Gooch made it to the big time, but never appeared as an Indian.

And why is Terry Turner, the man who appeared in more games as an Indian than any other player, in a 1919 Cleveland spring training picture when most accounts, including The Baseball Encyclopedia, tell us that he went to the Philadelphia Athletics at the waiver price in January of that year?

Where are highly-regarded third baseman Larry Gardner and pitcher Elmer Myers, obtained along with Jamieson from the Athletics on March 3 for outfielder Bobby “Braggo” Roth?

Questions like these got me, Fred Schuld and fellow Jack Graney Chapter member Mike Sparrow started solving these mysteries. It certainly isn’t the most “important” work that will ever be done by SABR, but it was the kind of enjoyable project that involved a bit of detective work and satisfies the curiosity itch that most SABR members have. Among these curiosities are:

THE UNIFORMS

The picture shows the team in a variety of uniform styles. In an act of patriotism, the team donated all of its 1918 uniforms to the Great Lakes Training Station immediately following the season which had been curtailed due to World War I. The new uniforms for the 1919 season weren’t scheduled to arrive until the season began, hence the need to scrounge for old ones among the Cleveland equipment trunks. The Cleveland Press of March 12 noted that they were using some of the 1917 uniforms that featured numbers on them, an experiment that didn’t last. You can make out a number 6 on George Uhle’s right sleeve. The rest are either obscured or were removed.

Early arrivals at camp that spring were Fohl, McCallister and trainer Percy Smallwood, along with a group of pitchers — Bagby, Coveleski, Coumbe and Uhle — plus Wood and O’Neill. They left together for New Orleans on March11. Engel, a resident of New Orleans, met them as they opened camp.

THE ROOKIE

21-year-old George Uhle was a Cleveland native who had, the previous year, pitched his semipro team (Cleveland Standard Parts) to the finals of the National Baseball Federation Series. Cleveland was awarded the title when the opposition Toledo team refused to play them in the finals.

Uhle was no stranger to the Indians, as they must have faced him in exhibition games during 1918. At least that seems to be the case, as Ray Chapman, who was in 1920 killed by a Carl Mays pitch, remembered one of his at-bats against Uhle. He was knocked unconscious by a Uhle pitch. Uhle, of course, was to be a teammate of Chapman’s when Ray was fatally beaned. Uhle was 10-5 for the 1919 Indians, and went onto post a 200-166 record in a 15-year major league career.

NOT PICTURED

Pitcher Elmer Myers, along with 1B Joe Harris (projected as the starter), 1B Lou Guisto and pitcher Otto Lambeth, were all still with their military units overseas and would not report until late June.

Shortstop Joe Evans was also given permission to join the club late; he was completing his year at Washington University in St. Louis where he was studying for a medical degree.

THE PHENOM

Marty Fiedler was a Chicago semi-pro phenom who “could play any infield position.” He played at Newark in 1918, and was hailed as the find of spring training. Cleveland management and the Cleveland papers hyped Fiedler throughout spring training because Larry Gardner was slow to report to camp-they must have thought it would serve as some impetus to Gardner to report. Once Gardner reported on April 7, Fiedler’s importance diminished rapidly. He was the team’s final cut, and played for New Orleans in 1919 and part of 1920.

THE LATECOMERS

Significantly late in reporting were Tris Speaker, who would become the team’s manager later that season, and Gardner. Speaker finally arrived at camp on March 26, with the excuse that too much spring rain in his native Texas necessitated his remaining there to take care of his ranch — specifically, to finish construction of a “dip” for de-lousing cattle. Outfielder Jack Graney also reported late due to illness.

With Speaker appearing in the team picture and Gardner not, it is safe to assume that the photo was taken between March 26 and April 7.

THE YANIGANS

Johnny Gooch and Elmer Dobard were members of the New Orleans team, and were never mentioned in the Cleveland papers throughout spring training. One reason they may have appeared is the need for players for intrasquad “Regular vs. Yanigan” games. Manager Lee Fohl was quoted during camp that with the high number of absences, it was difficult to get these games going. Gooch and Dobard may have been “borrowed” for these purposes. Dobard was a career Southern Association player, playing for Atlanta in 1913, Mobile in 1914-15, Memphis in 1916-18 (note the “M” on his cap in the photo) and sparsely for New Orleans in 1920-21. Gooch appeared for New Orleans against the Indians in the weekend exhibition games. He started an 11-year big league career with Pittsburgh in 1921.

THE MAN WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN PHILADELPHIA

Terry “Cotton” Turner began playing for the Indians in 1904. He played as a regular at every infield position (except 1B) at one time or another, and even some outfield. He was the classic utility ballplayer, and finished with a .253 career average.

Turner was 38 years old in 1919, and did not appear in an American League game with Cleveland that season. The records show that he appeared in 38 games for the Philadelphia Athletics that season — his final season — batting .189. The records also tell us that Turner was sold to the Athletics in January of that season. Yet he’s in the Cleveland spring training picture taken in late March/early April. He is also shown warming up in a Cleveland uniform before a league game in the April 25 edition of the Cleveland Press. That’s because Turner was a member of the team through July 14. It is true he didn’t appear in a league game — he was used primarily to warm up bullpen pitchers. O’Neill and Nunamaker had been alternating as the team’s starting catcher throughout the early going, and Thomas was being used primarily as a base coach. Harry Lunte had been used as a bullpen catcher, but was injured taking warmups — thus, the job fell to Turner.

Turner was finally released on July 14, after Connie Mack, whose A’s were foundering in last place, indicated some interest. The 38-year-old got a chance for a last hurrah with the A’s, and the Cleveland Press marked his leaving with this bit of doggerel on July 15. “FOR AULD LANG SYNE. When Mack signs Turner, y-clept Cotton / He may be gone, but he’s not forgotten.”

And, this brief article: “TERRY TURNER RELEASED BY TRIBE; SIGNS WITH MACK. Fans’ Best Wishes Go With Him. Terry Turner, released by the Indians after 14 years of service, has accepted terms to join the Athletics. He’ll begin service on Mack’s infield when Connie’s team arrives in Cleveland Sunday for a series of three games.’

Historical confusion over Turner’s actual transfer may have occurred because the Indians had released Turner once before, at the end of the 1918 season. Because of a ruling by the War Department, all big leaguers’ contracts were terminated as of the season’s end — September 1 — as the season was shortened because of World War I. Contracts had run through October 15. Thus, the teams wouldn’t have to continue to pay the players.

But the ruling called for the release of only those under the age of 31. Turner was 37, and thus, could have received the balance of his contract. The Indians gave him 10 days notice of his unconditional release on August 16, thus making him a free agent after the season. Turner played out the balance of the season with the Tribe, and, as the picture shows us, was back for spring training and the early part of the 1919 season.

And while he had limited success in his final season for the Athletics, he did manage to cause the Indians a moment of regret for letting him go to Philadelphia. On July 30, his ninth inning single off former teammate Hi Jasper gave the Athletics a 2-1 victory over Cleveland in Philadelphia.