Columbus Heroes
Published on May 25, 2009 under International League (IL1)
Columbus Clippers News Release
Memorial Day has always been a special event on the Clippers schedule. The Hall of Fame Bar on the second floor of the left field building in Huntington Park is filled with hundreds of wonderful photographs from Columbus rich baseball history. Many were not just heroes on the baseball diamond but on the battle field as well.
Jimmy Williams (right) and his fellow Union soldiers brought the game of baseball back home to Columbus after they returned from the Civil War. The Ohio soldiers learned the game from New England and New York regiments between battles.
Many Columbus players have served in the armed services.
Second baseman Jack Crooks rode with the U.S. Seventh Cavalry in the 1880's and learned the game of baseball on the great plains.
Pitcher Otto Hess of the 1908 Senators fought in the Spanish-American War.
On July 1, 1918 the American Association suspended play for WWI and the Columbus team went off to war. The Senators' star was outfielder Larry Chappelle. Larry was serving in the U.S. Army Medical Corp during the war when he contracted the flu and died of pneumonia. He is the only Columbus player to die in service to his country. Just three years earlier the Indians had traded Shoeless Joe Jackson to the White Sox for Chappelle.
Columbus native Hank Gowdy was the only major leaguer to serve in both World Wars.
Over 100 Columbus Red Birds served during WWII. Murry Dickson was the last Columbus pitcher to win 20 games in a season. Dickson won four Battle Star Medals for his heroism in the Battle of the Bulge and the Crossing of the Rhine in WWII. Despite missing two years to the war, Murry had an 18-year major league career. He won 20 games for the last place Pirates in 1951.
Outfielder Harry "The Hat "Walker was carried off the field on the shoulders of his Red Birds teammates after his game winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning of the final game of the 1941 Junior World Series. Harry served under General George Patton in Europe. He was twice struck by shrapnel, winning the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He returned from the war to become an All-Star in the National League. He drove in teammate Enos Slaughter with the game winning hit in the seventh game of the 1946 World Series as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Boston Red Sox. He won the National League batting title in 1947. After his major league career, Walker returned to Columbus as player-manager of the Red Birds and won the batting title (.393) in 1951.
Many heroes' careers were cut short by the war. John Grodzicki pitched the Red Birds to the Junior World Series Championship in 1941 and was called up to the Cardinals for the pennant drive. He won two games with a sparkling 1.38 ERA. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Johnny was the first Cardinal inducted into the armed service. He was a paratrooper for the next four years. The Germans shot him in the thigh and he nearly lost his leg. Grodzicki tried to pitch on the bad leg after the war but never won another big league game.
Ernie White was promoted to the Cardinals after posting a 13-4, 2.25 ERA with Columbus in 1940. The southpaw had a great rookie season with the Cardinals in 1941. He pitched 210 innings, with a 17-7 record and a 2.40 earned run average. He had a 2.52 ERA the following season.
In the 1942 World Series, White pitched a complete game shutout as the Cardinals defeated the New York Yankees for the World Championship.
During 1944-45, White saw heavy fighting in WWII. White was pinned under water in an icy river for a day by enemy machine gun fire, during the Battle of the Bulge. When he reported to spring training after the war, his arm was dead.
Many of the Red Birds had honorable war service. An example is first baseman/outfielder Mo Mozzali who served in the US Navy in a submarine unit at Pearl Harbor.
Pitcher Harvey Haddix served during both WWII and the Korean War. Most players in the 1950's had two years of military service.
The Columbus Jets infielder Chuck Goggins, a Vietnam Marine veteran, was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
Singing the National Anthem before the ball game on Memorial Day takes on a special meaning, as we honor the men and women who have, and still are, serving our country. The Clippers open an eight game homestand today at the beautiful new Huntington Park. Come out and lend your voice to the crowd!
International League Stories from May 25, 2009
- Indians Beat Out Braves 5-2 - Indianapolis Indians
- Buchholz Dances With Perfection, Red Sox Shutout Bats 3-0 - Louisville Bats
- Bulls Win 3-2 At Rochester On Memorial Day - Durham Bulls
- Bisons Add Jason Cooper to Roster - Buffalo Bisons
- Rays Recall Price To Tampa - Durham Bulls
- Bisons Notes - Buffalo Bisons
- Columbus Heroes - Columbus Clippers
- International League Names Players Of The Week - IL1
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