Art Kores
Encyclopedia
Arthur Emil "Art" Kores (July 22, 1886 – March 26, 1974) was a professional baseball
player whose career spanned nine season, one of which was spent in Major League Baseball
(MLB) with the St. Louis Terriers
(1915). In the majors, he compiled a .234 batting average
with 18 runs scored, 47 hits
, nine doubles
, two triples
, one home run
, and 22 runs batted in (RBIs) in 60 games played
. He played all of his major league games at third base
. Kores played the majority of his career in the minor leagues
with the Des Moines Boosters
(1911–12), Portland Beavers
(1913–14), Rochester Hustlers (1915), Nashville Volunteers (1916–17), Louisville Colonels (1918), Toledo Mud Hens
(1920), and Indianapolis Indians
(1920). In the minors, he compiled a career .274 batting average with 1,225 hits, 212 doubles, 91 triples, and 29 home runs in 1,243 games played. Kores batted and threw right-handed. During his playing career, he stood at 5 in 9 in (175.26 cm) and weighed 167 pounds (75.7 kg).
to John and Theresa Kores, both of Bohemia
. John Kores worked as a cabinet maker. Art Kores had five siblings; sisters Cecilia, and Josephine; and brothers Chas, Fred, and Joseph. Art Kores played semi-professional
baseball, and sandlot ball
in Milwaukee, before turning professional.
career began in 1910 with the Racine Belles
of the Class-C Wisconsin-Illinois League. He played just a month and a half with the Racine club, being used as a first baseman
. Kores spent his first full professional season with the Des Moines Boosters
of the Class-A Western League
in 1911. With the Boosters, he batted
.215 with 127 hits
, 17 doubles
, nine triples
, and four home run
s in 161 games played
. Defensively, he played all of his games as a third baseman
. After the season, Des Moines general manager
Jack Holland attempted to trade Kores to another team, but no organization showed interest.
The day before the Des Moines Boosters opening series of the 1912 season, Kores signed a new contract with the team. In his season debut, on April 19, Kores got three hits. With Des Moines that year, he batted .298 with 182 hits, 25 doubles, 10 triples, and 10 home runs in 162 games played. In the field, he played shortstop
, committing 60 errors
in 674 total chances
. At the end of the 1912 season, the Portland Beavers
of the Double-A Pacific Coast League
drafted Kores from the Boosters. He was later drafted by the Chicago Cubs
, but passed up the opportunity to play in Major League Baseball
(MLB).
On March 1, 1913, Kores joined the Portland Beavers at their spring training
camp in Visalia, California
. He played 165 games with Portland that season, batting .282 with 24 doubles, eight triples, and five home runs. In the field, Kores played shortstop. At the start of the 1914 season, Kores was moved from shortstop to third base. During the season, The Milwaukee Journal described Kores as "the best clean-up hitter in the Coast league". With the Beavers that year, he batted .296 with 54 doubles, 21 triples, and five home runs in 187 games played. He led the Pacific Coast League in doubles, and triples that season. Kores was also third in the league in runs batted in (RBIs) with 94 that season.
In September, 1914, the New York Giants drafted Kores from the Portland Beavers in what the Oakland Tribune a "secret lottery". Kores rejected the Giants contract offer, stating that he could make as much money in the Pacific Coast League then he could in the majors. He demanded a US$2,100 a year salary from the Giants, which New York declined to give him. He eventually signed a contract with the Giants for an undisclosed amount. According to Beavers officials, Kores, who told the Giants he was only 23 years old, had to confess his real age to get the contract.
Before the 1915 season, it was reported that the St. Louis Terriers
of the Federal League
were interested in Kores, whose contract was owned by the New York Giants. At the start of the regular season, Giants manager
John McGraw
offered Kores' contract back to the Portland Beavers for a price of US$2,500, but Beavers manager Judge McCredie declined. Instead, McGraw sent Kores to the Double-A Rochester Hustlers of the International League
. In 75 games with Rochester that year, he batted .275 with 76 hits, 11 doubles, 11 triples, and two home runs. On July 23, it was reported that Kores had left the Hustlers to join the major league St. Louis Terriers. As a result, the Rochester club suspended him and fined him US$250. Officials from the Hustlers said that it did not come as a surprise that Kores had left the team, because he was in talks with the St. Louis club for months. Kores made his MLB debut on July 24, 1915. With St. Louis that season, he batted .234 with 18 runs scored, 47 hits, nine doubles, seven triples, one home run, and 22 RBIs in 60 games played. In the field, he played all of his games at third base, committing 10 errors in 251 total chances.
In 1916, the Federal League dissolved and the St. Louis Browns of the American League
took over their operations. The Browns then sold Kores to the Class-A Nashville Volunteers of the Southern Association
. With Nashville that season, he batted .275 with 117 hits, 21 doubles, and seven triples in 129 games played. In the field, he played third base. Kores re-signed with the Nashville Volunteers in 1917. That year, he batted .275 with 152 hits, 30 doubles, 13 triples, and two home runs in 154 games played. Defensively, he played all of his games at third base, committing 27 errors in 583 total chances. After the season, Kores joined a barnstorming
team in Milwaukee.
Before the start of the 1918 season, Kores was sold from the Nashville Volunteers to the Louisville Colonels of the Double-A American Association
. With Louisville, he batted .304 with 78 hits, 10 doubles, and seven triples in 71 games played. He played third base for the Colonels that season. After he completed his season with the Colonels, Kores signed with the semi-professional Lake Shore League. In 1919, he continued to play semi-pro baseball. He also injured his right arm that season. In late-March during the 1920 season, Kores signed with the Double-A Toledo Mud Hens
of the American Association. Later that season, he joined the Indianapolis Indians
, who were also members of the American Association. Between the two clubs, he batted .253 with 123 hits, 20 doubles, five triples, and one home run in 139 games played. He played all of his games at third base, committing 25 errors in 435 games played.
.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player whose career spanned nine season, one of which was spent in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) with the St. Louis Terriers
St. Louis Terriers
The St. Louis Terriers were a baseball club that played in the short-lived Federal League in and . They played their home games at Handlan's Park. The St. Louis Chapter of SABR placed a marker at the site of Handland's Park, now on the campus of St. Louis University, on October 17, 2007. The team...
(1915). In the majors, he compiled a .234 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 18 runs scored, 47 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, nine doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, two triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, one home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
, and 22 runs batted in (RBIs) in 60 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
. He played all of his major league games at third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
. Kores played the majority of his career in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
with the Des Moines Boosters
Des Moines Boosters
The Des Moines Boosters were a Western League minor league baseball team based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA that existed from 1908 to 1924. They won two league championships - their first in 1915 under manager Frank Isbell and their second in 1917 under Jack Coffey....
(1911–12), Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
(1913–14), Rochester Hustlers (1915), Nashville Volunteers (1916–17), Louisville Colonels (1918), Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
(1920), and Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
(1920). In the minors, he compiled a career .274 batting average with 1,225 hits, 212 doubles, 91 triples, and 29 home runs in 1,243 games played. Kores batted and threw right-handed. During his playing career, he stood at 5 in 9 in (175.26 cm) and weighed 167 pounds (75.7 kg).
Early life
Kores was born on July 22, 1886 in Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
to John and Theresa Kores, both of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. John Kores worked as a cabinet maker. Art Kores had five siblings; sisters Cecilia, and Josephine; and brothers Chas, Fred, and Joseph. Art Kores played semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
baseball, and sandlot ball
Sandlot ball
Sandlot ball is a North American adolescent game that generally follows the basic rules of baseball. More specific rules can be set for games and may vary each time the game is played. These rules are usually agreed upon before the game begins by teams of young boys or girls usually from the same...
in Milwaukee, before turning professional.
Professional career
Kores' professional baseballProfessional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
career began in 1910 with the Racine Belles
Racine Belles
The Racine Belles were one of the original teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing from through out of Racine, Wisconsin. The team played its home games at Horlick Field.-History:...
of the Class-C Wisconsin-Illinois League. He played just a month and a half with the Racine club, being used as a first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
. Kores spent his first full professional season with the Des Moines Boosters
Des Moines Boosters
The Des Moines Boosters were a Western League minor league baseball team based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA that existed from 1908 to 1924. They won two league championships - their first in 1915 under manager Frank Isbell and their second in 1917 under Jack Coffey....
of the Class-A Western League
Western League (defunct minor league)
The Western League is a name given to several circuits in American minor league baseball. Its earliest progenitor, which existed from 1885 to 1899, was the predecessor of the American League...
in 1911. With the Boosters, he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.215 with 127 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 17 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, nine triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and four home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in 161 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
. Defensively, he played all of his games as a third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
. After the season, Des Moines general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Jack Holland attempted to trade Kores to another team, but no organization showed interest.
The day before the Des Moines Boosters opening series of the 1912 season, Kores signed a new contract with the team. In his season debut, on April 19, Kores got three hits. With Des Moines that year, he batted .298 with 182 hits, 25 doubles, 10 triples, and 10 home runs in 162 games played. In the field, he played shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, committing 60 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
in 674 total chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
. At the end of the 1912 season, the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
of the Double-A Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
drafted Kores from the Boosters. He was later drafted by the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, but passed up the opportunity to play in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB).
On March 1, 1913, Kores joined the Portland Beavers at their spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
camp in Visalia, California
Visalia, California
Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
. He played 165 games with Portland that season, batting .282 with 24 doubles, eight triples, and five home runs. In the field, Kores played shortstop. At the start of the 1914 season, Kores was moved from shortstop to third base. During the season, The Milwaukee Journal described Kores as "the best clean-up hitter in the Coast league". With the Beavers that year, he batted .296 with 54 doubles, 21 triples, and five home runs in 187 games played. He led the Pacific Coast League in doubles, and triples that season. Kores was also third in the league in runs batted in (RBIs) with 94 that season.
In September, 1914, the New York Giants drafted Kores from the Portland Beavers in what the Oakland Tribune a "secret lottery". Kores rejected the Giants contract offer, stating that he could make as much money in the Pacific Coast League then he could in the majors. He demanded a US$2,100 a year salary from the Giants, which New York declined to give him. He eventually signed a contract with the Giants for an undisclosed amount. According to Beavers officials, Kores, who told the Giants he was only 23 years old, had to confess his real age to get the contract.
Before the 1915 season, it was reported that the St. Louis Terriers
St. Louis Terriers
The St. Louis Terriers were a baseball club that played in the short-lived Federal League in and . They played their home games at Handlan's Park. The St. Louis Chapter of SABR placed a marker at the site of Handland's Park, now on the campus of St. Louis University, on October 17, 2007. The team...
of the Federal League
Federal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that operated as a "third major league", in competition with the established National and American Leagues, from to...
were interested in Kores, whose contract was owned by the New York Giants. At the start of the regular season, Giants manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
offered Kores' contract back to the Portland Beavers for a price of US$2,500, but Beavers manager Judge McCredie declined. Instead, McGraw sent Kores to the Double-A Rochester Hustlers of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. In 75 games with Rochester that year, he batted .275 with 76 hits, 11 doubles, 11 triples, and two home runs. On July 23, it was reported that Kores had left the Hustlers to join the major league St. Louis Terriers. As a result, the Rochester club suspended him and fined him US$250. Officials from the Hustlers said that it did not come as a surprise that Kores had left the team, because he was in talks with the St. Louis club for months. Kores made his MLB debut on July 24, 1915. With St. Louis that season, he batted .234 with 18 runs scored, 47 hits, nine doubles, seven triples, one home run, and 22 RBIs in 60 games played. In the field, he played all of his games at third base, committing 10 errors in 251 total chances.
In 1916, the Federal League dissolved and the St. Louis Browns of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
took over their operations. The Browns then sold Kores to the Class-A Nashville Volunteers of the Southern Association
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
. With Nashville that season, he batted .275 with 117 hits, 21 doubles, and seven triples in 129 games played. In the field, he played third base. Kores re-signed with the Nashville Volunteers in 1917. That year, he batted .275 with 152 hits, 30 doubles, 13 triples, and two home runs in 154 games played. Defensively, he played all of his games at third base, committing 27 errors in 583 total chances. After the season, Kores joined a barnstorming
Barnstorm (sports)
Barnstorming in athletics refers to sports teams or individuals that travel to various locations, usually small towns, to stage exhibition matches....
team in Milwaukee.
Before the start of the 1918 season, Kores was sold from the Nashville Volunteers to the Louisville Colonels of the Double-A American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
. With Louisville, he batted .304 with 78 hits, 10 doubles, and seven triples in 71 games played. He played third base for the Colonels that season. After he completed his season with the Colonels, Kores signed with the semi-professional Lake Shore League. In 1919, he continued to play semi-pro baseball. He also injured his right arm that season. In late-March during the 1920 season, Kores signed with the Double-A Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
of the American Association. Later that season, he joined the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
, who were also members of the American Association. Between the two clubs, he batted .253 with 123 hits, 20 doubles, five triples, and one home run in 139 games played. He played all of his games at third base, committing 25 errors in 435 games played.
Later life
After his baseball career, Kores settled in his home-town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his wife Alma R. and their son Vernon T. Art Kores worked for a local oil company. He died on March 26, 1974 in Milwaukee. He was buried at Wisconsin Memorial Park in Brookfield, WisconsinBrookfield, Wisconsin
Brookfield is a city located in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It had a population of 37,920 in the 2010 census. Brookfield is the second largest city in Waukesha County, and the leading commercial suburb of Milwaukee. The City of Brookfield was formed in 1954 from the Town of...
.