Billy Rhiel
Encyclopedia
William Joseph Rhiel was a second and third baseman in Major League Baseball who played four seasons with the Brooklyn Robins
, Boston Braves
, and Detroit Tigers
in the late 1920s and early '30s.
, to William J. and Mary Lyden Rhiel. He attended local schools including Immaculate Conception
Elementary School and Rayen High School
. Rhiel gained early recognition as a player for a semi-professional football team associated with St. Edward
's Church, in Youngstown. After graduating from Newberry College
, in South Carolina
, where he was a star football player, Rhiel joined an Atlanta
farm team
, where he took the position of second baseman.
reported that Rhiel smacked a seventh-inning home run in a match with the Pittsburgh Pirates
that gave the Robins a 10-7 victory. He moved to the Boston Braves the following year. Rhiel also played with Portland, Oregon
, in the Coast League, and Montreal
, in the International League
. He spent his final two seasons with the Detroit Tigers
and played his final major league game on July 9, 1933. He played briefly for the minor league Toledo Mud Hens
before ending his professional baseball career.
, where he settled in the city of Warren
. There, he served for 10 years as director of the Junior Baseball League of the American Legion
and manager of Warren's Class D baseball team. He also managed the V.F.W.
Canteen in Warren, a position he held for 10 years at the time of his death.
Rhiel suffered a fatal heart attack at the home of his sister in 1946. His funeral Mass was held at St. Brendan's Church, in Youngstown.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, and Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in the late 1920s and early '30s.
Early years
Rhiel was born in Youngstown, OhioYoungstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, to William J. and Mary Lyden Rhiel. He attended local schools including Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
Elementary School and Rayen High School
Rayen High School (Youngstown, Ohio)
Rayen High School was a public high school in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. At the time it was closed in 2007, it was of the three oldest high schools in the city...
. Rhiel gained early recognition as a player for a semi-professional football team associated with St. Edward
Edward the Martyr
Edward the Martyr was king of the English from 975 until he was murdered in 978. Edward was the eldest son of King Edgar, but not his father's acknowledged heir...
's Church, in Youngstown. After graduating from Newberry College
Newberry College
Newberry College is a liberal-arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located on a historic campus in Newberry, South Carolina.The college has 1,025 students and a 19:1 student-teacher ratio...
, in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, where he was a star football player, Rhiel joined an Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
farm team
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
, where he took the position of second baseman.
Professional career
Rhiel made his professional debut with the Brooklyn Robins on April 20, 1929. In July of that year, The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that Rhiel smacked a seventh-inning home run in a match with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
that gave the Robins a 10-7 victory. He moved to the Boston Braves the following year. Rhiel also played with Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, in the Coast League, and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, in 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...
. He spent his final two seasons with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and played his final major league game on July 9, 1933. He played briefly for the minor league 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...
before ending his professional baseball career.
Later years
After ending his career as a ballplayer, Rhiel returned to his native OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, where he settled in the city of Warren
Warren, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 46,832 people, 19,288 households and 12,035 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,912.4 people per square mile . There were 21,279 housing units at an average density of 1,322.9 per square mile...
. There, he served for 10 years as director of the Junior Baseball League of the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
and manager of Warren's Class D baseball team. He also managed the V.F.W.
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
Canteen in Warren, a position he held for 10 years at the time of his death.
Rhiel suffered a fatal heart attack at the home of his sister in 1946. His funeral Mass was held at St. Brendan's Church, in Youngstown.