Chuck Hostetler
Encyclopedia
Charles Cloyd Hostetler (September 22, 1903 - February 18, 1971) was a Major League Baseball
outfielder for the Detroit Tigers
in 1944 and 1945. He is remembered as baseball's oldest rookie, making his debut in 1944 at age 40, and as the player whose base running error at age 42 cost the Tigers Game 6 of the 1945 World Series
.
, but he was released in 1929. He later played for the Akron Tyrites in the Central League
in 1929, hitting .360 in 104 games. He next played later for the Tulsa Oilers
in the St. Louis Browns
organization, and then in the Washington Senators
farm system.
Eventually, Hostetler says, "I gave up the idea of playing in the majors." He noted: "When a fellow reaches 35 the thought of playing in the majors is wishful thinking." After nine years in the minor leagues, Hostetler retired -- sort of. He left the minor leagues and took on various industrial jobs. But he kept one foot in baseball, playing four or five games a week at semi-pro ball in Wichita, Kansas, and Texas, when his work schedule permitted.
had decimated the rosters of most major league baseball teams. Players who had been passed over suddenly were in demand. So it was that Detroit Tigers
contacted Hostetler in 1943. Hostetler noted that when the Tigers contacted him, "I was really a surprised rookie."
Hostetler hit .350 during spring training at Evansville, Indiana
. Hostetler's hot hitting and a leg injury to center fielder Roger Cramer, won Hostetler a spot on the Tigers' 1944 major league roster. Born in 1903, he was 40 years old when he played his first major league game, making him the oldest rookie in the history of the game.
Hostetler's debut in April 1944 drew attention from the press. He reported his age as 38 (he was actually 40). The wire services ran several articles about Hostetler's unusual achievement. One article noted: "Chuck is a rookie at 38, something unheard of even in wartime baseball." Another article noted: "A 38-year-old rookie who's been out of organized baseball for seven years is making the Detroit Tigers believe that life begins at 40 -- or 38 at least. Yet another referred to Hostetler as a player "snatched out of a factory two years ago to add depth to a garden depleted by the war."
When the regular season got underway, Hostetler took full advantage of the opportunity and was the hottest hitter in baseball that spring. As of May 3, 1944, the Associated Press reported that "the over-age recruit has 12 hits in 26 tries for a fat .462 average." On May 2, he collected three hits, including a triple, to lead the Tigers to a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Browns
.
Three weeks into the season, Hostetler was still leading the league with a .444 batting average and had become the talk of the baseball world. Baseball writer Chip Royal referred to Hostetler as "a 38-year-old veteran from the sandlots with a terrific wallop at the plate."
Detroit manager Steve O'Neill
noted that Hostetler was not much of a pull hitter, "but he's hustling all the time. That's why Chuck is keeping some pretty good men on the bench." By June 27, 1944, Hostetler's average had dipped to .318, but he was still fifth in the American League in batting average. For the season, Hostetler played 90 games, hit for a .298 batting average, scored 42 runs, collected 20 RBI
s, 21 walks, four stolen bases, nine doubles, two triples, and a .350 on base percentage
.
. When the World Series was played, Hostetler was 42 years old. Hostetler "begged" Detroit manager Steve O'Neill
for a chance to appear in the World Series. Ultimately, Hostetler appeared as a pinch hitter three times in the World Series but did not get a hit. However, he is most remembered for the "Hostetler flop" in Game 6.
In the seventh inning of Game 6, with the Cubs ahead 4-1, Hostetler pinch hit for Skeeter Webb
to start the inning. He hit a ground ball and was safe on an error. He advanced to second on a ground out by Eddie Mayo
, and when Doc Cramer
hit a single to left field, Hostetler ran through manager Steve O’Neill’s stop sign at third base. He tried to put on his brakes half way home, lost his footing, fell to the ground, and was tagged out while scrambling around on all fours.
One press account described it this way: "Hostetler fell flat on his face between third base and home in the seventh inning and was tagged out, helping break up a two-run Tiger rally." Detroit sports writer Joe Falls
later called it "the Hostetler flop." Another account described Hostetler's efforts to swim home: "He tripped and fell rounding third base and tried unsuccessfully to 'swim' to the plate."
After Hostetler was thrown out, Hank Greenberg
hit a home run that would have scored Hostetler if he had held up. Instead, the game went into extra innings, and the Tigers lost, 8-7. As a result, Hostetler was the goat. One writer noted that Greenberg's home run would have ended the Series if only Hostetler had "stayed on his feet." After the game, a dejected Steve O'Neill
said: "We would have won if Chuck Hostetler had only caught my signal to hold up when he was rounding third."
In January 1946, the Associated Press
reported: "Chuck Hostetler, utility infielder who gained questionable fame for his world series high dive rounding third base, has been released." In fact, Hostetler did not appear in another major league game after his base running error in the 1945 World Series.
Years later, Hostetler spoke with baseball historian Fred Smith and recalled the embarrassing incident: "I’ll never forget it. I played only two years in the majors with the Tigers but this is what anyone ever talked about." Fifty years later, baseball writer Joe Falls
was still peeved about Hostetler's blunder. In a column in the Detroit News, Falls wrote: "If anyone symbolized the futility of wartime baseball — both in Detroit and America — it was outfielder Chuck Hostetler of the Tigers, the man who fell on his face in the 1945 World Series."
Hostetler died in 1971 at age 67 in Fort Collins, Colorado
. His obituary noted: "Hostetler gained some degree of fame when he was blamed for the Tigers loss of the sixth game of the 1945 World Series."
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...
outfielder for 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...
in 1944 and 1945. He is remembered as baseball's oldest rookie, making his debut in 1944 at age 40, and as the player whose base running error at age 42 cost the Tigers Game 6 of the 1945 World Series
1945 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 2:Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 3:Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan...
.
The minor leagues
Born in 1903 in McClellandtown, Pennsylvania, Hostetler was considered a great prospect with the Boston BravesAtlanta 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....
, but he was released in 1929. He later played for the Akron Tyrites in the Central League
Central League (baseball)
The Central League was a minor league baseball league that operated sporadically from 1903-1917, 1920-1922, 1926, 1928-1930, 1934, and 1948-1951. In 1926, the league merged mid-season with the Michigan State League and played under that name for the remainder of the season...
in 1929, hitting .360 in 104 games. He next played later for the Tulsa Oilers
Tulsa Oilers (baseball)
The Tulsa Oilers, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were a minor league baseball team that existed on-and-off in multiple leagues from 1905 to 1976. For most of their history, they played at Oiler Park, which opened on July 11, 1934, and was located on the Tulsa County Fairgrounds at 15th Street and...
in the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
organization, and then in the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
farm system.
Eventually, Hostetler says, "I gave up the idea of playing in the majors." He noted: "When a fellow reaches 35 the thought of playing in the majors is wishful thinking." After nine years in the minor leagues, Hostetler retired -- sort of. He left the minor leagues and took on various industrial jobs. But he kept one foot in baseball, playing four or five games a week at semi-pro ball in Wichita, Kansas, and Texas, when his work schedule permitted.
Hostetler reaches the majors at age 40
World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
had decimated the rosters of most major league baseball teams. Players who had been passed over suddenly were in demand. So it was that 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...
contacted Hostetler in 1943. Hostetler noted that when the Tigers contacted him, "I was really a surprised rookie."
Hostetler hit .350 during spring training at Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
. Hostetler's hot hitting and a leg injury to center fielder Roger Cramer, won Hostetler a spot on the Tigers' 1944 major league roster. Born in 1903, he was 40 years old when he played his first major league game, making him the oldest rookie in the history of the game.
Hostetler's debut in April 1944 drew attention from the press. He reported his age as 38 (he was actually 40). The wire services ran several articles about Hostetler's unusual achievement. One article noted: "Chuck is a rookie at 38, something unheard of even in wartime baseball." Another article noted: "A 38-year-old rookie who's been out of organized baseball for seven years is making the Detroit Tigers believe that life begins at 40 -- or 38 at least. Yet another referred to Hostetler as a player "snatched out of a factory two years ago to add depth to a garden depleted by the war."
When the regular season got underway, Hostetler took full advantage of the opportunity and was the hottest hitter in baseball that spring. As of May 3, 1944, the Associated Press reported that "the over-age recruit has 12 hits in 26 tries for a fat .462 average." On May 2, he collected three hits, including a triple, to lead the Tigers to a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
.
Three weeks into the season, Hostetler was still leading the league with a .444 batting average and had become the talk of the baseball world. Baseball writer Chip Royal referred to Hostetler as "a 38-year-old veteran from the sandlots with a terrific wallop at the plate."
Detroit manager Steve O'Neill
Steve O'Neill
Stephen Francis O'Neill was an American catcher, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball.Born to Irish immigrants in Minooka, Pennsylvania , O'Neill was one of six brothers who escaped a life in the coal mines by playing in the major leagues...
noted that Hostetler was not much of a pull hitter, "but he's hustling all the time. That's why Chuck is keeping some pretty good men on the bench." By June 27, 1944, Hostetler's average had dipped to .318, but he was still fifth in the American League in batting average. For the season, Hostetler played 90 games, hit for a .298 batting average, scored 42 runs, collected 20 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
s, 21 walks, four stolen bases, nine doubles, two triples, and a .350 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
.
The "Hostetler flop"
Hostetler remained with the Tigers in 1945 as they won the American League pennant and advanced to the 1945 World Series1945 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 2:Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 3:Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan...
. When the World Series was played, Hostetler was 42 years old. Hostetler "begged" Detroit manager Steve O'Neill
Steve O'Neill
Stephen Francis O'Neill was an American catcher, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball.Born to Irish immigrants in Minooka, Pennsylvania , O'Neill was one of six brothers who escaped a life in the coal mines by playing in the major leagues...
for a chance to appear in the World Series. Ultimately, Hostetler appeared as a pinch hitter three times in the World Series but did not get a hit. However, he is most remembered for the "Hostetler flop" in Game 6.
In the seventh inning of Game 6, with the Cubs ahead 4-1, Hostetler pinch hit for Skeeter Webb
Skeeter Webb
James Laverne "Skeeter" Webb was a Major League Baseball infielder who played twelve season in the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals , Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox , Detroit Tigers , and Philadelphia Athletics...
to start the inning. He hit a ground ball and was safe on an error. He advanced to second on a ground out by Eddie Mayo
Eddie Mayo
Edward Joseph Mayo , nicknamed "Hotshot" and "Steady Eddie," was a professional baseball infielder...
, and when Doc Cramer
Doc Cramer
Roger Maxwell Cramer [Doc] was an American center fielder and left-handed batter in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams from 1929 to 1948.-Career:...
hit a single to left field, Hostetler ran through manager Steve O’Neill’s stop sign at third base. He tried to put on his brakes half way home, lost his footing, fell to the ground, and was tagged out while scrambling around on all fours.
One press account described it this way: "Hostetler fell flat on his face between third base and home in the seventh inning and was tagged out, helping break up a two-run Tiger rally." Detroit sports writer Joe Falls
Joe Falls
Joseph Francis Falls was an American journalist. He began his career in his native New York City. At the age of 17 in 1945, he took a job as a copyboy for the Associated Press. After an apprenticeship of eight years, Falls moved to the Detroit bureau of the AP.In Detroit, Falls flourished...
later called it "the Hostetler flop." Another account described Hostetler's efforts to swim home: "He tripped and fell rounding third base and tried unsuccessfully to 'swim' to the plate."
After Hostetler was thrown out, Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
hit a home run that would have scored Hostetler if he had held up. Instead, the game went into extra innings, and the Tigers lost, 8-7. As a result, Hostetler was the goat. One writer noted that Greenberg's home run would have ended the Series if only Hostetler had "stayed on his feet." After the game, a dejected Steve O'Neill
Steve O'Neill
Stephen Francis O'Neill was an American catcher, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball.Born to Irish immigrants in Minooka, Pennsylvania , O'Neill was one of six brothers who escaped a life in the coal mines by playing in the major leagues...
said: "We would have won if Chuck Hostetler had only caught my signal to hold up when he was rounding third."
In January 1946, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported: "Chuck Hostetler, utility infielder who gained questionable fame for his world series high dive rounding third base, has been released." In fact, Hostetler did not appear in another major league game after his base running error in the 1945 World Series.
Years later, Hostetler spoke with baseball historian Fred Smith and recalled the embarrassing incident: "I’ll never forget it. I played only two years in the majors with the Tigers but this is what anyone ever talked about." Fifty years later, baseball writer Joe Falls
Joe Falls
Joseph Francis Falls was an American journalist. He began his career in his native New York City. At the age of 17 in 1945, he took a job as a copyboy for the Associated Press. After an apprenticeship of eight years, Falls moved to the Detroit bureau of the AP.In Detroit, Falls flourished...
was still peeved about Hostetler's blunder. In a column in the Detroit News, Falls wrote: "If anyone symbolized the futility of wartime baseball — both in Detroit and America — it was outfielder Chuck Hostetler of the Tigers, the man who fell on his face in the 1945 World Series."
Hostetler died in 1971 at age 67 in Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
. His obituary noted: "Hostetler gained some degree of fame when he was blamed for the Tigers loss of the sixth game of the 1945 World Series."