Denny Sothern
Encyclopedia
Dennis Elwood "Denny" Sothern, (birth name Southern) (born January 20, 1904 in Washington, D.C.
- died December 7, 1977 in Durham, North Carolina
) was a major league baseball
player and a minor league manager.
While his birth name was actually Southern, he dropped the "u" adopting the name of Sothern. He did this when he was 15 or 16 years old so that he could get into the Marines to fight in World War I, which somehow enabled him to lie about his age (the earliest you could serve was 18).
Sothern was an outfielder during five seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies
, Pittsburgh Pirates
, and Brooklyn Robins
between and . In 357 games, he compiled a .280 batting average
with 19 HRs
and 115 RBI. In the field, Sothern was used as an outfielder
.
Sothern saw some time as a minor league manager following his major league career including a stint as the skipper of the Kinston Eagles of the Coastal Plain League
and the New Bern Bears.
Sothern was considered to be one of the fastest outfielders during his time. He was on his way to being a star professional baseball player with a storied career but it aburtly ended.
Sothern was once the cause of a brawl in the outfield stands among fans. He was being heckled by the home crowd and spit tobacco juice on one of the fans. This started a brawl in the stands but was able to escape actually getting involved in the brawl.
He was married multiple times fathering several children but the number is not known.
He died in New Bern, North Carolina in the Veterans Hospital. It is unknown where he is buried.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
- died December 7, 1977 in Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
) was a 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...
player and a minor league manager.
While his birth name was actually Southern, he dropped the "u" adopting the name of Sothern. He did this when he was 15 or 16 years old so that he could get into the Marines to fight in World War I, which somehow enabled him to lie about his age (the earliest you could serve was 18).
Sothern was an outfielder during five seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, 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...
, and Brooklyn Robins
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...
between and . In 357 games, he compiled a .280 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 19 HRs
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 115 RBI. In the field, Sothern was used as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
.
Sothern saw some time as a minor league manager following his major league career including a stint as the skipper of the Kinston Eagles of the Coastal Plain League
Coastal Plain League (Class D)
The Coastal Plain League was a minor league baseball affiliation which, except for the war years , operated in North Carolina from 1937 to 1952. It was classified as a "D" league. It grew out of a semi-pro league that operated from 1934 to 1936 under the same Coastal Plain League name.- Coastal...
and the New Bern Bears.
Sothern was considered to be one of the fastest outfielders during his time. He was on his way to being a star professional baseball player with a storied career but it aburtly ended.
Sothern was once the cause of a brawl in the outfield stands among fans. He was being heckled by the home crowd and spit tobacco juice on one of the fans. This started a brawl in the stands but was able to escape actually getting involved in the brawl.
He was married multiple times fathering several children but the number is not known.
He died in New Bern, North Carolina in the Veterans Hospital. It is unknown where he is buried.