Phantom ballplayer
Encyclopedia
A phantom ballplayer is can be one of two things:
- a) Someone who is incorrectly listed in source materials as playing in a Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor 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...
game, often the result of typographical or clerical errors. Most of these types of phantom players date from the 19th or early 20th century, with at least one showing up as late as World War II.
- b) A player who spent time on an active major league roster, but never actually appeared in a big-league contest.
Phantoms who never were
- Edward L. Thayer supposedly played one game for the New York MutualsNew York MutualsThe Mutual Base Ball Club of New York was a leading American baseball club almost throughout its 20-year history. It was established during 1857, the year of the first baseball convention, just too late to be a founding member of the National Association of Base Ball Players. It was a charter...
in 1876; the player was actually named George FairGeorge FairGeorge T. Fair was a Major League Baseball second baseman, playing one game for the New York Mutuals in . The twenty-year-old Fair failed to get a hit in four at-bats in his lone big-league contest, then faded into obscurity...
. (19th and early 20th century players sometimes played under assumed names in an attempt to circumvent contractual obligations with another club.) Whoever came up with Fair's pseudonym may have been thinking of Ernest ThayerErnest ThayerErnest Lawrence Thayer was an American writer and poet who wrote "Casey at the Bat".-Biography:Thayer was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts and raised in Worcester. He graduated magna cum laude in philosophy from Harvard in 1885, where he was editor of the Harvard Lampoon...
, who wrote the famous baseball poem Casey at the BatCasey at the Bat"Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888" is a baseball poem written in 1888 by Ernest Thayer. First published in The San Francisco Examiner on June 3, 1888, it was later popularized by DeWolf Hopper in many vaudeville performances.The poem was originally published...
.
- Turbot (which is also the name of a fishTurbotThe turbot is a species of flatfish in the family Scophthalmidae. It is native to marine or brackish waters of the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.-Etymology:...
) was once listed as playing one game for St. Louis in 1902. In his anthology This Great Game, author Roger AngellRoger AngellRoger Angell is an American essayist. He has been a regular contributor to The New Yorker and was its chief fiction editor for many years...
listed him on his All-Time Fish Names Team and bemoaned the fact Turbot had been dropped from the encyclopedia. ("I don't know what happened to him, but we need him the outfield.")
- A catcher named Dienens (no first name given) was listed in early baseball encyclopedias as having played one game for the 1914 Chicago Chi-Feds of the Federal LeagueFederal LeagueThe 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...
. Later research showed that the game was actually caught by the Chi-Feds regular second-string catcher Clem ClemensClem ClemensClement Lambert "Count" Clemens was a catcher in Major League Baseball.-External links:...
-- historians reading a handwritten scorecard of the game had incorrectly deciphered "Clemens" as "Dienens".
- Baseball's most famous phantom, Lou ProctorLou ProctorLou Proctor is an example of a "phantom ballplayer," an American baseball player listed in the baseball encyclopedias by mistake. Over two dozen "phantoms" have been expunged from baseball's official record book Total Baseball and its predecessor, The Baseball Encyclopedia.Proctor was not a...
, was listed as playing one game for the 1912 St. Louis Browns, drawing a walk in his only plate appearance. Research in the 1980s, however, revealed that the at-bat actually belonged to the Browns' Pete ComptonPete ComptonAnna Sebastian "Pete" Compton , was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played in parts of six seasons from to with five Major League teams.-External links:...
. According to legend, Proctor was actually a Western UnionWestern UnionThe Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
operator who inserted his name into the box scoreBox scoreA box score is a structured summary of the results from a sport competition. The box score lists the game score as well as individual and team achievements in the game....
as a prank. However, whether Proctor actually existed -- even as a prankish telegraph operator -- is unknown.
Real players who never played
- Al Olsen is an unusual example of a verifiable real-life person who never played a major league game, but was included in official major league records for many years. Olsen, a career minor league pitcher, was credited as appearing in one game on May 16, 1943, as a pinch hitter (walking, and then stealing a base) for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. But research by the Society for American Baseball ResearchSociety for American Baseball ResearchThe Society for American Baseball Research was established in Cooperstown, New York, in August 1971 by Bob Davids of Washington, D.C. The Society's mission is to foster the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball, while generating interest in the game...
in the 1980s showed that while Olsen had been with the Red Sox during 1943 spring training, he was released and picked up by San Diego of the Pacific Coast LeaguePacific Coast LeagueThe 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...
before the 1943 season began. Olsen pitched on May 15 for San Diego, and given wartime travel restrictions, could not have arrived in Boston for the game the following day. Olsen himself says "It wasn't me. I was a left-handed pitcher. I couldn't hit my hat. Besides, I never played a game in the major leagues." The pinch-hitting appearance probably, but not definitely, belongs to Leon CulbersonLeon CulbersonDelbert Leon Culberson was a Major League baseball outfielder. He was born in Halls, GA.Culberson hit for the cycle on July 3, 1943. In 1946, he appeared in the World Series for the Boston Red Sox and was the outfielder who fielded Harry Walker's hit that resulted in Slaughter's Mad Dash.He died...
; it also could have been John Lazor, who wore uniform number 14, the same number Olsen wore in spring training.
- The Sporting Life of February 24, 1906, reported that pitcher Jimmy Whalen sent in a contract to the New York Highlanders, although it is unclear if Whelan ever made the team's active roster once the season was underway. Regardless, he never appeared in a major league game, though he won over 250 games in the minors.
- Pitcher Bill Stewart was on the roster of the 1919 Chicago White Sox, but never played. It's unclear, however, if he was ever on the team's active roster, as he had been injured the previous winter.
- First baseman Jeff Jones was briefly on the Philadelphia A's roster in 1920, but never played. As with several other players of this era, it is not definitively established if Jones was ever actually on the A's active roster during the season.
- Outfielder Lou Almada made the major league roster of the New York GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
out of spring trainingSpring trainingIn 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...
in , but was hurt just as the season began, and never reached the majors again. In 1933, his brother Mel AlmadaMel AlmadaBaldomero "Mel" Almada was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Red Sox , Washington Senators , St. Louis Browns and Brooklyn Dodgers...
became the first Mexican to play in the majors.
- Minor league pitching legend Jake Levy was reported in at least one contemporary account to have signed with the New York GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in September 1927, without ever getting into a game. Peter and Joachim Horvitz' The Big Book of Jewish Baseball, meanwhile, list Levy's stint on the Giants bench as having occurred in 1932. However, whether Levy actually spent any time at all on a Giants' active roster is a matter of some dispute.
- In September of 1951, outfielder Bill SharmanBill SharmanWilliam Walton "Bill" Sharman is a former professional basketball player and coach. Sharman completed high school in the rural city of Porterville, California and is mostly known for his time with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s, partnering with Bob Cousy in what some consider the greatest...
spent time on the roster of the Brooklyn DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe 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...
without getting into a game. Sharman also remains the only player to be ejected from an MLB game without ever actually playing in one, when umpire Frank Dascoli tossed out the entire Dodgers bench for arguing with a call at home plate on September 27, 1951. Sharman is far more notable as a professional basketball player and coach than as a baseball player; he is in the Basketball Hall of FameBasketball Hall of FameThe Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
.
- Pitcher Ed NottleEd NottleEdward William Nottle , nicknamed "Singing Ed" because of his avocation as a singer, is a former minor league baseball relief pitcher and manager....
spent a few days on the 1963 Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
active roster. He pitched in a mid-season exhibition game against the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe 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...
, and then was returned to the minors.
- In September 1977, no fewer than three phantom ballplayers served a couple of weeks' time on major league rosters, all of them pitchers: Tom McGough of the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, Pat Cristelli of the California AngelsLos Angeles Angels of AnaheimThe Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, and Ed Ricks of the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. (Scott McGough, the son of Tom McGough, is currently a minor league pitcher in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.)
- Catcher Harry Saferight made it to the Major Leagues with the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe 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...
for the last few weeks of September, 1979. but failed to appear in a game. He was the on-deck batter on three different occasions but all three times the Pirates batter ahead of him made the third out of the inning.
- Jamie Werly, the 1981 Southern LeagueSouthern LeagueSouthern League may mean:*Southern League , a United States minor league baseball league**Southern Association, a United States minor league baseball league, was known as the Southern League from 1901–1919...
Most Outstanding Pitcher, was listed on the 1982 New York Yankees opening day roster, but never appeared in a Major League game. Arm soreness prevented him from pitching early in the season, and he was sent down to Triple-A by mid-April.
- The 1983 Kansas City Royals briefly employed two never-needed phantom catchers to back-up regular backstop John WathanJohn WathanJohn David Wathan is a former Major League Baseball catcher and manager for the Kansas City Royals. He was considered one of the rare catchers with speed, having 105 stolen bases during his career...
at different times. Duane Dewey was on the roster for two weeks, May 16 to June 1; later, Russ Stephans spent time on the roster from June 29 to July 5.
- Pitcher Joe Law spent four days on the active roster of the 1988 Oakland A's.
- Terrel Hansen (OF/1B) was on the active roster for the 1992 New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
for two games, April 30 and May 1.
- Outfielder Bruce Dostal spent four games on active roster of the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe 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...
in June 1994. On two consecutive nights, manager Johnny OatesJohnny OatesJohnny Lane Oates was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees from 1970 to 1981...
told Dostal he would pinch-run for Harold BainesHarold BainesHarold Douglas Baines is a former right fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for five American League teams from 1980 to 2001. He is best known for his three stints with the Chicago White Sox, the team on which he now serves as coach...
if Baines reached base; both times, Baines was retired.
- Joel ChimelisJoel ChimelisJoel Chimelis is a minor league baseball hitting coach and a former professional baseball infielder. Although he never played in Major League Baseball, he briefly was called up to the major league roster of the San Francisco Giants in June 1995. He also played one season in the CPBL in 1997, and...
(IF/OF) was briefly called up to the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
from June 4-6, 1995. A replacement playerReplacement playerIn professional sports, a replacement player is an athlete who is not a member of the league's players association and plays during a labor dispute such as a strike or lockout.- National Football League – 1987 :...
who had crossed the picket lines during the 1994-95 Major League Baseball strike, Chimelis was unpopular with his Giants teammates as a result of this action (even though other replacement players had and would continue to appear in major league games). After calling a players-only meeting to which Chimelis was not invited, the Giants players threatened to revolt if Chemilis was allowed to play. The Giants management capitulated, and Chimelis was quickly returned to the minors without ever appearing in an MLB game.
- Pitcher Billy Percibal was on the active roster of the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe 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...
for 8 days starting September 21, 1995. However, the roster move was clearly simply a favour to Percibal -- he was recovering from bone spur surgery he had undergone just two days prior, and was not about to pitch in a major league game at that time.
- Pitcher Jesus Martinez, brother of major league pitchers Pedro MartinezPedro MartínezPedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
and Ramon MartinezRamon MartinezRamon Martinez is the name of:*Ramon Martinez , American fencing instructor*Ramón Martínez *Ramón Martínez , brother of Pedro Martinez*Ramón Martínez , Spanish Olympic fencer...
, spent time on the roster of the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe 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...
in September, 1997.
- Catcher César King spent five days on the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
active roster in 2001, May 19-23.
- Pitcher Cory Morris was on the active roster of the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe 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...
April 9-12, 2006.
- Catcher Tim Gradoville appeared on Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe 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...
active roster for 18 days in September 2006.
- Pitcher Tim LaheyTim LaheyTimothy William "Tim" Lahey is a minor league baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is officially listed as standing tall and weighing . Lahey is an example of a "phantom ballplayer": one who has spent time on a major league roster but never appeared in any games.-High school...
was on the active roster of the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe 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...
for the first six days of the 2008 season. Lahey spent his entire six-year minor league career pitching for the Minnesota Twins organization, but in a five month period from December 2007 to April 2008, he was drafted from the Twins in the Rule V Draft by the Tampa Bay RaysTampa Bay RaysThe Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
; sold by the Rays to the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe 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...
; released by the Cubs; signed by the Phillies; and then returned to the Twins rather than keeping him on the major league roster (which was a condition of being a Rule V draft pick.) Lahey managed to do all this without ever throwing a pitch in regular season play for any other organization than the Twins.
- Pitcher Luis Munoz spent two games in July, 2008 on the active roster of the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe 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...
. His fate was probably sealed before he ever arrived, with Pirates manager John Russell saying of his call-up to the majors: "I would not anticipate Luis being here for an extended period of time. It was a step short of desperation." Two days after his arrival, Munoz was removed from the Pirates roster and designated for assignmentDesignated for assignmentDesignated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
. He was eventually sent to the farm system of the Seattle MarinersSeattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
.
- Catcher Brian JerolomanBrian JerolomanBrian Christopher Jeroloman is an American professional baseball catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.Jeroloman attended Wellington High School in Wellington, Florida...
was on the active roster of the 2011 Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
for the final 37 days of the season, but never got into a game. (As Jeroloman is still an active player, he may yet play in the majors and lose his "phantom ballplayer" status.)
Honorable mentions
- Pitcher Larry YountLarry YountLawrence King "Larry" Yount is a former major league baseball player. Yount is the only player in MLB history to be credited with pitching a game without actually facing a batter...
, older brother of Hall of Famer Robin YountRobin YountRobin R. Yount is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and center fielder. He spent his entire 20-year baseball career with the Milwaukee Brewers . In 1999, Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.-Early years:Yount was born in Danville, Illinois...
, appeared in one game for the Houston AstrosHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
in 1971, but due to an injury he suffered while warming up, never actually faced a batter. - SS/2B Chet Trail was the only player ever who was on a postseason roster, but who never appeared in a regular season or postseason game. Trail was the 25th player for the 1964 New York Yankees during the season under a special 1964 rule permitting one bonus player to play in the minors while being charged to the 25-man roster. Baseball commissioner Ford FrickFord FrickFord Christopher Frick was an American sportswriter and executive who served as president of the National League from to and as the third Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1951 to . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
ruled that Trail was eligible for the Yankees World Series roster, however he was never formally activated, and did not actually appear in the series.