Pinky Hargrave
Encyclopedia
William McKinley "Pinky" Hargrave (January 31, 1896 - October 3, 1942) was a Major League Baseball
catcher
who played ten seasons with the Washington Senators
(1923–1925, 1930–1931), St. Louis Browns
(1925–1926), Detroit Tigers
(1928–1930), and Boston Braves
(1932–1933). Born in New Haven, Indiana
, Hargrave was the younger brother of Cincinnati Reds
catcher, Bubbles Hargrave
. Hargrave played for Waterbury in the Eastern League before following his brother to the big leagues, making his debut at age 27 on May 18, 1923 for the Senators. In ten major league seasons, Hargrave played in 650 games (442 as catcher) and hit .278 with a .339 on base percentage and a .428 slugging percentage. He had 1,452 putouts, 445 hits, 265 RBIs, 246 assists, 177 runs, 146 extra base hits, and 140 walks. His best season was 1929 with the Tigers, when he batted .330. Hargrave played his last major league game on September 23, 1933. He played his last professional baseball with the Syracuse Chiefs in the International League
in 1938, and died 4 years later at age 46 in Fort Wayne, Indiana
. Hargrave, an employee of the Fort Wayne municipal light plant, died of a heart attack on a municipal baseball diamond which he was helping to convert to a football field.
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...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
who played ten seasons with 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...
(1923–1925, 1930–1931), 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...
(1925–1926), 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...
(1928–1930), and 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....
(1932–1933). Born in New Haven, Indiana
New Haven, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,406 people, 4,900 households, and 3,415 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,522.0 people per square mile . There were 5,141 housing units at an average density of 630.7 per square mile...
, Hargrave was the younger brother of Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
catcher, Bubbles Hargrave
Bubbles Hargrave
Eugene Franklin "Bubbles" Hargrave was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Yankees. He won the National League batting title in 1926 while playing for Cincinnati...
. Hargrave played for Waterbury in the Eastern League before following his brother to the big leagues, making his debut at age 27 on May 18, 1923 for the Senators. In ten major league seasons, Hargrave played in 650 games (442 as catcher) and hit .278 with a .339 on base percentage and a .428 slugging percentage. He had 1,452 putouts, 445 hits, 265 RBIs, 246 assists, 177 runs, 146 extra base hits, and 140 walks. His best season was 1929 with the Tigers, when he batted .330. Hargrave played his last major league game on September 23, 1933. He played his last professional baseball with the Syracuse Chiefs 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...
in 1938, and died 4 years later at age 46 in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
. Hargrave, an employee of the Fort Wayne municipal light plant, died of a heart attack on a municipal baseball diamond which he was helping to convert to a football field.