Shanty Hogan
Encyclopedia
James Francis "Shanty" Hogan (March 21, 1906 – April 7, 1967) was a Major League Baseball
catcher from 1925 to 1937. Hogan was listed at 6'1", 240 pounds — an exceptionally large player, especially for his era. Due to this, there are many anecdotes relating to Hogan and food. This included several conflicts with manager John McGraw
, who often attempted to persuade Hogan to lose weight. He was generally known as a good natured ballplayer and a decent hitter who often hit over .300 in a season.
Hogan was signed by the Boston Braves
on June 18, 1925 as an amateur free agent and made his major league debut five days later. Hogan played briefly for the Braves in his first two seasons with the team, appearing in nine games in 1925 and four in 1926, hitting for identical .286 averages both seasons. He appeared in 71 games for the Braves in 1927, with 66 hits (including 17 doubles, a triple and three home runs) in 229 at bats for a .288 batting average. The Braves traded Hogan and outfielder Jimmy Welsh
on January 10, 1928 to the New York Giants
in exchange for second baseman Rogers Hornsby
.
Hogan broke out in the 1928 season, hitting .333, with 25 doubles, two triples and ten home runs in 131 games. He came in 10th in the balloting for the National League
Most Valuable Player Award, which was won that season by Jim Bottomley
of the St. Louis Cardinals
, with Rogers Hornsby ranking 13th.
He was part of a vaudeville
act, telling jokes and singing parodies with Andy Cohen, a Jewish teammate from the Giants who played second baseman
for the team. After the 1928 season they started performing on the Loew Circuit, with their first appearance on stage at the Loew's Commodore Theatre in Manhattan
on October 15, 1928. The duo earned $1,800 a week, billed as "Cohen & Hogan", except in Boston
, when the billings were reversed. In a 1960 interview, Cohen reminisced that "if we didn't kill vaudeville, we sure helped".
His vaudeville / baseball partner Andy Cohen recalled Hogan as someone who "could have been one of the best catchers ever... but he ate himself out of the big leagues." Hogan showed up for camp one year weighing 265 pounds (120.2 kg) and would run in a rubber suit and take hot showers in an effort to lose weight, but then he'd eat more to regain his strength, and weight. Giants Manager John McGraw
tried to control Hogan's weight by watching his meal checks, but Hogan developed a system where he would write down foods McGraw would want him to eat, which the waitresses knew to replace with the foods Hogan wanted to eat. As Cohen recalled, "He'd write down spinach, but that meant potatoes. He had a whole code of his own.
Hogan batted .300 with five home runs and 45 RBI in the 1929 season. 1930 marked what is arguably his best all-around season, which he finished with a .339 average 13 home runs and 75 RBI. In 1932, his last season with the Giants, he dipped down to batting .287, with eight home runs and 77 runs batted in. The Giants sold Hogan to the Boston Braves on December 29, 1932 for $25,000.
His second stint with the Braves saw a substantial drop in performance, with Hogan batting .253 with three home runs and 30 RBI in 1933. His average inched up to .262 in 1934, with four home runs and 34 RBI. He appeared in only 56 games as catcher in 1935, batting .301 and hitting two home runs and 25 RBI. Hogan was released by the Braves on August 5, 1935, and signed as a free agent one week later by the Cleveland Indians
, who sent him to the Washington Senators
in December 1935.
With the Senators, Hogan was a part-time player, batting .323 with a home run and seven RBI in 19 games in 1936. The 1937 season saw him play in 21 games and bat .152, with no home runs and five RBI. He was part of a May 2, 1937 trade that sent him to the Indianapolis Indians
of the American Association
in exchange for catcher Johnny Riddle
, but the trade was voided and the players returned to their original teams on May 20. Hogan played in his last game in the major leagues on June 13, 1937 and the Senators released him eight days later.
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 from 1925 to 1937. Hogan was listed at 6'1", 240 pounds — an exceptionally large player, especially for his era. Due to this, there are many anecdotes relating to Hogan and food. This included several conflicts with manager John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
, who often attempted to persuade Hogan to lose weight. He was generally known as a good natured ballplayer and a decent hitter who often hit over .300 in a season.
Hogan was signed by the 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....
on June 18, 1925 as an amateur free agent and made his major league debut five days later. Hogan played briefly for the Braves in his first two seasons with the team, appearing in nine games in 1925 and four in 1926, hitting for identical .286 averages both seasons. He appeared in 71 games for the Braves in 1927, with 66 hits (including 17 doubles, a triple and three home runs) in 229 at bats for a .288 batting average. The Braves traded Hogan and outfielder Jimmy Welsh
Jimmy Welsh
James Daniel Welsh , was a Major League Baseball player who played outfielder from -. He would play for the Boston Braves, and New York Giants.-External links:...
on January 10, 1928 to the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in exchange for second baseman Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
.
Hogan broke out in the 1928 season, hitting .333, with 25 doubles, two triples and ten home runs in 131 games. He came in 10th in the balloting for the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Most Valuable Player Award, which was won that season by Jim Bottomley
Jim Bottomley
James Leroy Bottomley was born in Oglesby, Illinois and grew up in Nokomis, Illinois. Nicknamed "Sunny Jim" because of his cheerful disposition, he was a left-handed Major League Baseball player. He also served as player-manager for the St. Louis Browns in 1937.-Career:As a first baseman for the...
of the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, with Rogers Hornsby ranking 13th.
He was part of a vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
act, telling jokes and singing parodies with Andy Cohen, a Jewish teammate from the Giants who played second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
for the team. After the 1928 season they started performing on the Loew Circuit, with their first appearance on stage at the Loew's Commodore Theatre in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
on October 15, 1928. The duo earned $1,800 a week, billed as "Cohen & Hogan", except in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, when the billings were reversed. In a 1960 interview, Cohen reminisced that "if we didn't kill vaudeville, we sure helped".
His vaudeville / baseball partner Andy Cohen recalled Hogan as someone who "could have been one of the best catchers ever... but he ate himself out of the big leagues." Hogan showed up for camp one year weighing 265 pounds (120.2 kg) and would run in a rubber suit and take hot showers in an effort to lose weight, but then he'd eat more to regain his strength, and weight. Giants Manager John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
tried to control Hogan's weight by watching his meal checks, but Hogan developed a system where he would write down foods McGraw would want him to eat, which the waitresses knew to replace with the foods Hogan wanted to eat. As Cohen recalled, "He'd write down spinach, but that meant potatoes. He had a whole code of his own.
Hogan batted .300 with five home runs and 45 RBI in the 1929 season. 1930 marked what is arguably his best all-around season, which he finished with a .339 average 13 home runs and 75 RBI. In 1932, his last season with the Giants, he dipped down to batting .287, with eight home runs and 77 runs batted in. The Giants sold Hogan to the Boston Braves on December 29, 1932 for $25,000.
His second stint with the Braves saw a substantial drop in performance, with Hogan batting .253 with three home runs and 30 RBI in 1933. His average inched up to .262 in 1934, with four home runs and 34 RBI. He appeared in only 56 games as catcher in 1935, batting .301 and hitting two home runs and 25 RBI. Hogan was released by the Braves on August 5, 1935, and signed as a free agent one week later by the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The 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...
, who sent him to 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...
in December 1935.
With the Senators, Hogan was a part-time player, batting .323 with a home run and seven RBI in 19 games in 1936. The 1937 season saw him play in 21 games and bat .152, with no home runs and five RBI. He was part of a May 2, 1937 trade that sent him to the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
in exchange for catcher Johnny Riddle
Johnny Riddle
John Ludy Riddle was an American Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , Boston Bees , Cincinnati Reds , and Pittsburgh Pirates . At the age of 42 in 1948 , he was the oldest player to appear in a National League game that season...
, but the trade was voided and the players returned to their original teams on May 20. Hogan played in his last game in the major leagues on June 13, 1937 and the Senators released him eight days later.