Ten Million
Encyclopedia
Ten Million was a minor league baseball player who played for various teams in the Northwestern League
in the years prior to World War I. He is best known for his unusual name.
While at least one web source reports that Million did play in the majors for St. Louis, no statistical or historical evidence supporting this theory has ever been discovered, and Million does not appear in any official Major League baseball records
as T212, was printed and distributed in a manner similar to that of the American Tobacco Companies' T206
set. The Obak series was unique in that it was the first major set to exclusively feature players from Pacific Coast League teams.
Million appeared in the 1911 issue while playing for the Victoria baseball team. This card became quite popular among baseball card collectors, probably due to his name, and not his skill as a baseball player. The T212 issue was one of only two series to feature Million on one of its cards. The other series, T4, was a cabinet card
also printed by Obak Cigarettes.
, and attended the University of Washington
(UW). Million's paternal grandmother wanted her grandson's name to stand out, and suggested the name Ten. She was a persuasive figure in his life, as she convinced his wife to name their daughter "Decillian," by bribing her with 50 dollars.
Million attended Broadway High School, and graduated in 1908. He went on to college at UW. After his playing days, he stayed close to home and moved to Seattle
. There, he worked for the city as a claims adjuster
. After leaving that position, he began working for the local Spalding
Sporting Goods store, where he met his future wife, Christine. During his downtime, Million referee
d in games for high school baseball, football, and basketball.
Pacific Coast League
The 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...
in the years prior to World War I. He is best known for his unusual name.
Baseball career
The Cleveland Naps acquired Million's contract in 1911 but he never got to play a major league game due to a knee injury. Million played for the Tacoma Tigers from 1912–14, where in the last two season he played under Hall of Famer Joe McGinnity. Million also played with the Seattle, Victoria, and Spokane teams of the Northwestern League. His career was brought to an end by a knee injury.While at least one web source reports that Million did play in the majors for St. Louis, no statistical or historical evidence supporting this theory has ever been discovered, and Million does not appear in any official Major League baseball records
The Obak
Between 1909 and 1911, Obak cigarettes issued a series of baseball cards in order to promote their product. The card series, identifed by the The American Card CatalogThe American Card Catalog
The American Card Catalog is a reference book for American trade cards produced before 1951, compiled by Jefferson Burdick.It has become the de facto method in identifying and organizing trade cards produced in the Americas pre-1951. The book catalogues sports and non-sports cards, but is best...
as T212, was printed and distributed in a manner similar to that of the American Tobacco Companies' T206
T206
The tobacco card set known as T206 was issued from 1909 to 1911 in cigarette and loose tobacco packs through 16 different brands owned by the American Tobacco Company...
set. The Obak series was unique in that it was the first major set to exclusively feature players from Pacific Coast League teams.
Million appeared in the 1911 issue while playing for the Victoria baseball team. This card became quite popular among baseball card collectors, probably due to his name, and not his skill as a baseball player. The T212 issue was one of only two series to feature Million on one of its cards. The other series, T4, was a cabinet card
Cabinet card
The Cabinet card was the style of photograph which was universally adopted for photographic portraiture in 1870. It consisted of a thin photograph that was generally mounted on cards measuring 4¼ by 6½ inches.-History:...
also printed by Obak Cigarettes.
Personal life
Million was born in Mount Vernon, WashingtonMount Vernon, Washington
Mount Vernon is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,743 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the county seat of Skagit County...
, and attended the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
(UW). Million's paternal grandmother wanted her grandson's name to stand out, and suggested the name Ten. She was a persuasive figure in his life, as she convinced his wife to name their daughter "Decillian," by bribing her with 50 dollars.
Million attended Broadway High School, and graduated in 1908. He went on to college at UW. After his playing days, he stayed close to home and moved to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. There, he worked for the city as a claims adjuster
Claims adjuster
Claims adjusters investigate insurance claims by interviewing the claimant and witnesses, consulting police and hospital records, and inspecting property damage to determine the extent of the company’s liability. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, the Caribbean and New Zealand...
. After leaving that position, he began working for the local Spalding
Spalding (sports equipment)
Spalding is a sporting goods company founded by Albert Spalding in Chicago, Illinois, in 1876 and now headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The company specializes in the production of balls for many sports, but is most-known for its basketballs...
Sporting Goods store, where he met his future wife, Christine. During his downtime, Million referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
d in games for high school baseball, football, and basketball.