Memorial Day who am I?

[dukecrunchybagel]

I was mainly remembered as a sleek fielding third baseman with good speed, although never hit for average and struck out quite a bit. Perhaps my greatest quirk was calling for a ball by the grammatically correct "I have it!" rather than the more common I got it, which led to my nickname, associating me with my quite prestigious alma mater.

The Reds obtained me in part of an eight-player deal, and I was a starting third baseman for a year and would spend another year and a half on the Reds bench.

But I should really be remembered for being one of the thirteen major league baseball players to give their life for their country in active duty-- in my case, after all my superior officers were killed, I took command of a search for a missing battalion in France. During this search, I was killed by an exploding shell.

Who am I?

[psuhistory]

Great question, DCB, I have no idea. But Billy Werber played 3b for the Reds before the second war and doesn't fit the most important part of the question, while Heinie Groh played there during and after the first war. I'm guessing that the military action in France took place during the first war and that the ballplayer must have played 3b for the Reds sometime before Groh became a fixture there...

That's it for me, I don't even have a guess...

[dukecrunchybagel]

You have the time period exactly right, Psuhistory.

He died just about a month before the end of WW1 during the Moselle offensive. He and two other pro-ball players all died within a week of each other. The other two had brief stints in the Bigs.

This player volunteered in April 1917, not long after the USA entered the war.

[psuhistory]

I went on a driving tour of that part of France with my father in 1988. He had an uncle who served there. I think the places where Americans were buried are part of the national park service, and I may have walked past this ballplayer's grave...

[Lark11]

I agree, really good question, I just don't have a clue.

[psuhistory]

May 29, 2016 8:13:12 GMT -5 Lark11 said:

I agree, really good question, I just don't have a clue.

Yeah, another interesting aspect of the question that has nothing to do with the answer is that these were at least partly Frank Bancroft's teams before the war. It was around this time that he basically invented what's become the "Opening Day" ceremonies in Cincinnati, in addition to handling the financial side of putting the rosters together. Great baseball promoter, maybe second to Spalding...

[dukecrunchybagel]

It's pretty obscure to be sure, but it's good to take a serious moment on this board and thank those who served their country so we could enjoy this pastime of ours while being able to post our opinions publically on the board.

"Havard Eddie" Grant made a splash in the major when he went for five-for-five against Christy Mathewson and then two-for-two the next night against Rube Marquard for the Phillies.

A gifted defender with good speed, he was one of the dead ball era's better bunters. His best years were in 1909 and 1910, after which he was traded to the Reds along with Johnny Bates and couple others for Dode Paskert, Hans Lobert, and two others. His average fell by 40 points and he lost his starting job to Art Phelan in 1912.

Shortly after the USA declared war on the German Empire, Grant enlisted and was commissioned a Captain, shipped to France as part of the 307th Infantry Regiment of the AEF. When all the senior officers of his regiment were wounded searching for the Lost Batallion of the 77th Infantry Division as part of the Moselle Offensive towards the end of the war, Grant took command and while organizing evacuation of the wounded and was struck and killed by an artillery shell.

He is buried at the Romagne Cemetery in Lorraine.

sabr.org/bioproj/person/0d10da81

[psuhistory]

I've been to the cemetery. Unfortunately, it's crowded...

Meuse-Argonne...