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Notable Baseball Players Buried at Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum

Les Backman
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Les Backman was born on Tuesday, March 20, 1888, and began his Major League baseball career on July 3, 1909, with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 21 year-old played for 2 seasons on one team and ended his big league playing career in 1910.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 195 lb.

Frank Bancroft introduced baseball to Cuba in 1879 when he took a touring team to the Caribbean. He managed six ML clubs through the 1880s, including the 1884 Providence Grays, who won the first World Series. He spent 30 years as business manager for the Cincinnati Reds. He never played major league ball.

James Ray Blackburn (Bones) was born on Thursday, June 19, 1924, and began his Major League baseball career on July 24, 1948, with the Cincinnati Reds. The 24 year-old played for 2 seasons on one team and ended his big league playing career in 1951.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 175 lb.

William James Campbell was born on Wednesday, November 5, 1873, and began his Major League baseball career on April 17, 1905, with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 31 year-old played for 4 seasons on 2 different teams (Cardinals and the Reds) and ended his big league playing career in 1909.

Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 165 lb.

Charles Emmett Case was born on Sunday, September 7, 1879, and began his Major League baseball career on July 5, 1901, with the Cincinnati Reds. The 22 year-old played for 4 seasons on 2 different teams (Reds and the Pirates) and ended his big league playing career in 1906.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 170 lb.

Aaron Champion, Jr.
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Founded the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, in 1869; he died in Chicago in 1943.

Thomas Conroy
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Secretary and Treasurer of the Cincinnati Reds and Central Trust Bank in the 1940's; he died in 1970.

Powel Crosley, Jr.
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Powel Crosley, Jr. was born September 18, 1887 and acquired controlling interest in the Cincinnati Reds in 1936, two years after becoming president of the club. His Reds won two National League pennants in 1939 and 1940. The Reds defeated Detroit in the 1940 World Series. He never played major league ball.

Francis L. Dale

President of the Cincinnati Reds in the 1960's; also a U.N. Ambassador and Publisher of the Cincinnat Enquirer; he died in 1993 in Zimbabwe, Africa.

Pat Deisel was born on April 29, 1876, and began his Major League baseball career on Aug 21, 1902, with the Brooklyn Superbas.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 145 lb.

Ernest Guy Diehl was born on Tuesday, October 2, 1877, and began his Major League baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 26 year-old played for 4 seasons on 3 (Beaneaters, Doves and Pirates) different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1909.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 190 lb.

George Ellard
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Played right field for the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1867 and made their baseballs, launching Cincinnati's sporting goods industry; he died in 1916.

Alfred T. Goshorn
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First President of the Cincinnati Ball Club (Stocking); was knighted by Queen Victoria and was president of the Cincinnati Art Museum; Alfred died in 1902.

Charlie Gould was born on Saturday, August 21, 1847, and began his Major League baseball career on May 5, 1876, with the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The 24 year-old played for 2 seasons on one team (Red Stockings) and ended his big league playing career in 1877.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 172 lb.

Charles Grant, Jr.
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African-American baseball player who was "passed off" as Charlie Tokahoma" by friend John McGraw with hopes of being admitted into the major leagues in Cincinnati; there was too much publicity in the end and he never made it to the big leagues and formed his own team of which he was the star player; he died in 1932.

Heinie Groh was born on Wednesday, September 18, 1889, and began his Major League baseball career on April 12, 1912, with the New York Giants. The 23 year-old played for 16 seasons on 3 different teams (Giants, Reds and Pirates) and ended his big league playing career in 1927.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 158 lb.

Emil Haberer was born on Saturday, February 2, 1878, and began his Major League baseball career on July 9, 1901, with the Cincinnati Reds. The 23 year-old played for 3 seasons on one team (Reds) and ended his big league playing career in 1909.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 204 lb.

Crese Heismann was born on Friday, April 16, 1880, and began his Major League baseball career on September 25, 1901, with the Cincinnati Reds. The 21 year-old played for 2 seasons on 2 different teams (Reds and the Orioles) and ended his big league playing career in 1902.

Bats: Right
Throws: Left
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 150 lb.

James Wear Holliday was born on Friday, February 8, 1867, and began his Major League baseball career on April 17, 1889, with the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The 22 year-old played for 10 seasons on 2 different teams (Red Stockings and the Reds) and ended his big league playing career in 1898.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 151 lb.

Waite Hoyt was born on Saturday, September 9, 1899, and began his Major League baseball career on July 24, 1918, with the New York Giants. The 19 year-old played for 21 seasons on 7 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1938. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 180 lb.

Miller James Huggins was born on Thursday, March 27, 1878, and began his Major League baseball career on April 15, 1904, with the Cincinnati Reds. The 25 year-old played for 13 seasons on 2 different teams (Reds and the Cardinals) and ended his big league playing career in 1916. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1964.

Larry Jacobus was born on Monday, December 18, 1893, and began his Major League baseball career on July 15, 1918, with the Cincinnati Reds. The 25 year-old played for 1 season on one team and ended his big league playing career in 1918.

Bats: Both
Throws: Right
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 186 lb.

John Joyce
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Played for the Red Stockings and is buried in the same lot with Aaron Burt Champion, who founded the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings; John was born in Galway, Ireland and died in 1882.

George Keck
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Owned the Cincinnati Red Stockings, with his brother Si, when they played at the Avenue Grounds from 1875 to 1879; he died in 1886.

Jim Keenan
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Jim Keenan was born on Wednesday, February 10, 1858, and began his Major League baseball career on May 17, 1876, with the Buffalo Bisons. The 17 year-old played for 10 seasons on 5 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1891.

Lou Meyers was born on Friday, December 9, 1859, and began his Major League baseball career on May 10, 1884, with the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds. The 24 year-old played for 1 season on one team and ended his big league playing career in 1884.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165 lb.

George Miller was born on Saturday, February 19, 1853, and began his Major League baseball career on September 6, 1877, with the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The 25 year-old played for 2 seasons on 2 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1884.

Ralph Miller was born on Saturday, March 15, 1873, and began his Major League baseball career on May 4, 1898, with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. The 25 year-old played for 2 seasons on 2 different teams (Bridegrooms and the Orioles) and ended his big league playing career in 1899.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170 lb.

Ren Mulford, Jr.
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Baseball editor for the Cincinnati Enquirer, Times-Star and Post; his articles as a baseball correspondent for Sporting Life magazine were considered among the best in the country; he is credited as coining the term "Sports Fan" in the late 1800's; he died in 1932.

Clarence H. Munson, "Red"
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Catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1905, debuting on August 28, 1905. He was born July 31, 1883, in Cincinnati, lived in New Orleans and died February 19, 1957 in Mishawaka, Indiana.

Larry Pape was born on Saturday, July 21, 1883, and began his Major League baseball career on July 6, 1909, with the Boston Red Sox. The 26 year-old played for 3 seasons on one team and ended his big league playing career in 1912. He died in 1918 in Pennsylvania.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175 lb.

George Paynter was born on Thursday, July 6, 1871, and began his Major League baseball career on August 12, 1894, with the St. Louis Browns. The 23 year-old played for 1 season on one team and ended his big league playing career in 1894.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 125 lb.

George Pechiney was born on Friday, September 20, 1861, and began his Major League baseball career on August 4, 1885, with the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The 24 year-old played for 3 seasons on 2 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1887.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 184 lb.

Cyril Pfeifer

Played in the Central Association minor league for the Rockville, Rox in Illinois; he was suspended for a month for spitting on an umpire in 1948; died in 1988.

George Proeser was born on Monday, May 30, 1864, and began his Major League baseball career on September 15, 1888, with the Cleveland Spiders. The 24 year-old played for 2 seasons on 2 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1890.

Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 190 lb.

baseball player; played in 26 games for Cincinnati and Washington in 1884; born in Cincinnati in 1858; died in 1913 from "dementia paralysis" at Longview Hospital; lived at 1620 Mansfield Street; son of John and Lena Bieler Reeder.

Bats: Right
Throws: Unknown
Height: 6'0"

John Reilly was born on Tuesday, October 5, 1858, and began his Major League baseball career on May 18, 1880, with the Cincinnati Reds. The 22 year-old played for 10 seasons on 3 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1891.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 178 lb.

Ralph Sharman was born on Thursday, April 11, 1895, and began his Major League baseball career on September 10, 1917, with the Philadelphia Athletics. The 22 year-old played for 1 season on one team and ended his big league playing career in 1917.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 176 lb.

George "Smittie" Smith
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One of America's most famous bandleaders at the turn of the century; the Smittie Band was the official band of the Cincinnati Reds when the team played at Crosley Field, as well as inaugurations of presidents McKinley, William H. Taft and Warren G. Harding; he died in 1904.

Ed Sperber was born on Monday, January 21, 1895, and began his Major League baseball career on April 16, 1924, with the Boston Braves. The 29 year-old played for 2 seasons on one team and ended his big league playing career in 1925.

Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175 lb.

Started his career with the Reds in 1898 and played for 14 seasons on 3 teams, ending in 1911; he died in 1914.

Clarence Stephens was born on Wednesday, August 19, 1863, and began his Major League baseball career on October 8, 1886, with the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The 23 year-old played for 3 seasons on 2 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1892.

Bats: Unknown
Throws: Right

Played for Kansas City in 1884, Louisville in 1885-86, and Brooklyn in 1886; he died in 1906 on Spring Grove Avenue.

Frederick T. Suggs, Jr.

Very active in work with youth in Cincinnati; instrumental in the founding of the legendary West End Knothole Association (the organization where Jim Wynn, formerly of the Houston Astros, got his early training); founded the "Friends of Taft High School Band Sponsors" to help support the Taft High School Marching Band; he died in 2002.

Charles Phelps Taft

Born in 1897 and died in 1983; son of William Howard Taft; on Sept. 25th, 1949, Cincinnati got its first live network telecast on Mr. Taft’s broadcasting company’s station…a football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants.

Charles Phelps Taft II
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Gifted athlete at Yale where he was a tackle on a championship football team and captained a championship basketball squad; the last owner of the Chicago Cubs who could triumphantly raise a World Series trophy in 1908, which was the same year his half-brother was elected President of the United States; born in 1843 and died in 1929; son of Alphonso and Fanny Phelps Taft.

Podge Weihe was born on Thursday, November 13, 1862, and began his Major League baseball career on August 6, 1883, with the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The 21 year-old played for 2 seasons on 2 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1884.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175 lb.

Harry Wheeler was born on Wednesday, March 3, 1858, and began his Major League baseball career on June 19, 1878, with the Providence Grays. The 20 year-old played for 6 seasons on 10 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1884.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165 lb.

Sam Woodruff was born on Wednesday, December 27, 1876, and began his Major League baseball career on April 14, 1904, with the Cincinnati Reds. The 27 year-old played for 2 seasons on one team and ended his big league playing career in 1910.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 160 lb.

George Yeager was born on Friday, June 5, 1874, and began his Major League baseball career on September 25, 1896, with the Boston Beaneaters. The 22 year-old played for 6 seasons on 5 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1902.

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 190 lb.

Mathew M. Yorston
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Through his efforts, the first baseball club in Cincinnati was formed in 1860; so unknown were baseballs at that time that Mr. Yorston made with his hands, the first ball ever used by the club; he died in 1914.

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