Our mailbox is always full of esoteric questions from our readers. So every week, we pass along some of their most interesting queries to baseball historians who know the answers.
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DEATH ON THE FIELD
Q: Who was the only player to be killed on the baseball diamond? Do you know the circumstances surrounding the incident?
-- UnsinkableRN@aol.com
A: On August 16, 1920 at the Polo Grounds, Ray Chapman was hit in the head by a pitch from Yankee pitcher Carl Mays. He was rushed to the hospital and died hours later. Chapman was known for crowding the plate, and the pitch was said to have barely missed the strike zone.
Q: I have a two-part question regarding the 3,000 hit club. Who was the quickest player to reach 3,000 hit in terms of at-bats? And who was the quickest player to reach it in terms of age?
-- Charlie Navarro
A: Tris Speaker reached 3,000 hits in the fewest at-bats. He did it on May 17, 1925 in his 8,625th at-bat. Nap Lajoie, who ranks second on the list, needed just five more at-bats to reach 3,000 hits. Ty Cobb, who reached the magic plateau when he was just 34 years old, was the youngest player to accomplish the feat.
Q: What number did Charlie Keller wear when he played for the New York Yankees?
-- cardel8@aol.com
A: In two different stints with the New York Yankees, Charlie Keller wore four different numbers. From 1939 to 1943, and then again in 1949, he wore #9. From 1945 to 1948 he wore #12. And in 1952, his final year as a player, Keller alternated between #28 and #99 in the two games he played in.
While playing for the Yankees, Keller helped the club win six pennants, three World Series titles, and made five All-Star appearances.
Q: I have an old photograph of the New York Yankees that shows Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra. In the background is a player whose back is to the camera. I can't see his face, but his number is 15. Could it be Tom Tresh?
-- Turmali@aol.com
A: The player in question is either Tom Tresh or Jack Reed. In 1960, the first year that Mantle, Maris, and Berra played together, no one wore #15 for the Yankees. The next year, Jack Reed donned the number. After him, Tom Tresh wore it from 1962 through 1964, the final year for Berra. So unless the photo was taken in 1961, the player is most likely Tresh.
A: The Ted Williams Tunnel is located under Boston Harbor, connecting Boston's Logan International Airport to South Boston. The 1.6-mile, two-billion dollar tunnel was dedicated to the Red Sox great in a ceremony on December 16, 1995.
Q: What number did Eric Soderholm wear while playing third base for the White Sox?
-- kworth10@mediaone.net
A: Eric Soderholm wore #12 as a member of the Chicago White Sox from 1977-79. He spent the majority of his career with the Twins. Hhe broke in to the majors wearing #1, but later switched to 12.
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