Who Is That Guy Anyway? 

The other day I was thinking about some of the players I have seen play who were only in the majors or with the Dodgers for a very short time. Then I thought about the Dodgers in Brooklyn and LA, who had a bit more than a cup of coffee, but are not even remembered by most of us.

1946, I chose this year because WWII was over, and the guys who had been in the service were returning. The Dodgers starting first baseman that year was a guy named Ed Stevens. Who????? Never heard of him.

Stevens actually debuted as a 20 year old rookie in 1945. He got into 55 games for the Dodgers that year . He hit .274 and actually struck out less than he walked. In 46, he played in 103 games. His line was .242/10/60. The next year he hit .154 in 5 games. He was purchased by the Pirates along with Stan Rojek that winter. He was out of the game after the 1950 season.

Other guys on that team I never heard of: Dick Whitman OF, Bob Ramazotti 3B, Mike Sandlock, Joe Padgett both catchers, Joe Topsic OF, and several others.

In 47 the team more or less was back to normal, but there were a few names I did not recognize. Tom Tatum and Don Lund, outfielders. I read up on Lund and he actually had a seven year career. Harry Taylor, a pitcher. 6 years in the Majors.

Preston Ward, a 1st baseman, actually played 9 years in the majors, but only got into 744 games. He was part of the 48 team and played for 4 other teams besides the Dodgers. Hank Behman, a pitcher, had a short undistinguished career.

Mike McCormick was an outfielder who played for 10 seasons, but I did not know he played for the Dodgers. An interesting guy who I knew played for the Dodgers, was Luis Olmo. Olmo was the Kike of his day. He originally joined Brooklyn in 1943. He played through 45 and then was gone for three years, playing in the Mexican League where the players were promised higher salaries. He was banned for two years and re-instated, rejoining the team in 1949. Olmo hit .290 as a Dodger playing the outfield, 2nd and 3rd base. After the 49 season, he was traded to the Braves.

Starting in 1950, the team roster was pretty set. Replacements came only when someone got hurt, or in Newcombe’s case, called into the military.

But I still managed to find some names I never heard of. Steve Lembo, a catcher, had a grand total of 11 at bats in the majors in 1950. Joe Landrum, P, two very short cups of coffee in 50 and 52.

Probably the youngest player to ever appear in a Dodger uniform was Tommy Brown. Tommy came up to Brooklyn in 1944. He was 16 years old. He hit just .164, but he was back with the team in 45, and he hit .245 in 57 games, he even had 2 homers as a 17 year old. He played parts of 9 seasons. He did not play when he was 17 and 18, but he was back in the majors in 47 at age 19. He was out of baseball at age 25. He also played for the Phillies and the Cubs. He played SS and outfield. He is still alive, the Brooklyn native is now 96 years old.

Not many will remember Wayne Belardi either. 6 years in the majors with the Dodgers and the Tigers. Wayne was a first baseman. Earl Mossor pitched in 3 games for Brooklyn in 1951, His ERA was 33.20.

How many guys here have ever heard of Tommy Holmes? Holmes played in 31 games for the Dodgers in 1952. It was his last season in the majors. He had spent 10 years with the Braves prior to that. Over a 5 year period from 1944-48, Holmes never hit below .309. He hit .352 in 1945 and was second in the MVP vote. I had no clue.

Ken Lehman, a left-handed pitcher, spent parts of three years with the Dodgers. Only reason I even know this guy’s name is because I have his 1957 Topps baseball card. Carmen Mauro, an outfielder, played 9 games for the Dodgers in 53, and was hitless. He had a four year career.

Tim Thompson, a catcher, played 10 games for the Dodgers in 54 and was 2-13. Played in the league for 4 years. Chick Kress, left-handed hitting first baseman, played in 13 games that same year and went 1-12. It was a productive hit though, he drove in 2 runs.

Bert Hamric, whose baseball card I also have, got 2 at bats with the 55 team. He had 9 total in his major league career. His position on baseball reference is listed as pinch hitter.

Chuck Templeton, a right-handed pitcher, got into 10 games in his career. 0-2 record with a 7.71 ERA. Bob Darnell, RH pitcher, got into 7 games in two years with the Dodgers, 56-57.

Rod Miller was 17 in 1957. Much like Moonlight Graham in Field of Dreams, the kid had one at bat in the majors. He was 0-1, he struck out.

The Dodgers moved in ’58, and most of the players since then, thanks to Vin Scully, are well known to us. But there was a guy on the 58 team I have never heard of, Don Miles. He had 22 at bats and 4 hits for the 58 team and was never seen again.

There are plenty of players who got looks or short cups of coffee with the Dodgers in LA, but we remember most of them. Chuck Churn was one of those guys. He was 3-2 down the stretch for the 59 champs. Pitched in 1 World Series game and was gone. Bill Harris pitched in 1 game for that team, and one more the next year. I have his rookie card.

Usually it has been a parade of pitchers that spend a short time then are traded, or released never to grace the MLB stage again. Guys like Ed Palmquist, Ed Rakow, Jackie Collum, Dick Calmus. Just wisps of smoke in the baseball world.

One guy most of us know about, had one at bat, and hit a double. He never played in the majors again after that season, Roy Gleason (Pictured) appeared in 8 games in 1963, usually as a pinch runner since he had great speed. He scored 3 runs, and his only hit was a double in his only plate appearance.

Roy spent the next couple of seasons in the minors and then was drafted into the Army. He remains the only MLB player who was sent into combat during the Viet Nam war.

He was wounded and his injuries hampered his baseball skills. He is the only player to receive a purple heart, win a World Series ring, and post a perfect batting line.