I love history of all kinds. US History and baseball history are at the top of my list. I like to gather as much of that history as I can. And Dodger history is peppered with many colorful individuals.
Zachariah Davis Wheat was born in Hamilton Missouri on May 23rd, 1888. His mother, Julia, was a full blooded Cherokee. Hamilton is located about 60 miles northeast of Kansas City. Back in 1888, it was still a wild frontier. Only 6 years prior to his birth, Jesse James was killed by one of his own gang in nearby St Joseph.
Zack was the eldest of 3 sons, all of whom played pro baseball. Mack spent 5 years as his team mate in Brooklyn, and Basil, was a catcher and outfielder in the minors.
Wheat’s dad, Basil, was a descendant of Moses Wheat. One of the Puritans who fled England and founded Concord Mass in 1635. Wheat’s dad passed away when he was 16 and they moved to Kansas City, Kansas. Wheat was reluctant to discuss his Cherokee heritage in an age where 2 of the stars were Jim Thorpe, and Chief Bender.
Wheat got his start as a second baseman for a semipro team. His family was nearly destitute, so Wheat in 1906 set out to make a living playing ball. He went to Enterprise Kansas where he made 60 dollars a month playing ball. He was considered a excellent fielder, but his minor league hitting stats were pretty pedestrian.
He played minor league ball in Ft. Worth, Shreveport, and Mobile. Going home in 1908 after the season, Wheat stopped in St Louis and watched his first MLB game. It was a doozy as Rube Waddell beat Walter Johnson 2-1, in 10 innings and setting a record by striking out 17 hitters.
On August 29, 1909, the Dodgers purchased Wheat’s contract from Mobile on the advice of scout, Larry Sutton, for $1,200.00. He went on to hit .304 for Brooklyn in 26 games.
In 1910, his first full season, he hit .284, and was among the league leaders in hits, 2B, and 3B. Wheat kept improving, and would sometimes bunt to use his speed for hits, but he argued that he was more valuable to the team swinging away.
He took a day off in 1912 to marry Daisy Kerr Forsman. The team found out the couple had eloped and decorated a “Bridal Suite” on the team train to St Louis. It started a tradition, and Wheat’s family later travelled on the team train with him.
In Daisy, he not only got a wife, but an agent. She later said she made him hold out each year for 7 years, and he got a raise every time. In the offseason, Wheat raised stock and used it as leverage in contract negotiations. He would say, I am a ballplayer in the summer and a farmer in the winter and I aim to be a success at both. By the time he left Brooklyn after the 1926 season, he was making $16,000.00 a year as a player and assistant manager.
He sold mules to the army during WWI. He also had sort of a running feud with his manager. Robinson believed that Wheat was after his job as manager. And there was always a tension between them.
In 1912, Wheat convinced the Robins to sign boyhood friend, Charles Stengel, and they played for a little over 7 years together in the Dodger outfield. He was named Captain of the Robins in 1919.
Wheat became a better hitter when the livelier ball was introduced in 1920. Over the last decade of the dead ball era, Wheat compiled more total bases than any other National Leaguer, and was second to team mate Jake Daubert in hits.
Wheat helped the Dodgers get to the World Series twice, 1916, against the Red Sox, and 1920 against the Indians. He did not do well against the Sox, but was much better against the Indians.
In his 18 years with Brooklyn, they only had a winning team 5 times. In 1925, Charles Ebbets died, and new team president, Ed McKeever named Wheat player manager. Newspapers confirmed the Wheat managed the team for 2 weeks. But McKeever had caught pneumonia at Ebbets funeral and died shortly afterwards, so Robinson went back to managing. Sadly, Wheat’s stint was never entered into the league records.
After the 1926 season, Brooklyn let Wheat walk, and he signed to play with Connie Mack’s A’s. He batted .324 in part time duty. He was released after the year, and signed to play with Minneapolis for 1928. He was hitting .308 when he suffered a bruised heel which put him out for the year, so after the season he hung up his spikes.
In 1931, Steve McKeever hired him as a coach. But feeling threatened by Wheat again, Robinson was colder than ever to his former star. Wheat turned to farming full time, but the Great Depression nearly wiped him out and he had to sell his 160 acre farm for just $23,000.00.
He moved to KC and ran a bowling alley for a while. Then he became a member of the KC police department. On Easter Sunday, 1936, he almost died while chasing a felon, crashing his car and receiving a fractured skull, dislocated shoulder, broken wrist, and 15 broken ribs. He was in the hospital for 5 months.
After hospitalization, Wheat moved his family to Sunrise Beach, Missouri, a resort on the shores of Lake of the Ozarks. Always an outdoorsman, He opened a 46 acres hunting and fishing resort which soon became a popular destination for ex ballplayers.
Wheat would often listen to TV and radio games simultaneously and sometimes would travel to St. Louis to catch a game. He lived in Sunrise Beach the rest of his life.
In 1957, Wheat was voted into the HOF by the Veteran’s committee. One problem, he was not yet eligible, since he had not been retired the required 30 years. But in 1959, he was elected by the committee unanimously. He was 70 and the time and stated it made him feel younger, and very proud.
The next year though, his wife passed away. Wheat would live to be 83 and died on March 11, 1972 in a hospital in Sedalia, Missouri. He is buried in Kansas City in the Forest Hill cemetery. Not far from where Wheat lies are the graves of Satchel Paige, and Negro League legend, Buck O’Neil.
O’Neil once said Wheat was 170 pounds of scrap iron and grit, but he was always a gentleman. Wheat had tiny feet, size 5 , and suffered through a lot of injuries to those areas when he was a player.
Today, more than 94 years since he last wore the Dodger uniform, Zack Wheat still is the team leader in 10 batting categories, and is tied for first in another.
Career leader in hits, 2404, games, 2322, AB’s, 8859, plate appearances, 9731, TB, 4003, 2B, 464, 3B, 171, 1B, 2068. and HBP with 77. It must be noted that JT is only 4 behind him with 73 since he has been a Dodger.
According to Baseball Registers stats, he is in the top 10 in 26 different offensive categories as a Dodger all time. 84 years after his last game in Brooklyn, I find that amazing. The first real Dodger superstar and all time left fielder in any book, Zack Wheat.
Discussion (112)
Disagree, not disagreeable
4 unearned runs.
Yes, we should’ve pitched to the .130 hitter. Yes, don’t move guys around late. Yes, Bellinger is behind everything and needs to to make an adjustment.
4 unearned runs.
Treinen got hit, but plays were not made behind him. You shouldn’t ask a guy to get 5 outs in an inning. You do that and you’re asking for trouble.
I didn’t like the moves, but these guys are professionals and they need to make the plays.
I agree with you Mark. Bellinger would of caught that ball. I really do believe Doc thinks the more he moves people around the better manager he is. Just let the players play. Over managing is Doc’s problem. During the exhibition games Mookie led off every game. Then the first game of the season he has Mookie batting second. Put Mookie as the lead off batter and leave him there. You can still get the lefty-righty combination if that is what you want. I do not think the lefty-righty is all that important. I would of had Pollock pinch hit for Pederson and not Rios. By pinch hitting for Rios, then all the other moves had to follow. Now you have three players not playing their normal positions. If we win this thing, it will be because the players are good enough to over come Doc’s over managing.
That sucked. JT handles the funny hop and we get out of the 8th unscathed and likely win the game. Of course, it goes both ways in a normal season, and we’d normally win a game from a favorable hop at some point. In an abridged season, though, maybe not.
It sucks more for Bellinger. He really hasn’t looked right to me since the season started, and I’m not referring to his swing. It’s more the body language. He usually one of the more fun loving players, constantly laughing, smiling, engaging and imo he’s looked stoic and wooden from as early as opening day. There are probably a thousand reasons why and some of them aren’t going to be changing any time soon. Aside from covid related and performance reasons, I wonder if the Betts contract is affecting him. Maybe he expects the Dodgers to extend before his arbitration years are up given he just won MVP, and maybe he’s disappointed or pissed that Friedman just gave an obscene contract to Betts before he even played a single game in a Dodgers uniform. Of course, Friedman doesn’t have to for now, but it doesn’t mean Bellinger isn’t upset or affected by it. Wild speculation, I acknowledge, but I do believe the un-Cody like body language is a very real thing.
I would give Belli a day off, or move him down in the order. Anything to shake things up. Mookie is looking better with each at bat. He did take a bad route after Walker’s double. I also question the strategy of waling a guy who could not hit water if he fell out of a boat right now to face a guy who has killed the Dodgers over the last 2 seasons. Bad loss all the way around. They get runners on 2nd and rd in the 9th and Bellinger goes after the first pitch. Bad bad bad.
Bellinger needs to stop swinging for the fences. Just try to get a base hit.
MVP to LVP!
Bellinger is late on everything. He needs a lighter bat.
Pollock is not very good against right handed pitching. Would have been nice to have McKinstry pinch-hit for Pollock.
This offense needs to wake up! Just a bad loss tonight against a bad team!
Doc, how can you intentionally walk a batter who has not had a hit in this series.? Give Doc a chance and he will screw it up.
Well, the bullpen was due for a letdown. But against these guys?
Bad angle by Mookie.
Another Doc head scratcher. Load the bases with an intentional BB to a guy hitting under .200 for a guy hitting .300 and then allow a base clearing double to give up the lead. I know it was a righty vs. righty match-up but way over-managed.
Good gawd does Cody look horrible and all out of sorts and JT’s error allows all runs to be unearned. Rios needs to play tomorrow and Cody or JT to sit one out
Seriously Kelly? After not being able to throw strikes the last time out.
I thought the Wild Man was suspended?
They intentionally walk a guy who is hitting .133 to pitch to one of their best hitters who is hitting over .300! Where is the logic in this?
Corey with the POWER!! Take note, Bellinger.
Ferguson really going downhill. He gave up a hit tonight!
One inning at a time please.
Sure would like to see our starters throw 90 pitches.
Does Doc know this is a regular season game that counts. Gonzalez? Now Floro?
V-Gon looks like he could be a bullpen weapon.
2021:
Kershaw
Buehler
Price
Urias
May
Stripling
Gonsolin
WOW!
Yasiel Who>>>///??? What a gun, put that thing back in the holster. Mookie gets his first homer, and the Dodger still getting fooled on this kids change and curve ball. On our side, Gonsolin has been good and efficient.
Mookie with a HR!
Wow, just saw Mookie’s throw. That was some Puig type stuff right there!
Dodgers look anaemic at the plate. Bellinger just lost. Mookie like a deer in headlights. So many good pitches left alone. They look very out of sorts to me. We need a sacrificial lamb. Who is it going to be?
1st out at 3B – What a bunch of losers!
Mookie = Cannon!
Some guy named Gallen just struck out the side. Betts never took his bat off his shoulder.
A little while ago I watched what turned out to be an old TV show from the early 50’s It was called Rookie of the Year and was on a show called Directors Spotlight. The director of this particular show was John Ford. It starred John Wayne, Vera Miles, Ward Bond and Pat Wayne. Also in it was one of the best character actors at the time, James Gleason. Wayne plays a sports reporter in a small Pennsylvania town who is looking for a story that will get him a job on one of the New York papers. He is invited to a Yankees game at the end of the season by his New York friend, Gleason. The rookie of the year is a young Yankee player, Pat Wayne, who has just been selected ROY. Wayne notices something familiar about the kid, and tries to remember where he has seen some of the mannerism’s the kid has before. He finally gets his answer when he remembers a player on the Black Sox who helped throw the series and was tossed from the game. But the kid has a different last name. So he investigates and finds out where the kid is from and goes to his home town to snoop around. Eventually he meets the kids sister, Miles, who takes him to a small ball field where the kids dad is helping some young boys learn the game. He immediately recognizes him as the kids dad and the banished player. He reveals he is a reporter and that he is going to write the story. He goes back to his small town and is about to tell his NY friend about his big scoop when Miles comes in and confronts him with a gun, and tells him how it will ruin the kids life, since he has no clue who his dad is or what he did. Wayne has a change of heart, and tells his friend that he does not have a big story, where by his friend says, were you going to tell us the kid is the son of one of the Black Sox? He then tells Wayne that all of the reporters know the truth and have kept the secret, he then turns to his editor and tells him he has found the right guy to do a story he has been trying to get out of writing. Following the MLB all stars on a Asian tour. They offer the job to Wayne, and he takes it, thus getting his dream job on a New York daily. Pretty cute show. And the only time Wayne ever did a drama or any other starring role on TV. Probably the only reason was that it was directed by Ford. Glad I watched it.
Hm, Kersh does not have a great track record at Chase. He is 6-9 there with an ERA over 4. He has also given up 14 homers there in 103.1 innings. Over all he is 16.10 against the D-Backs with a 2.94 ERA, which means he is 10-1 vs them at Dodger Stadium. That is a huge difference. By comparison he is 9-2 at Petco with a 1.68 ERA in 101.2 innings and has only surrendered 7 dingers. Starting in SD on Monday would have been the better move.
Michael – love your writing.
Hope you become a regular – you have a talent.
We are so lucky here at LADT to have this quality of post everyday.
Thank you all for taking the time.
Hope this is just to get the players attention
https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/07/31/mlb-coronavirus-outbreak-shutdown
Official: Kersh starts Sunday and Buehler Monday.
Today:
Muncy (DH)
Mookie
Belly
JT
Seager
CT3
Joc
Rios (1b)
Barnes
Gonsolin
Thank you Bear. Your writing and knowledge adds greatly to this site.
I wonder why Wheat isn’t with the group of Hall o Famers with retired numbers.
Good read Bear. Like many, I love bios on the old players.
Chicken Strips is a veteran and knows how to get guys out without his best stuff. The nice early lead didn’t hurt. His stuff up in the zone wasn’t as effective as it was against the Giants, maybe due to the Arizona air. But he found a way to get it done.
When you look back at the projected starters for the Dodgers, preseason, you had CK (hurt but back soon), Ferris, Price (opted out), Urias, and Wood. So Ross/ Wood was 5 or 6. Go down MLB rosters and find me a 5th or 6th starter the quality of Ross Stripling? It’s a testimony to the depth of Dodger pitching. And that’s not including our deep bullpen that’s been outstanding. I really like Consulin and hope he has a good night. Kind of a big outing for him.
Watching Robbie Ray was like watching a different guy. Without the weight, the beard and shorter hair he looks totally different. Orel was pointing out some mechanical issues with his post knee that made sense. Also mention was how he’s worked on changes and shortened his arm circle. WOW, no kidding. Shortening the arm circle is a big adjustment. It’s like a major change with a golf swing. As a coach that was about the last, desperate, suggestion I would make to a struggling pitcher. My theory on arm circle is that when a caveman left the cave, picked up a rock and fired it at some prey, that’s his natural arm circle. Messing with that natural circle is a major mechanical change. I pulled up some past photos of Ray. He had a much bigger arm circle, much like CK. The teach on that was “thumb to thigh, then reach for the sky”. The pitching hand’s thumb almost scraps the mid to lower thigh on the path out of the glove. Last night, Ray’s pitching hand never got below his belt. He throws like a catcher. He look like a left handed Bartolo Colon.
Also his glove used to be much higher during his delivery to foot strike which can help hide the ball (Tom House states that pitcher’s arms are “equal and opposite” at foot strike. With a shorter circle the glove side is shorter too and the glove is lower and doesn’t hide the ball as well). This new delivery looks very manufactured to me. And he hasn’t pitched well. I find it interesting he changed so much.
Hope Gonsulin gets it done tonight and AJ keeps hot.
Doc is on the radio right now. They’re thinking Sunday or Monday for Kershaw to return and start.
Thanks for the really interesting article, Bear! I never knew anything about Zach Wheat, except his name. Seems like he was motivated by growing up in poverty. Very inspiring and informative story.
Thanks Bear. Really enjoyed your article. I was wondering when you would jump into the deep end of the pool and am really pleased you did.
Question…Does anyone know the status of Thomas? Is he injured? Not much news on him and just wondered.
Bear great write up! Is this your first journalistic endeavor? Keep em coming! Maybe a nice piece on Tyler White?
What’s wild is, if this were the old normal times, today would be the trade deadline, and we’d all be bitching over what Friedman did/didn’t do and who he gave/didn’t give up in a deal.
Wonderful article Bear!! Now if you could just put it to music, I think it would add a very nice touch. Perhaps in a Woody Guthrie style.
DODGERS RECALL RHP TONY GONSOLIN
RHP JOSH SBORZ OPTIONED TO ALTERNATE SITE
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers have recalled right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin and optioned right-handed pitcher Josh Sborz.
Gonsolin, 26, will make the start tonight in place of the injured Alex Wood. In 11 games (six starts) for the Dodgers in 2019, he went 4-2 with a 2.93 ERA (13 ER/40.0 IP) and 37 strikeouts. He made his debut in Arizona on June 26, 2019, allowing six runs, four earned in 4.0 innings of work. In the last two months of the season, he went 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA (8 ER/32.0 IP) and 31 strikeouts in nine games (five starts). The 2018 Dodgers’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year has been with the organization since being drafted in the ninth round of the 2016 First Year Player Draft out St. Mary’s University. In four minor league seasons, he is a combined 20-14 with a 3.33 ERA (100 ER/270.1 IP) and 315 strikeouts.
Sborz, 26, was recalled on Tuesday and did not appear in a game for the Dodgers. Last season, he made seven appearances for the Dodgers, going 0-1 with 8.00 ERA (8 ER/9.0 IP) and seven strikeouts. He made his Major League debut on June 20, 2019 against the Giants. In five Minor League seasons across five different levels, he is 24-20 with a 3.53 ERA (144 ER/367.1 IP) and 370 strikeouts.
First and foremost, Bear, this was an outstanding article on a tremendous Dodger and baseball player. At LADT, we are blessed to have so many with such good recall of the past, and with the necessary investigative research skills and ability to convey that message in a written format. We have now launched another in the roster of LADT authors, and I hope this will not be the last column by Michael Norris (AKA Bear). I say that for selfish reasons. One, Bear is very knowledgeable and delivers a poignant story, and two, it allows a breather for me. So if anyone else wants to try their hand at this, please let me know.
Another good game by Strip. If not for the 1st inning AB of Starling Marte, he probably finishes the 6th. Kolarek came in and faced three RH batters, and with the exception of the broken bat flare into RF by Carson Kelly, he pitched very well. Strip allowed two hard hit balls, the HR to Ketel Marte and the double by Christian Walker. Overall a good outing. Kelly, Graterol, and Baez finished it up. Great effort by the bullpen again. I will be very surprised to see if Gonsolin goes more than 3 IP, so the pen is going to get taxed again. However, I would suspect that Victor Gonzalez could give 2-3 IP.
Perhaps the one pitcher who gives Corey Seager the worst time is Robbie Ray. However, Corey sure solved him in that first AB. Seager just crushed that pitch. When Doc was asked why Ray seems to give Corey so much trouble, Doc responded that Corey is an aggressive first pitch hitter, and Robbie does not throw him strikes. Doc also noted that Corey is being a little more patient of late and is seeing better pitches to handle. Good to see Muncy break out a little. Let’s see if it continues.
The RHP will be going against LAD for the next three games, so hopefully Belli will settle down and stop trying to hit every pitch out of the Grand Canyon. He is so overswinging. I remember one of the times he broke out of these slumps, it was a bunt against the shift and then concentrating on line drives to left center. Joc will be back in and one would assume that Beaty and/or Rios will be in the lineup as well. Muncy should see 2B today. A.J. hits RHP well so I would expect he will remain somewhere in the lineup as long as he stays hot.
By the way, there seems to have been a change of heart in the official scoring on Tuesday’s game. It now appears that Adam Kolarek got the win after all and Graterol got a hold. I am glad they changed it to as it should have been. Kolarek has been in 4 of the 7 games. He still has not allowed a run. He has faced 8 RH batters and 4 LH batters. He has allowed 2 hits against RH batting, one a broken bat flare. Nothing against LH batters. ZERO walks and 3 K’s. It is clear that Doc trusts Kolarek in any situation.
None of KJ, Treinen, Alexander, or Ferguson was available. When asked about why Baez was saved for the 9th over Kelly, he felt that Kelly could get 4 outs if needed, while Baez is more of just a one inning pitcher right now. And he trusts Baez.
I have come to really admire Ross Stripling from his podcasts and press conferences. He is so at ease speaking with anyone. He is comfortable and articulate. When asked how he likes the rotation vs. the bullpen he responded that he loves both roles, but he really wants to stay in the rotation. Strip always anticipated a season, and continued to ramp up in the downtime so that he could give multiple and meaningful innings at the beginning. He knew he would be needed, and he PLANNED accordingly. It worked out for him. He now wants to stay in the rotation. I wonder why Walker did not have that same plan in mind. With all of the pitching problems the Angels have, I am sure glad that Arte Moreno is a moron.
CK had a very good bullpen session on Thursday, and Doc figures to see him start very soon. Most figure either Sunday or Monday. I am going with Monday. SD is a bigger yard for any CK mistakes, and I do not think Doc wants to hold Buehler back another day.
Bear, thanks for the story on Wheat. I learned a lot about this fine young man who worked hard to reach his goals. You are a good and interesting writer, but I already knew that from your posts. Please write some more lead articles.
Thanks Bear that was a fun read. These articles you guys are writing are fantastic.
I’m looking forward to Gonsolin pitching today. I hope he can get to the fifth inning to give the relievers a little relief. The future is here with May, Santana, Urias, and now Gonsolin. Soon to come is Gray. Our team is amazingly deep when it comes to pitching.
Nice win last night. Strip did a good job on a night, 114 in Phoenix, where his breaking stuff was not breaking very much. Seager got HR #2 and Muncy came out of his funk with a long HR. Belli still is not hitting the ball with any authority. Betts was very involved in the game with a great catch in right, some heady base running and a gap double. RH the next 3 games, soooooooooooo we should see some of the lefty’s back in the lineup. AJ Pollock has been very good. And he cranked a 2 run shot last night. Kike, Taylor, Smith,, still not hitting.
I did make one error…it has been 94 years since Wheat last played. Oops……2038 singles…..but back then the ball did not fly very far, and the strategy was always just move em over. I found a really grainy old video on Youtube of the 1916 World Series. You can see players running and hitting, but it was taken from so far away, you have no clue who is doing what. Babe Ruth beat the Dodgers in a 14 inning game that started his record scoreless inning streak in that series.
You lead an organization in games played and plate appearances, chances are you are going to hold some records. And many of those records won’t be broken. 2038 singles?
When I lived in Raytown as a kid, my family, with two other families, would vacation in the Ozarks. I remember his name coming up in conversation amongst the adults and thinking that was a funny name. About the time I turned 12 my grandfather mentioned he knew him, but I didn’t get any details. Good story. Thanks Bear.
We’re favored -155. 9 1/2 runs. Like clockwork
Morning headline: Due to positive COVID-19 tests with Cardinals, Brewers home opener is postponed. In related news, Yelich doesn’t care cuz he’s 1 for 27.
Thanks for the walk back into the past, Harold.
It was a magical story.
Thanks for the great article Michael. I’ve always been amazed at Wheat’s career numbers.
The LA Dodgers need to honor the Brooklyn team more than they do. Retire numbers, put up plaques, something. Players like Wheat, Hodges, Vance, Grimes, Furillo, et al. deserve it.
Very nice article. Gore was DFA and Victor Gonzalez called up, in my opinion Gore never should have been on the 30 man team.