My Apologies

In four years, since starting this website for Fowlerville, I have posted articles and pictures everyday.  But . . . I am going to have to take a couple weeks off.

So, please bear with me and I will get back to posting history lessons, current events, pictures, and whatever else I come up, in the very near future.

Please check back . . .

1970 Library Construction

The following picture was given to me a few days back:

In 1970, the Fowlerville library was finally, truly, getting a home of its home.  The building -- where the library continues to operate out of -- was built in 1970.  Before that, the library was located in the Handy township building, and had outgrown the confines of those walls.

Since 1970, the current library building has been added on to, but continues to experience growing pains.  Every available space is used up and the staff is constantly working at making sure all the books, magazines, dvds, and reference materials are well displayed.

But, back to the above picture.  A note came with the picture indicating Ronald Brunger, a pastor in Fowlerville and a library board member, is sitting at the keyboard.  Can anyone identify the others in the picture?  And, does anyone have a memories to contribute of when the library building was under construction?

1903 Gehringer is Born

Oops, one more post on Charley Gehringer!

The other day, I met up with someone that wanted to do a little research in the Fowlerville historical collection.  I figured since he was busy, I would do a little research of my own.  There is a box in the collection labeled "Charles Gehringer" and I decided to breeze through it.  There are a number interesting articles that go beyond what I have posted, and anyone is more than welcome to come browse the information.

There was almost too much to post but I did find the above picture that just had to show up here.  The Detroit News published this picture in 1954 of Gehringer when he was a mere two years old.  He was born May 11, 1903 in Iosco county.  His parents were Leonard and Theresa, and he was one of nine children born to the couple.

2013 Fleming School Burns

Yesterday morning, the Fleming school at Six Corners burned.  Following are just a few pictures I took of what was left:

A couple years ago, I spent a little time taking pictures of the various buildings at that location.  If you search on "Fleming" or "Fleming School" or "Fleming Church," you will find numerous articles and squint shots.  I also posted an old map of the area, which you can check out by clicking here.

For additional information on this fire, you can also read an article at www.livingstondaily.com.

1929 Gehringer Keeps At It

In this final article following Charley Gehringer's early pro career, with the Detroit Tigers, following is an article that was reprinted in The Fowlerville Review from the Detroit Free Press:

It was also reported:

Charlie Gehringer has punched out more hits for more bases and scored more runs than any other player in the league.  He has crossed the plate 29 times and collected 40 safeties that totaled 68 bases.

For some additional reading on the "mechanical man" from Fowlerville, be sure to check out Mike Grimm's history of the village.  You can read more about his book by clicking on the link from this website to his.  Scroll down the page and look for his link at the right hand side of the page.

And now a question for my readers.  I have been working on a book of three sensational murders that took place in the early days of Fowlerville.  If I were to pursue self-publishing this book, would I have takers?  Would you be interested in purchasing a copy?  My other thoughts -- if I were to put the book on this website as an e-book of sorts, would you be willing to make donations to the site to keep things going?  Your thoughts?  Your support?

1928 Gehringer Visit to Fowlerville

For a brief shining moment in baseball fun, it was reported in September, 1928, Charley Gehringer would visit his old haunts at the Fowlerville Fairgrounds.  The following short blurb was found in the local paper:

The friends of Charles Gehringer may see him in action with the Fowlerville ball team at the Fowlerville fair.

But then:

All Aboard!

For the Fowlerville Fair~~Everything looks good for the Fowlerville Fair if the weather holds good it will be a record breaker so far as attendance is concerned.

The grounds are in fine condition and the buildings have been made attractive.

The secretary reports the entries are coming in fine and everything points to a good showing and the race horses are much in evidence and the free attractions are showing up big, while the midway is chuck full and running over.

We regret to have to report one great disappointment in the fact that Charles Gehringer will not be here as advertised, and no one can possibly regret the fact as much as the fair association, which has advertised the fact, that the star in Michigan base ball will not be present.  It is no fault of the fair management and it was not known until this week that Mr. Gehringer had made other arrangements and had joined a barnstorming company that was taking him out of the state.

Mr. Glover states the Mr. Gehringer distinctly stated to him that he would be here for the games and bring a man with him and Mr. Glover has witness to that statement.

As soon as it was discovered that Mr. Gehringer had made other arrangements, the telephone wires were kept warm by the ball fans and business men, but without success.

Arrangement had been perfected to present Mr. Gehringer with a fine token of their regard for him as a community which adds another deep disappointment to his absence.

This is the first time in the history of the fair association when they have advertised an event that did not take place and the association and all friends of Mr. Gehringer deeply regret the fact.

In future articles regarding the fair events, it would appear everything else was a great success.

1928 Celebration of Graduates

G.L. Adams, the editor and publisher of The Fowlerville Review, celebrated two graduates from the Fowlerville high school in his opinion column:

Romine Hamilton's parents began the C.D. Hamilton & Co. dry goods store at the southeast corner of East Grand River and South Grand.  Some may still remember it when the store was Ruth's Resale.

1928 Spring Training for Charlie Gehringer

Spring training camp for the Detroit Tigers was held in Texas in 1928 to continuing accolades, as published in the local newspaper, such as "Charlie Gehringer, who is with the Detroit Tigers, is picked by many to reach the top of the leaguers as the best second baseman this season.  Good for Charlie."

I did some looking but could not find a location for a spring training camp in Texas.  If any of my readers know where it might have been, please feel free to comment for other readers.

1928 Two Stars

Nineteen twenty-eight was a very good year for Fowlerville citizen notoriety.  Gehringer had a great 1927 season with the Detroit Tigers and the prospect for the summer of 1928 looked to be the same.  That same year, Gehringer was congratulating G.L. "Dad" Adams for his longevity as the editor and publisher of the local newspaper. 

As a little bit of self-promotion, please consider purchasing a copy of my book, Through the Eyes of a Country Editor.  G.L. Adams was opinionated, passionate, exceptional in his writing, and a "cheerleader" for his adopted hometown.  As I did research for The Fowlerville Chronicles, I fell in love with Mr. Adams' writing and decided that would be my second book.  I set up the book in the same format -- chronologically by years -- but added so much more.  I am very proud of how the second book turned out and still find myself heading back to it for my own research for this website.

At this point, I am getting to the point of a limited number of copies of both books and would like to get these last copies out there.  

1928 Good Words for Charlie

The 1928 season was still a few months away, but the editor and publisher of the local paper was starting to build up excitement by reprinting the following article from the Detroit Times: 

By 1928, Harry Edwin Heilmann had been with the Detroit Tigers 12 years and would be with the team through 1929.  If you click here, you can read more on Heilmann.

1927 Tigers on a Roll

August, 1927, the Detroit Tigers were on a 13-game winning streak -- and some of it was most probably due to Charley Gehringer's superb playing ability.  Fowlerville residents continued to attend games to cheer on their hometown star. 

An additional article in early fall of 1927 read:

Charlie Gehringer, the Fowlerville ball player with the Detroit Tigers and whose first season as a regular has been watched with much interest here, was paid a nice compliment by the Detroit News a few days ago.  The News said that Gehringer was the outstanding star of the whole group of infielders of the Tiger line-up.

Now, here's a bit of trivia -- can anyone tell me how Gehringer has been recognized locally since 2008?

1927 Babe Ruth on Gehringer

Good For Charles~~

Babe Ruth, the home run champion, who writes for the daily papers, has the following to say of Charlie Gehringer, the Fowlerville Tiger:

The best double play combination I've seen this year is in Detroit.  And it's made up of "kid" players, Jack Tavener at short and Gehringer at second are the boys.  The way they can work together on double plays is wonderful.

I suppose in the last 10 years there has been no better hand at double plays than old Roger Peckinpaugh, who is now in Chicago with the White Sox.  Peck happens to live at the hotel here where the Yankees stop and I was punching the bag with him last evening.

"The real secret of making a double play is a perfect understanding between the shortstop and the second baseman," Peck said.  "When I was with Washington, Bucky Harris and I managed to turn out a good many double plays in the season.  It wasn't because we were particularly fast, or because we had remarkable arms.  We made double plays because each of us knew just what the other would do on every ball hit.  There was no confusion and no mixups."

Peck agreed with me that Tavener and Gehringer had it on the rest of the league in this department this season.  "Gehringer is a wonder," Peck said.  "He doesn't get half the credit he deserves because he makes plays look so easy."

And his great run of plays continued that summer, as shown in a reprinted article in The Fowlerville Review from the Detroit News:

1927 Gehringer Doing Great

In the spring of 1927, Gehringer was starting out strong playing second base for the Detroit Tigers.  He also had the support of many residents attending games to cheer him on.  Following are a couple of short articles found in the local paper, keeping everyone apprised of what was going on:

I was trying to imagine what "auto loads" of people would look like so I googled some images of 1927 cars. Here is one picture I found:

1926 Good Summer for Gehringer

The summer of 1926 was very good for Charley Gehringer.  During those few months, at least two blurbs showed up in the local newspaper, The Fowlerville Review, to the hometown fans' delight:   

But, by winter, he was working a second job:

The average salary for a player in the mid-1920s was $5,000, with the highest salary upwards of $20,000.  If Gehringer received the average salary, it would have gone a long ways but probably not far enough, making it necessary for him to supplement his income during the off-season.

Following are some average cost of living prices in the mid-1920s:

Loaf of bread - .09
Gallon of milk - .56
A dozen eggs - .44
Medium-sized house - $7,800
Average style car - $265, and
A gallon of gas cost .22.

1836 In the Beginning of Livingston County

We are taking a one-day break from the articles I've been posting of Charles Gehringer, a ball player from Fowlerville, to go back to the beginning of Livingston county.

My husband and I recently took a road trip to King's Book store in Detroit, mostly because I just needed to see it after hearing how the four-story old building was crammed to the rafters with books.  It is all true; everything I ever heard or read about it.  After making sure I checked out each of the floors, I headed back to the first floor and found the stacks holding numerous books on Michigan history.  I ended up purchasing a book of the history of Michigan up to 1950 -- at some point, I may even use some of the information while working this website.  Here's a picture of King's Book store:

Just before leaving, I found a small book on the beginnings of each county in Michigan.  I immediately checked out Livingston county and was disappointed to see Fowlerville was not listed.  It would have seemed to me ANY mention of the Grand River Trail should have mentioned Ralph Fowler's contribution to making it a thoroughfare with the building of the plank road.  Oh well, such is the forgotten history of this village.

Here's info on Edward Livingston -- click here.

Back to Charley Gehringer tomorrow.

1926 Gehringer in the Limelight

Following you will find a lengthy article on Gehringer's increasing notoriety.  The first three shots of this article, republished in The Fowlerville Review from the Durand Express, are legible but unfortunately, the fourth one is not (taking digitals of microfilm is pretty tricky sometimes).  The second and third views of this article has some fun information.   

Sopp, VanBuren, and Hart have been mentioned before but this was the first time I came across Clem Gannon in connection with helping Gehringer.  I did a little genealogy research on Clement Gannon and, if I found the right one, he was the father of Agnes Gannon, who was the 1936 Centennial Queen for Fowlerville's 100th celebration of the arrival of Ralph Fowler.

1926 Spring Game for Gehringer

If you check back over the last week or so, I have been showing Charles Gehringer's playing career through the articles published in the local newspaper, The Fowlerville Review.  It would appear from the following couple of sentences reprinted from the Detroit Times, Gehringer was definitely hitting his stride:

1926 Gehringer Heading South

In a continuing chronology of articles found in the local newspaper, the February 24, 1926, issue had the following short blurb:

More honors come to Charlie Gehringer, the Fowlerville ball player, as the dopesters play the summer game around the stove.  The last oficial figures show Gehringer led the International league with Toronto in second base fielding last season.  His average was sky high with .966.  Gehringer is to go south with the Detroit Tigers in the near future.

A few months later the following article from the Detroit News was reprinted in the local paper:

Gehringer to Come in Later~~Frank O'Rourke will be at second base for Detroit when the American League season opens April 13.

Rob Roy Fothergill will be in center field in place of Ty Cobb and bat fourth.

Cobb made these announcements today as the Tigers prepared to start north after five weeks in the training camp here.

While O'Rourke will begin the season at second base, Cobb still believes that Charlie Gehringer will play a majority of games at that position in 1926.  It is because of his inexperience that Gehringer will not appear in the starting line-up.

Cobb intends to use the veteran O'Rourke in the early game until Gehringer has had a chance to become accustomed to his major league surroundings.  After the glamour  of the setting has sworn off, Cobb will send Gehringer to second base and the Tigers manager insists he will do.

Gehringer has much mechanical skill.  There can be no mistake about that.  He has been termed the greatest "find" of the training season.  He has the often-stressed "great pair of hands."  He can go far in either direction for a ground ball.  He can travel deep into the outfield for fly balls.  He can come in fast for a slow roller.  He can throw quickly and accurately, even while off balance.  That is, he can do all these things in practice and in the exhibition games.  Cobb thinks that he can do them in the American League if his nerve and confidence are not weakened by an untimely "break" at the start.

In addition to his experience, Gehringer lacks fire and determination.  He is easily discouraged.  He is likely to waver under criticism or bad "breaks."  A mistake before the big opening day crowd might seriously affect his major league career.  For these reasons, Cobb has decided not to put Gehringer to too severe a test at the outset, but to bring him along gradually.

So O'Rourke, far behind Gehringer in mechanical gifts, but 14 years ahead of him in base ball experience, will go to second base when the season starts.  He also will bat second, the place Gehringer has filled in the exhibition games.~~Detroit News

For more information on Frank O'Rourke, click here.

1926 Gehringer for Big League

In February, 1926, G.L. Adams, the publisher and editor of The Fowlerville Review, republished an article that had been in the Durand Express, giving somewhat of a recap of Gehringer's career so far with:

Gehringer for Big League~~Charlie Gehringer, the Fowlerville ball player so well known in Durand, and who stands better than an even chance to be a regular on the Detroit team this next season, led the International League in two departments last season.  Gehringer was farmed out to Toronto by Detroit in 1925.  Official figures of the International League have just been released, showing Gehringer as leading in total bases, 337, and in sacrifice hits with 28.  His batting average for 155 games was 325.  He lacked only four points in being the leading batter in the league.

Gehringer was a sensation in field all last season.  In fact he was an unusually fine fielder when he first joined the Tigers two years ago.  He appeared to be weak at bat, however.  He evidently has developed batting talent.  Cobb, manager of the Tygers, has always had a warm feeling for Gehringer, predicting the "kid" would make the big class.  Andy Green, of Owosso, the best independent baseball umpire in Michigan, had his eye on Gehringer when the latter played in high school baseball.  He tipped Gehringer off to Detroit scouts and probably no ball player of as young years and lack of experience ever got an earlier chance in life than the Fowlerville lad.~~Durand Express

A little more reading -- this time on the International League.

1925 Gehringer Called Up

In late September, 1925, the following blurb was published in The Fowlerville Review:

Charles Gehringer, our Fowlerville ball artist who was signed up by the Detroit Tygers last year and sent to Toronto, Canada, to season up for the big league, has made good there, being the star performer on the team and has now been recalled to meet the Tygers at Boston and will in all probability be seen in action on the team for the balance of the season.  Charley has a host of warm friends here who earnestly hope he can make the grade.

And then, another "making good" article:

The Detroit papers have been saying nice things about our Fowlerville ball player who has been recalled to the Detroit Tygers for the last few games of the season.

The Times says he is a fast pivot man and handles double plays the fastest of any man on the team.

The News speaks of Gehringer and the other new player, Warner, as follows:

"You must give more than passing mention to the two new Detroit infielders, Jack Warner at third and Charlie Gehringer at second.  The former went the distance at third and the latter played the fag part of the game at second base.  They look the part of big league team infielders.  They are both young and both have the ease, the speed and the grace of the natural athlete.  They handle themselves under fire as if they liked it.  They are large, rangy and look like big league infielders.  No wonder Cobb was actually hilariously late in the game.  He saw Warner start two snappy double plays and saw Gehringer kick in with some very cleaver work around second base, notably the handling of a difficult bounder, the tagging of a runner from first and then a snap easy accurate peg to first for the put out that completed a double play."

After Tuesday's game this week, the Free Press said of Gehringer:

"Gehringer, recently recalled from Toronto also looked up to major league standard.  He handled everything that came his way in approved fashion and helped himself to a double and two singles in six times at bat."

To read more on Jack Warner, click here for the wiki page.

2013 Busy Busy

Good morning all my wonderful readers -- I am a bit on overload and may have to wait until the weekend to add more information on Charles "Charley" Gehringer.  Please check back even as early as tomorrow, just in case I can garner a few extra minutes out of my embroidery schedule!

1925 Charles Sopp

The same summer Charley Gehringer was finding success playing baseball for farm teams to the professional ball clubs, Charles Sopp -- another Fowlerville graduate -- was being looked at.  In a short blurb found in The Fowlerville Review, Editor and Publisher G.L. Adams reported:

We clip the following from the Angola, Ind., newspaper:  "Angola has a find in young Chas. Sopp, who is hitting a .535 clip for the season.  He hails from the same place that produced Charlie Gehringer and is expected to get a trial with the Tygers in the spring."

If you follow this link, you can see a picture of Sopp's graduation picture in the 1921 class composite.  He is in the upper right hand corner.  Below is an enlargement.  Also, a couple months back, I posted a school team picture with Gehringer and Sopp, which you can find by clicking here.  It would appear this picture might have been mislabeled as Charles Sopp graduated in 1921 and Glen Sopp graduated in 1929.

1925 Gehringer Games and Stats

If you go back to yesterday's post, you will see a wonderful article regarding Gehringer's playing ability and passion.  That article was republished in The Fowlerville Review from a New York paper.  Today's article was another reprinted (similar) article, this time from the Detroit Free Press:

~~Chas. Gehringer Making Good

Charlie Gehringer, a Fowlerville boy, who went to Toronto International league club from the Long Minters via Detroit, has in the past two weeks proved the sensation of the international league.  Experts on that circuit pick the youthful Gehringer as the international's leading second sacker and his work recently substantiates this opinion.

He has been batting exceptionally well of late and has boosted his average from .270 to .319 in about ten days.  He has played 27 games and made 31 hits including three home runs.  In addition to this, his fielding has been extraordinary.  In the last eighteen games, he has accepted 118 chanced without a slip.  In two games he accepted a total of nine chances each.  He has only made one error since the season opened.

Toronto fans hail him as the best second sacker the Leafs have had since Larry Lajoie played there in 1917.  Gehringer brings back memories of the graceful Frenchman as he has the same easy style of fielding the difficult chances and he is a great man in the middle of double plays.

Gehringer is barely twenty years old.  He is with Toronto on an optional agreement, the Detroit Tigers having a string on him.  He played his first year in professional baseball last season with the London Tecumsehs in the Michigan Ontario league.  His work with London attracted the notice of several big league scouts and Gehringer reported to the Tigers after the Mint league closed and figured in three or four games toward the latter end of the American league season.

Gehringer takes his baseball seriously.  He is ambitious and his one aim is to become a regular big leaguer.  When with London, he field exceptionally well but showed a tendency to worry too much over errors.  On one occasion in a particularly tight game, Gehringer booted a grounder that paved the way for a run which eventually defeated the London team.  The second sacker was considerably upset and when one of the London players "rode" him a little for the miscue, Gehringer actually wept.

With the tears streaming down his face, he came in to the bench when the inning was over and Mike Baker, the genial little shortstop, who is now manager of the Tecumsehs, put some humor into the situation by rushing up to Gehringer and offering him a handkerchief with the remark, "Come over into the crying room, kind, and weep a bucketful."~~Detroit Free Press

In the above article, you will see Larry "Napolean" Lajoie's name in bold.  That means you can click on his name and it will take you to a wiki page on his career.  In a short article a few weeks later, comparisons between Lajoie and Gehringer were becoming more numerous.

1925 Gehringer with the Leafs

In my continuing chronology of articles found in The Fowlerville Review during the years Charles Gehringer was playing for the Detroit Tigers (Tygers) and its farm team, the following article reports of some of his skill from a May, 1925, game.  He had gone to the Ontario Mints from the Detroit pro-team, and was now with the Leafs.

~~Chas. Gehringer Making Good

The many friends of Charley Gehringer will be interested in knowing that he is making a splendid success in the ball game as the following clippings from the press will show:

Rochester, N.Y., May 17 -- Winning two games from the trio today, 8 to 8 and 9 to 3, while the Jersey City Skeeters were dropping a couple to Reading, the Leafs went into second place in the International League pennant race.  Only three games separate the Leafs from the Orioles on top.  Perhaps the Tool circuit will have a race at last.

The games were featured by the hitting of Charlie Gehringer, the Leafs' youthful, able guardian of the Keystone sack.  In nine trips to the plate, the youngster got seven hits, including a triple and a home run.  He had six straight hits in the two games, singling in the ninth of the first, and nothing stopping him in the second.  His circuit clout was one of the longest inside the park here, coming with Thomas on base and was made off Gresett.  He got plenty of applause from the 8,000 fans who saw the contests.

A perfectly good ball game, likewise a nice new specimen of the Spalding sphere making industry, was knocked lopsided when Charlie Gehringer "homered" himself into the hero class along about the sixth session of the second set with the Skeeters.  Gehringer, who had previously provided the season's sensational stop when he sprinted astern of second to scoop a slush from Sheridan's stick that was steering straight for Gilhooley's sector, came up to bat with the sacks full, and Jim Roberts feeling likewise.  The score was knotted and there were two out. 

Gehringer didn't stand on ceremony, but picked out the first pitch that was to his liking and lined it to the far confines of the park.  It was a terrific slam, so hard hit that Gaudette, who turned with the crack of the bat and ran for the fence, almost got it on the rebound.  He fielded the ball home quickly with the assistance of Malone, but Gehringer was over the plate and on his way to the bench when the relay was completed.  Master Charlie himself never ran faster than the tongue-tied recruit from the London club.  By the same token, it is doubtful whether Ty Cobb, who some day will endorse the youngster's pay checks, ever connected in more solid fashion.  It was Gehringer's day to shine, and in that respect he had a decided edge on the atmospheric conditions which prevails most of the afternoon. 

Nice plays by Harrington and Heath illuminated the pastime, the latter grabbing a near-hit for the final out of the game, while the former got in front of several hard wallops. 

For more reading on the Leafs, click here.  There is a link toward the bottom of the wiki page for Charles Gehringer.

1924 Gehringer Sent to Minors

For a very few months in 1924, Charles Gehringer was on the Detroit Tigers pro-baseball team.  But in April of that same year, it was reported "Gehringer Sent to Minors" in the local newspaper.  The article, which was republished from the Daily Paper, read as follows:

Augusta, Ga.~~Here is one for the well known ledger.  Ty Cobb has been trying to land a second baseman for the Tygers for the past four years.  Ty thinks he might have won the pennant last year if he had had a star second baseman.

This year he has what he calls the "best looking young second baseman I ever saw."  And he is sending him away.

The gent in point is Charley Gehringer of Fowlerville, Mich.  Gehringer has hands like Lutzke of the Indians and is built like Kamm of the White Sox.  And in field skill he is the equal of either.

"I never saw a man who was surer on a ground-hit ball," Cobb says.

Gehringer, however, has never played a professional game of ball in his life.  He came up to Cobb in Detroit last fall and asked for a tryout.  That's how he happens to be here.  Naturally he is terribly green, and he has no style at all at the plate.

Cobb figures a year in the minors will just about make him.  "I'd give my right arm to be able to use him now," adds the Tyger leader.~~Daily Paper

The Detroit team released Gehringer and he moved on to the Mint League in London, Ontario, to play ball.  In an article giving this information, a little bit of insight into his personality was relayed.  The article was published in the Detroit News.  A couple of paragraphs follow:

Cobb and other judges of playing talent say that Gehringer has more mechanical (*) skill than any youngster they have ever seen.  With some experience at infielding, he should become a major league player.  Cobb would not be surprised if Gehringer played second base for Detroit next year.

Gehringer got into Detroit's line-up once this year and that was in the first exhibition game the team played, opposing Rochester at Savannah, Georgia.

Cobb sent up Gehringer as pinch batter.  The Rochester pitcher struck him out on three pitched balls, all fast ones.  Gehringer looked bad and he was never tried again.

There has never been a recruit who said as little as Gehringer.  He never uttered a word.  He sat on the bench day after day absolutely silent.  Only once did he break his silence and that was during one of the Detroit-Cleveland games.  Tris Speaker needed a relief pitcher and he sent in Guy Morton.  After Morton pitched a few innings, Bob Fothergill observed:  "This Morton is throwing one of the best curves I ever saw.  Look how that ball is breaking over the plate."

A moment's pause and then Gehringer remarked:  "If he's got any better curve than the one that guy struck me out on in Savannah that day, I'd like to look at it."

It was the only remark he ever made.

(*) Maybe this is how he became known as the "Mechanical Man"?

According to another article, he started perfecting his bunt while also playing second baseman.  Unfortunately, in one game "he was badly spiked in the hand while sliding to a base in a game at Flint a few days since and will be laid up for a short time."

1924 Gehringer Heading South

In January, 1924, the following article showed up in the local newspaper:

And then, within a couple months, Gehringer was on the team and would be playing for the Detroit Tigers.  I have to wonder what the hometown fans thought!

1923 Three Ball Players and a Signing

Three fellows from Fowlerville - George Hart, George VanBuren and Charles Gehringer - had taken a week vacation back to their hometown early in June.  By the end of June, all three were "awarded numerals" and headed toward Ann Arbor.

And then, by October of that same year, "Charley" -- as the local publisher started calling him -- signed with the Detroit Tigers.

I googled images of "Charley" and I'm guessing this is an early picture of him:

1922 Gehringer in Indiana

In November, I posted a picture of Charles Gehringer with the Fowlerville high school team.  You can check out that article and picture by clicking here.  That team picture was taken in 1919. 

Charles Gehringer graduated from the high school in 1922.  By August of that year, he was in Indiana.  The following little blurb was found in The Fowlerville Review announcing this:

Since it is blurry, it reads, "Charles Gehringer is pitching for a club in Indiana and is doing some fine work, playing several errorless games and being the main spoke in the club with which he is working."

There are two very good sites for Charles Gehringer's biography, which you can find by clicking here and also by scrolling down this page and clicking on the link to Mike Grimm's Fowlerville History site.

As for this series of posts, there will be more articles as found in the local newspaper.

1929 Checkers Basketball Team

Fowlerville used to have a basketball team called "The Checkers" and, right after the first of the year in 1929, they appeared to be playing very well -- especially against a Laingsburg team.  Does anyone remember ever hearing about a basketball team by this name?

I would love to have anyone leave a comment if they have heard of this team.

There are numerous books on the life of Charles Gehringer, a professional baseball player from Fowlerville, but tomorrow I will start a series of articles that were published in the local newspaper that I have accumulated on him.  For those interested in his life and times, these articles may add a few new tidbits of interest.

If ever you, my readers, are interested in a subject, please let me know and I will see what I have gathered in my research.