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.