St. Louis Browns OF Myril Hoag was born on March 9, 1908 in Davis, California. By the time Hoag became a member of the Browns, he had already established himself as one of the most reliable outfielders in the American League. He would enjoy a 24-year professional baseball career that would only be interrupted by his service time in World
St. Louis Browns OF Myril Hoag was born on March 9, 1908 in Davis, California. By the time Hoag became a member of the Browns, he had already established himself as one of the most reliable outfielders in the American League. He would enjoy a 24-year professional baseball career that would only be interrupted by his service time in World War II.
Myril Hoag played at Sacramento High School, and was signed by the Sacramento Senators in 1926 at the age of 18. He would spend four seasons with the Senators, before signing with the New York Yankees prior to the 1931 season. The crowded Yankee outfield would limit the amount of playing time he saw, but in that time he had one of the highest fielding percentages of any Bronx fielders.
On July 28, 1936, Hoag collided with Yankee outfielder Joe DiMaggio which resulted in Hoag being hospitalized with a brain clot. The collision came as both players were attempting to field a ball hit by Washington's Goose Goslin. Hoag and DiMaggio were both knocked unconscious, although DiMaggio returned to the game once he regained awareness. Hoag was removed from the game. After no showing no trauma from the collision, Hoag returned to the lineup the following day and recorded a hit. The night of July 30, Myril Hoag collapsed in his hotel room due to a blood clot in his brain, from which he suffered from the collision. The emergency operation was successful, but he missed the rest of the season.
After two more quality seasons in New York, the Browns would acquire Hoag on October 26, 1938. The Browns would send RHP Oral Hildebrand and LF Buster Mills to the Yankees for Hoag and catcher Joe Glenn. Myril Hoag would spend the next two compete seasons with the Browns. The 1939 season would be one of his best of his career. He appeared in 139 games, where he recorded 142 hits, including 23 doubles, ten home runs, and 75 runs batted in. His .295 average would help him earn his only American League All-Star game appearance. He would also finish among the league leaders in assists, and double plays turned by an outfielder.
After only one game in 1941, the Browns sold the contract to the Chicago White Sox on April 30, 1941. While playing for Chicago Hoag enlisted in the US Army Air Corp in November of 1942, but was discharged in November of 1943 due to dizziness from his 1936 injury.
Hoag would play three seasons with the White Sox (1941-422, 44), and Cleveland Indians (1944-45), before spending the final six season as a player-manager in the minors. He managed the Gainesville G-Men from 1947-48 and again in 1951, and led the G-Men to the championship of the Florida League (1947-48, 51) He would later spend time with the St. Petersburg Saints (1949), Rome Red Sox (1950), and the Valley Rebels (1950).
Myril Hoag would settle down in High Springs, Florida, where he would spend his time telling stories of his Browns teammates and his four World Series rings he earned with the Yankees.
Today's Browns Quote
“I was a schoolboy pitcher and always wanted a shot at the mound, I pitch to spots.”
~ Myril Hoag, Browns outfielder, Minor League Player-Manager, Sporting News 1950, on his late success as a pitcher
BROWNS' BIRTHDAYS ON THIS DAY
1890 - RHP Rolla Mapel (1919)
1908 - OF Myril Hoag (1939-41)
TRANSACTIONS
1923 - The Browns sig
Today's Browns Quote
“I was a schoolboy pitcher and always wanted a shot at the mound, I pitch to spots.”
~ Myril Hoag, Browns outfielder, Minor League Player-Manager, Sporting News 1950, on his late success as a pitcher
BROWNS' BIRTHDAYS ON THIS DAY
1890 - RHP Rolla Mapel (1919)
1908 - OF Myril Hoag (1939-41)
TRANSACTIONS
1923 - The Browns signed RHP Slim Embry as an amateur free agent. This exact date of the signing is uncertain, but most of the baseball history of Slim Embry is uncertain. The Browns signed the pitcher prior to the 1923 season, but there is no record of Embry playing professional baseball before signing with St. Louis. It is known that Slim Embry played for the Vanderbilt University. He was the captain of the team and led the Commodores to the 1921 Southern Intercolligate Athletic Association title. His Vanderbilt yearbook states he graduated in 1923. There is no record of Slim Embry playing any minor league baseball, or ANY GAME with the Browns. The Browns did not have role for Embry on thier roster, so they put him on waivers late in the 1923 season. The Chicago White Sox picked up Embry and he would make his MLB debut vs the Tigers on October 1, 1923. He would face 18 batters over 2.2 innings. He would give up 7 hits, 2 walks, and 6 runs in his 2 inning career. He would record a strikeout, but his 10.23 ERA may have prevented him from being recalled by any team for the 1924 season. Slim Embry is a classic example of a player who had a "cup of coffee" in the Majors. But this may be his only playing experience, becaue there is no record of him playing before or after his one game.
The 1928 St. Louis Browns had a record of 82-72, finishing in 3rd place in the American League, 19 games behind the New York Yankees. This team finished 23 games better than ther previous team in 1927. it was a season of great promise for the future.
1928 Season Breakdown
The 1928 St. Louis Browns had a record of 82-72, finishing in 3rd place in the American League, 19 games behind the New York Yankees. This team finished 23 games better than ther previous team in 1927. it was a season of great promise for the future.
1928 Season Breakdown