St Louis Browns third baseman Ollie Sax was born on November 5, 1904 in Branford, Connecticut. He was a first-generation American with both his parent migrating from Finland in the late 1890s. He grew up at the same time as Frank McGowan, an outfielder who played with the Browns in 1928 with Sax. It is not documented if the two knew each
St Louis Browns third baseman Ollie Sax was born on November 5, 1904 in Branford, Connecticut. He was a first-generation American with both his parent migrating from Finland in the late 1890s. He grew up at the same time as Frank McGowan, an outfielder who played with the Browns in 1928 with Sax. It is not documented if the two knew each other while growing up in Branford.
Born Erik Oliver Sax, "Ollie" began his professional baseball career at the age of 22 with the Scranton Miners. It is not clear if he played college or semipro baseball before lacing up with Scranton. He would have an impressive rookie season, recording 153 hits in 134 games, including three home runs and a .336 batting average. This caught the attention of the Browns who invited him to spring training in 1928. There are no transaction records between Sax and the Browns, but he earned a roster spot for opening day.
Ollie Sax made his MLB debut on April 13, 1928, when he entered the game in the bottom of the ninth inning for Billy Mullen. In the top of the 11th inning, he led the inning off with a walk and later scored the winning run on a wild pitch by Detroit's Ken Holloway. Sax would remain with the team the entire season but would only appear in 16 games. There is no report of injuries or being sent to a minor league affiliate. He would have only 22 plate appearances over the course of the season. He had just three hits, scored four runs, walked five times, and struck out three times. His .176 average was not encouraging enough to welcome him back for the 1929 season.
That did not stop Ollie Sax from following his dream of playing baseball. He would spend the next six seasons playing for six different minor league teams. He played for the Buffalo Bison (1929-31), Wilkes-Barre Barons (1932), Toronto Maple Leafs (1932-34), Rochester Red Wings (1934), Syracuse Chiefs (1935), and the Albany Senators (1935). There is no documentation of Ollie Sax after his playing days were over after the 1935 season.
He would eventually settle down in Newark, New Jesey, where he lived a long life telling stories of his baseball life with the Browns.
TOP 100 Browns Countdown
This website has the only Top 100 list of famous St Louis Browns players. Please feel free to free to visit the tab about for the complete list. Here is a brief portion of the list that recognizes some of the best players in the history of the St. Louis Browns.
Players #41-45.
· 41) Bobo Newsom, P, 1934-35, 1938-3
TOP 100 Browns Countdown
This website has the only Top 100 list of famous St Louis Browns players. Please feel free to free to visit the tab about for the complete list. Here is a brief portion of the list that recognizes some of the best players in the history of the St. Louis Browns.
Players #41-45.
· 41) Bobo Newsom, P, 1934-35, 1938-39, 1943 - 2x American League All Star (1938, 39), Top 10 AL MVP Voting (1938), In 1938 he led the AL in Games Started (40), CG (31), Wins (20), Innings pitched (329.1) and Batters Faced (1475), Only the 2nd pitcher in MLB history to lead the AL in Wins with an ERA over 5
· 42) Rogers Hornsby, 2B, 1933-37 - MLB Hall of Fame (1942) "The Rajah", Player Manager from 1933-37 with a record of 225-381, and in 1952 (but only lasted for 51 games)
· 43) Denny Galehouse, P, 1941-44, 1946-47 - In 1944, "Sunday Pitcher" while working in a Goodyear plant during WW2, Served in Military in 1945, "Unsung" Hero of the 1944 Team - Would pitch a 7 hit, complete game over the Cardinals in Game 1 of 44 WS
· 44) Sam Gray, P, 1928-33 - "Dolly", "Sad Sam", Led the AL with 37 Games Started in 1929 and 1931, 1930 - In 11 of his 15 losses, the browns would score a total of 15 runs.
· 45) Jesse Burkett, OF, 1902-04 - MLB Hall of Fame (1946), Played his last 3 MLB seasons with the Browns (14 total). Considered one of the best hitters of the Era. His WAR with the Browns was 10.6 (Eric Byrnes)
BROWNS BIRTHDAYS ON THIS DAY
1907 - OF Earl Clark (1934)
The impact of the 1920 St. Louis Browns can best be described as they finally learned how to be a winning team (76-77 record). From 1910-19, the Browns had only experienced one winning season (79-75). In that season of 1916, the Browns had three young players that were just starting their careers.
After finishing about .500 that season, c
The impact of the 1920 St. Louis Browns can best be described as they finally learned how to be a winning team (76-77 record). From 1910-19, the Browns had only experienced one winning season (79-75). In that season of 1916, the Browns had three young players that were just starting their careers.
After finishing about .500 that season, catcher Hank Severeid, 1B George Sisler, and OF Jack Tobin became the foundation of the 1920 team. The Browns had a seasoned veteran, Jimmy Austin, who would also guide these players into the 1920s with his leadership. These four players helped upcoming players like Baby Doll Jacobson (joined the Browns in 1917), Wally Gerber (joined in 1919), and Ken Williams (joined in 1920). This group would stay together for most of the next decade and mark the 1920s as the most successful decade in Browns history.
The pitching staff would also reman together through this time. Led by the best pitcher in franchise history, Urban Shocker, the Browns staff would be one of the most consistent groups in the American League. Their impact was found in their willingness to stay together and take the ball every time they took the mound. Dixie Davis, Elam Vangilder, Allen Sothoron, and Carl Weilman would become stable arms that would appear in more than 100 innings and 24 games.
Many believed that the team needed a new skipper to lead this group. Manager James Burke would be replaced by Leo Fohl in 1921, but the success the Browns would enjoy is primarily due to the ground work that Burke placed with this team