St. Louis Browns CF Johnny Groth was born on July 23, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois. Although he would only spend one season with the Browns (1953), he would enjoy a 15-year professional baseball career. His mark he left on Browns history will always be remembered and celebrated.
Groth would be a three-sport athlete out of Latin School of Ch
St. Louis Browns CF Johnny Groth was born on July 23, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois. Although he would only spend one season with the Browns (1953), he would enjoy a 15-year professional baseball career. His mark he left on Browns history will always be remembered and celebrated.
Groth would be a three-sport athlete out of Latin School of Chicago, where he gained collegiate consideration in football and basketball. Instead of attending college, Groth decided to enlist in the US Navy in 1945 and report to the Great Lakes Training Center. While in the service, he was able to make the camp baseball team that was coached by Bob Feller. The guidance and opportunity he found in the service led to offers from the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians.
Groth would eventually sign with Detroit and spend the next seven years in the Tigers organization. Early in his career, many scouts believed that he had the same skills and abilities as Yankees legend, Joe DiMaggio. Whether these projections were true or not, he would never be able to live up to such high expectations. The Tigers grew impatient with Groth and included him in a six-player deal with the Browns on December 4, 1952. The Tigers sent Groth, RHP Virgil Trucks, and RHP Hal White to St. Louis for INF Owen Friend, LF Bob Nieman, and C/OF Jay Porter. Johnny Groth would become the primary centerfielder for the Browns in their final season in St. Louis. He had 141 hits in 141 games, while recording 36 multi-hit games, including seven three-hit games. He would bash ten home runs, drive in 57 runs, score 65 runs, and reach a .253 batting average. His best game would come in the second game of a double header against the Cleveland Indians on September 7th. He would go 2-for-5 with a double and a home run, while driving in four runs.
Johnny Groth would go down in the St. Louis Browns history books on September 27, 1953. With the Browns already facing their fate in St. Louis, they were playing their final game at Sportsman's Park against the Chicago White Sox. In the third inning, Groth would hit his 27th double of the season to left field. 1B Ed Mickelson would follow with a single to right field, driving in Groth from second base. This would be the last run scored by the St. Louis Browns franchise, losing the game, 2-1, in eleven innings.
Groth would become one of the first casualties of the Browns move to Baltimore, because on February 5, 1954, the new Orioles organization traded him to the White Sox. He would continue his career with Chicago (1954-55), before moving on to the Washington Senators (1955), Kansas City Athletics (1956-57), and back to the Tigers (1957-60).
Johnny Groth would remain in the Tigers organization, managing their minor league affiliates Decatur Commodores (1961), and Montgomery Rebels (1962). He would later join the Braves organization where he was a scout for 27 years (1963-90).
He eventually retired to Palm Beach, Florida, were he lived out his time talking baseball and bragging of his final score with the Browns.
HEADLINES
"BROWNS STUN POWERFUL YANKEES BEHIND NEW STAR, WILLARD BROWN"
FEATURED GAME
1947 The Browns would jump out to an early lead, and shut down the powerful Yankee offense in an 8-2 win in the Bronx. Facing the Yankees rookie phenom, RHP Spec Shea, the Browns would score four runs in the first five innings. The scoring began in the top
HEADLINES
"BROWNS STUN POWERFUL YANKEES BEHIND NEW STAR, WILLARD BROWN"
FEATURED GAME
1947 The Browns would jump out to an early lead, and shut down the powerful Yankee offense in an 8-2 win in the Bronx. Facing the Yankees rookie phenom, RHP Spec Shea, the Browns would score four runs in the first five innings. The scoring began in the top of the first when LF Jeff Heath would hit his 17th home run, with 2B Hank Thompson on base. The Browns would add a run in the third inning when CF Willard Brown drives in SS Vern Stephens, and another run in the fifth inning on a 1B Wally Judnich single. After the Yankees scored two run in the eighth, the Browns would clinch the win with four runs in the ninth. The hero of this game would be the future Major League Baseball, and Negro Baseball Hall of Famer, Willard Brown. This would be his best game in the Major Leagues. He would record four of his 12 career hits, and three of his six runs batted in. Brown had an incredible Negro League Baseball career, and the St. Louis fans had quick glimpse of the talent this player possessed. The winning pitcher for St. Louis was RHP Ellis Kinder, who scattered six hits and two runs across the complete game victory.
BROWNS RECORD ON THIS DAY
Overall Record on July 23
17 Wins, 29 Losses (.369)
1902-09: 2-5
1910-19: 1-6
1920-29: 5-5
1930-39: 4-6
1940-49: 5-4
1950-53: 0-3
DOUBLE HEADERS
Sweeps: 0
Splits: 2
Swept: 1
TRANSACTIONS
1953 - Browns sell the player rights of RHP Bobo Holloman to the Toronto Maple Leafs (International Baseball League) for $7,500. This move would cap off one of the strangest and amazingly brief careers in Major League Baseball. Holloman would only appear in 22 games in 1953, but he would start nine of these games. In his first MLB start, Bobo Holloman would pitch a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics, winning 6-0. It would only be his fifth appearance in the big leagues. From that incredible moment, Holloman's suffered a major collapse to where he was just 3-7, with a 5.23 ERA. He would never regain the magic he had for his no-hitter, and would be out of baseball completely by 1955.
DEBUTS
There were no debut made on this day
BROWNS BIRTHDAYS
1926 - CF Johnny Groth (1953)
1890 - RHP Pete Schmidt (1913)
The 1907 St. Louis Browns pitching staff had the same core of pitcher from the previous season. Midway through the season they sent Beany Jacobson to the Boston Americans for RHP Bill Dinneen. This move would add a durable veteran presence to the durable staff. The pitching staff failed to reach the high marks that they accomplished in 19
The 1907 St. Louis Browns pitching staff had the same core of pitcher from the previous season. Midway through the season they sent Beany Jacobson to the Boston Americans for RHP Bill Dinneen. This move would add a durable veteran presence to the durable staff. The pitching staff failed to reach the high marks that they accomplished in 1906. Of the primary starting pitchers only Harry Howell would have a winning record, and Barney Pelty would lose 20 games for the only time in his career. The 1907 season would be the third season in a row where a Browns pitcher records an ERA of under 2.00.
Team Pitching Statistics
(American League Rankings)
Player Statistics