St. Louis Browns LHP Bill Bailey was born on April 12, 1888 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Bailey was a strong prospect out of high school and signed his first contract at the age of 18. He would put together a 20-year career that included roster spots with 13 baseball clubs. He would play in all three major leagues at the time (Amercian, Natio
St. Louis Browns LHP Bill Bailey was born on April 12, 1888 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Bailey was a strong prospect out of high school and signed his first contract at the age of 18. He would put together a 20-year career that included roster spots with 13 baseball clubs. He would play in all three major leagues at the time (Amercian, National, Federal), as well as 16 seasons across the minor leagues. His career number would include an impressive 269 wins and 286 losses. This includes ten consecutive seasons where he posted losing seasons.
Bill Bailey joined the Beaumont Oilers of the South Texas League in 1906, and early success would send him to finish the season with the Austin Senators. He played a second season with Austin and after a 22-11 record over 37 games, Bailey was invited to join the Browns in September of 1907. He would make his MLB debut on September 11, 1907, in the fourth inning of the second game of a double header against the Chicago White Sox. After winning four of his five starts, the Browns called him back the following season.
From 1908-10, Bill Bailey would become a solid member of the Browns pitching staff. In those three seasons, he started 52 of the 88 games he appeared in. He averaged 166 innings, and would record a total of 246 strikeouts and register 47 complete games.
Bill Bailey would be traded to the Montgomery Billikens on June 7, 1911, for rights to a player named later (Browns claimed Del Pratt). He would put together an amazing season with the Billikens, winning 17 games with an ERA of 1.50. Montgomery would return Bailey to the Browns at the end of the 1911 season.
He began the 1912 season with three miserable games (allowing ten runs in ten innings), and the Browns would release him on May 4, 1912. This did not mark the end of Bill Bailey's baseball career. He would play for Providence Grays (1912-14), before joining the Baltimore Terrapins of the "outlaw" Federal Baseball League. He would spend two seasons with the Federal League (Baltimore 1914-15, Chicago Whalers 1915), and returned to the minors when the league collapsed after the 1915 season. He would then play for the Toledo Mud Hens (1916-17), New Orleans Pelicans (1917-18), and Beaumont Explorers before getting a chance to return to the Major Leagues with the Detroit Tigers (1918) and St. Louis Cardinals (1921-22). Niether his time with the Tigers or Cardinals would lead to long extensions. He finished his baseball career with the Houston Buffaloes (1922-23), and Omaha Buffaloes (1924-25).
During the 1926 training camp with Omaha, Bill Bailey began to suffer from intense stomach pains, which were later diagnosed as intestinal bleeding. This ailment forced Bailey to retire from baseball and required him to undergo rounds of blood transfusions. Several charity games were held to raise money to help Bailey fight this condition, but in November of 1926 he would succumb to his condition.
Bill Bailey's final numbers with the Browns included appearing in 588.2 innings over 104 games. He recorded 42 complete games of the 61 games he started. He would tally 273 strikeouts, 262 walks, and have a 3.07 ERA. He may not have been the best pitcher on the Browns' roster, but Bill Bailey gave his best pitching years to St. Louis and the journals of Browns history.
HEADLINE
"THE GOOSE INTRODUCES THE ZEBRA"
1932 - Opening Day, Goose Goslin unveils his infamous "Zebra Bat", which had 12 parallel lines reaching down the barrel of the bat, MLB ruled that the bat was illegal as it was a distraction to the fielders
FEATURED GAME
1922 - OPENING DAY - Browns defeat the Chicago White Sox 3-2 in front of 20,00
HEADLINE
"THE GOOSE INTRODUCES THE ZEBRA"
1932 - Opening Day, Goose Goslin unveils his infamous "Zebra Bat", which had 12 parallel lines reaching down the barrel of the bat, MLB ruled that the bat was illegal as it was a distraction to the fielders
FEATURED GAME
1922 - OPENING DAY - Browns defeat the Chicago White Sox 3-2 in front of 20,000 fans in Comisky Park. Coming off a 27-win season in 1921, Urban Shocker scattered nine hits and two runs over nine innings for the Browns. George Sisler (1-for-4, double, run scored, RBI), Baby Doll Jacobson (1-for-4, RBI), and Mary McManus (sacrifice hit, RBI) fueled the offense.
WP - Urban Shocker / LP - Red Faber
BROWNS' ALL-TIME RECORD ON THIS DAY
4 WINS, 3 LOSES
1910-19: 2-1
1920-29: 2-0
1930-39: 0-2
NO TRADES ON THIS DAY IN BROWNS HISTORY
DEBUTS
1911 - RF Gus Williams makes his MLB debut in a 12-3 Browns blowout of the Cleveland Naps on Opening Day. Williams would go 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, while leading the team with five total bases
BROWNS' BIRTHDAYS ON THIS DAY
The 1902 Browns was the American League team to call St. Louis home. After moving from Milwaukee, this team was completely different than the team that won only 48 games in Milwaukee the year before. Only three players on the roster played for Milwaukee (identified with a MIL on the roster below), while seven players "jumped" from the Nat
The 1902 Browns was the American League team to call St. Louis home. After moving from Milwaukee, this team was completely different than the team that won only 48 games in Milwaukee the year before. Only three players on the roster played for Milwaukee (identified with a MIL on the roster below), while seven players "jumped" from the National League Cardinals team (STL). The remianing five listed players came spent the 1901 season with other MLB teams. This team would finish second in the league with a 78-58-4 record, five games behind the Philadelphia Athletics.
The First St. Louis Browns Starting Lineup:
C: Joe Sugden
1B: Johnny Anderson (MIL)
2B: Dick Padden (STL)
SS: Bobby Wallace (STL)
3B: Barry McCormick
LF: Jesse Burkett (STL)
CF: Emmett Heidrick (STL)
RF: Charlie Hemphill
UTIL: Bill Friel (MIL)
P: Jack Powell (STL) Red Donahue Jack Harper (STL) Willie Sudhoff (STL) Bill REidy (MIL) Charlie Shields
Manager: James McAleer