Have you ever heard of Pickles
Dillhoefer? Don’t feel bad if you haven’t. He was a hustling catcher a
century ago, who did little with his bat or his glove, yet managed to become
one of the most popular players in the game. His untimely death at the age of
28 shocked the baseball world at the time, yet has gone largely forgotten with
each passing year. This is his story.
Born William Martin Dillhoefer in 1893 in Cleveland, he was
orphaned by the time he was 14, but with his two brothers, was taken in by an
aunt. He found himself in baseball, starring as a schoolboy player and later on
industrial teams. He was a versatile player but stood out the most behind the
plate.
He made his professional debut in 1914 at the age of 20 for
the Portsmouth Cobblers of the Ohio State League. Making his mark as a
consummate team player instead of standing out in the traditional aspects of
the game, he progressed through the minor leagues steadily until being acquired
by the Chicago Cubs in 1917.
Chicago President Charles Weeghman called his new acquisition
a “coming star” and compared him to the young Ray Schalk,
a catcher for the White Sox who went on to be a Hall of Famer.
Although he acquitted himself just fine with his glove,
Dillhoefer struggled mightily on offense. Appearing in 42 games, he mustered
just 12 hits and eight RBIs in 95 at-bats (a .126 batting average). Even by
Deadball Era standards, that was not nearly enough to earn him more playing
time.
Still just 24, something happened that offseason that wound
up becoming the defining moment of his career. He, along with once-dependable
pitcher Mike
Prendergast and $55,000 were sent to
the Philadelphia Phillies for star pitcher Grover
Alexander and catcher Bill
Killefer. Alexander went on to win 128 games for the Cubs, while Killefer
was a regular for four seasons. Dillhoefer had a lone single in 11 at-bats for
Philadelphia, while Prendergast won a total of 13 games—making it one of the
most lopsided traded in history.
Part of the reason Dillhoefer had such limited playing time
with the Phillies was that he was notified he was about to be drafted into
service in 1918 for the United States’ efforts in World War I. Instead of
waiting to be drafted, which he though indicated he was unwilling to serve, he
chose to enlist. He explained, “I am happy to say I did not take a job in a munitions factory or a shipyard
or something that would make me exempt. I want to do my bit and the sooner the
better.” He eventually achieved the rank of sergeant before the conflict ended
and he was able to resume his baseball career.
Dilhoefer was involved in yet another trade in 1919. He,
pitcher Dixie
Davis and infielder Milt Stock were sent to the St. Louis Cardinals, which
was a second-division team, but had an exciting 22-year-old infielder named Rogers
Hornsby.
The deal ended up being a positive move for Dillhoefer’s,
career. He settled in as the backup for catcher Verne
Clemons. While he produced modest numbers (batting averages of .213 in
1919; .263 in 1920; .241 in 1921), he set himself apart by all the other things
he brought to the team. In particular, he was an outspoken cheerleader, who grew
popular with fans because of his constant pep. An article that appeared in the
July 8, 1920 edition of the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch had a headline
that blared, “Dilhoefer [sic] Usurping Hornsby’s Place as Cardinal Fans’ Idol.”
Referred to affectionately as “Pickles” and “Dill,”
Dillhoefer loved to coach the bases and was even known to jump out of the
dugout to give advice to his teammates on how to position themselves against
certain hitters. He also shouted a steady stream of encouragement during games.
The one the crowd loved the most was when St. Louis was down, and things
weren’t looking good. “Only two down, Stockie give it a ride,” the backstop
would bellow.
It looked like 1922 was going to be the year for Dillhoefer.
The Cardinals had won 87 games the previous year and he started the new year in
fine shape, marrying his sweetheart, teacher Massie Slocum in Mobile, Alabama
on January 14th. The newlyweds immediately returned to St. Louis,
where he fell ill on the 19th—to the point that he was taken to St.
John’s Hospital suffering from typhoid fever. From there, he contracted
pneumonia, which infected his gall bladder. Surgery proved futile and he
deteriorated rapidly; finally succumbing on February 22nd. He was
28.
The news of Dillhoefer’s passing understandably hit his
teammates hard. Team general manager Branch Rickey lamented,
“I can hardly believe Dilly is gone. Of course, I knew he was very sick when I
left St. Louis, but it is a shock to learn of his death.”
Massie, Dillhoefer’s bride of less than six weeks, never
remarried and lived until 1985.The catcher was buried in Mobile with military
honors, with pall bearers than includes Stock (his roommate and best friend),
Clemons and Rickey.
In 247 career major league games, Dillhoefer batted a
combined .223 with 48 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He threw out 43 percent of
would-be base stealers and was a quintessential backup catcher. Although his
statistical footprint on the game is small, he has one of the more unique
stories and better nicknames in baseball history.
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You can check me out on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @historianandrewI have also authored a number of books (eBook and paperback) on topics of baseball that are available on Amazon.