Jack Graney
From BR Bullpen
John Gladstone Graney
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 5' 9", Weight 180 lb.
- Debut April 30, 1908
- Final Game June 28, 1922
- Born June 10, 1886 in St. Thomas, ON CAN
- Died April 20, 1978 in Louisiana, MO USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Jack Graney was the first major league batter to face Babe Ruth, when he was a Boston Red Sox pitcher, while with the 1914 Cleveland Naps. He was also the first player to bat wearing a number on his uniform in 1916.
In 1920, Graney was involved in an unseemly fight with Tris Speaker at the time of Ray Chapman's funeral. Chapman had been killed in a beaning and an argument arose over whether he should be buried as a Catholic or a Protestant (Chapman was a baptized Protestant but his wife was Catholic and she maintained that Chapman was about to convert). Eventually, Graney (a Catholic) and Speaker (a Protestant) came to blows on this subject. Both were injured too seriously to appear at the funeral itself.
After his playing career ended, Graney was a longtime Cleveland Indians broadcaster and the first player to make the transition to broadcasting. He called Indians games from 1932 to 1944 and again from 1946 to 1953.
The Cleveland, OH chapter of SABR is called the Jack Graney Chapter in his honor.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- AL Doubles Leader (1916)
- 2-time AL Bases on Balls Leader (1917 & 1919)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 1 (1916)
- Won a World Series with the Cleveland Indians in 1920
