Eddie Hohnhorst
| Eddie Hohnhorst | |
|---|---|
| First baseman | |
| Born: January 31, 1885 Covington, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| Died: March 28, 1916 (aged 31) Covington, Kentucky, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 10, 1910, for the Cleveland Naps | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 23, 1912, for the Cleveland Naps | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .265 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs batted in | 8 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| |
Edward Hicks Hohnhorst (January 31, 1885 – March 28, 1916) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who played for two seasons. He played in 18 games for the Cleveland Naps during the 1910 Cleveland Naps season and 15 games during the 1912 Cleveland Naps season.
Hohnhorst began his professional career in 1908 with the Augusta Tourists and Anderson Electricians, playing in 89 games between the two teams. He spent the full 1909 season with Augusta, finishing the year with a .282 batting average in 123 games.[1] He spent the 1910 season with the San Antonio Bronchos of the Texas League, hitting .235 in 117 games.[1] After the Texas League season ended, the Cleveland Naps brought him and several other players, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, up to the major league roster in September to try and make a late-season push.[2] Hohnhorst finished the season with a .317 batting average in 18 games for the Naps.[1]
Despite the good play at the end of the year, the Naps chose to send Hohnhorst to the Toledo Mud Hens for the 1911 season.[3] He played in 131 games for the team, finishing the year with a .302 average.[1] Hohnhorst was in a position battle for the first baseman position, which he eventually won and began the season as the team's starter.[4] However, he did not play well, only hitting .204 in 15 games.[1] As a result, by the end of May he was out of the Naps lineup and returned to Toledo.[5] Hohnhorst spent the rest of 1912 with Toledo and the Indianapolis Indians, then followed that up with the Austin Toros in 1913 in what would be his last professional baseball team.[1] After the 1913 season ended, Hohnhorst became a police officer in Covington, Kentucky. In 1914 he shot a suspect during an arrest.[6] Although he was found to be blameless for the death, Hohnhorst became guilt-ridden, which led to alcoholism, lack of sleep and stomach pains.[7] Hohnhorst committed suicide with his service revolver, with the death certificate citing "temporary insanity" as the reason for his death.[7]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Eddie Hohnhorst Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Joe Jackson Makes Sensational Debut at Cleveland--Sports". Chattanooga Daily Times. September 10, 1910. p. 3.
- ↑ "Newsy Sportlets". The Dayton Herald. April 26, 1911. p. A-27.
- ↑ "Sport Comment". The Florida Times-Union. March 27, 1912. p. 10.
- ↑ "Hohnhorst Goes Back". Evansville Courier and Press. May 26, 1912. p. 9.
- ↑ "Former Hen, Now a Cop, Killed Negro in a Hand to Hand Fight". The Toledo News-Bee. March 17, 1914. p. 10.
- 1 2 Russo, Frank (2006). Bury My Heart at Cooperstown: Salacious, Sad, and Surreal Deaths in the History of Baseball. United States: Triumph Books. p. 272. ISBN 1572438223.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference · Baseball Reference (Minors) · Retrosheet · Baseball Almanac
- 1885 births
- 1916 suicides
- 1916 deaths
- Major League Baseball first basemen
- Cleveland Naps players
- Anderson Electricians players
- Augusta Tourists players
- San Antonio Bronchos players
- Toledo Mud Hens players
- Indianapolis Indians players
- Indianapolis Hoosiers (minor league) players
- Austin Senators players
- St. Louis Terriers players
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- Baseball players from Covington, Kentucky
- Suicides by firearm in Kentucky
- Male suicides