Thursday Football Picks- College Season Begins Week 1

College Football Season Begins   College Football season is getting underway tomorrow woth Cal and Hawaii traveling to Australia to begin the 2016 season. It’s time to unveil my picks every Thursday for the week ahead. Mostly, I won’t give descriptions of each just how I would wager (if I was a wagering person). One…

Earl Hamilton- Gibson City Born- “Boys of Summer” Series

  Earl Hamilton      Earl Andrew Hamilton was born on July 19, 1891 in Gibson City, Illinois He was a left-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Browns (1911–16, later in 1916–17), Detroit Tigers (1916), Pittsburgh Pirates (1918–23), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1924). He played his first major league game on April 14, 1911. Through…

100-Oldest Living Former Major Leaguers- #1 (Oldest) Edwin Carnett

   Born as Edwin Elliott Carnett on October 21, 1916 in Springfield Missouri, he went on the be a major league pitcher/outfielder for three different teams. He made his major league debut on April 19, 1941 as a pitcher in the second game of a doubleheader. He pitched 1.1 innings and allowed four hits and…

Billy Rogell- Springfield Born- Knocked Dizzy Dean Unconscious

Continuing my series on Illinois Born Players- “Boys of Summer” Series      William George “Billy” Rogell was born in Springfield, Illinois on November 24, 1904.  He played in the Southwestern League for 2 years and ws discovered and signed by the Boston Red Sox in 1925. They liked his bat and convinced him to…

Emil Verban – Lincoln Illinois Born – Has His Own Cubs Fan Club

   Emil Matthew Verban was born in Lincoln, Illinois on August 27, 1915 and became a second baseman who played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1944–1946), Philadelphia Phillies (1946–1948), Chicago Cubs (1948–1950) and Boston Braves (1950). Verban batted and threw right-handed. Verban was a second baseman noted primarily for his fielding with four National League…