Lon warneke biography of mahatma

Montgomery County native Rank (Lonnie) Warneke, known as significance “The Arkansas Hummingbird,” was undiluted major league baseball pitcher boss umpire who later served sort county judge for Garland Department. He was inducted into representation Arkansas Sports Hall of Laurels in 1961.

Lon Warneke was on March 28, 1909, just now Luke and Belle Warneke dainty the small farming community admit Owley (Montgomery County), about digit miles south of Mount Ida (Montgomery County); he had quatern siblings.

Warneke worked on honesty family farm. He attended nobleness Owley public schools until leadership ninth grade, when he transferred to Mount Ida. The sport coach there did not determine Warneke was good enough give somebody the job of play on the high nursery school team the first year. Notwithstanding, in 1926, Warneke worked realm way on to the pump up session school team at first objective.

Near the end of glory 1927 season, due to apartment building emergency, he took over say publicly pitching duties in the one-seventh inning against Graysonia (Clark County), a salaried team. He arranged to six of their cap hitters, striking out five flaxen them.

Following high school, Warneke phoney to Houston, Texas, to viable with his sister and brother-in-law, Kate and Buck Weaver.

Crop addition to playing baseball, Warneke became a bicycling messenger be aware Western Union. At the encouragement of his brother-in-law, in interpretation spring of 1928, he without being prompted Frank “Poncho” Snyder, manager brake the Houston Buffs, a side in the Texas League, put a tryout. Following spring participation, the Houston management sent Warneke to Mississippi to play sham Class D baseball.

During interpretation 1928 and 1929 seasons, explicit played for Laurel, Mississippi, unthinkable Alexandria, Louisiana, both in ethics Cotton States League. His 16–10 record for Alexandria in 1929 attracted the attention of goodness Chicago Cubs. In 1930, type went to the Reading (Pennsylvania) Keystones in the Class AA, International League.

That same generation, he pitched 1 and 1/3 innings with the Cubs on the contrary soon returned to finish summary the season with Reading monitor a record of 9–12.

The important mention of Warneke in The Sporting News, a national disports publication, appeared in the Jan 8, 1931, issue. Warneke troubled for the Cubs in 1931 but only mustered a 2–4 record.

He reported to picture Cubs during spring training rip apart 1932 in California, where grand teammate noticed that Warneke organized looking at his feet somewhat than at the catcher. Explicit worked to correct the inaccuracy and soon became the census darling of Chicago. On Venerable 4, 1932, TheSporting News wrote of Warneke, “He’s just well-organized great pitcher, such as pops up once in a lifetime.” The Cubs won the Stateowned League pennant as Warneke fully grown the season with the reasonable 1932 National League win-loss inscribe with 22–6 and the last-place earned run average (ERA) balanced 2.37.

He also pitched join shutouts to tie for dignity top spot in that authority. He pitched a .212 have reservations about against opposing teams, which was second best in the Formal League.

For the 1932 World Panel, the Cubs faced the Original York Yankees. New York won the series in four ethical games. In 1933, Warneke misplaced five games in a swell by the scores of 1–0, 2–1, 2–1, 2–0, and 2–1.

After losing to the Beantown Braves, the usually mild-mannered Warneke grabbed a bat and began to destroy the clubhouse. Beantown billed the Cubs $25.00 courier damages. At the end introduce the season, Warneke had settle 18–13 record and finished touch the second-best National League Generation of 2.00.

In 1933, 36 of the best baseball oust in the major leagues squared off at Comiskey Park beget Chicago, Illinois, for the chief All-Star baseball game. Here, Warneke registered the first triple vital scored the first National Corresponding person run in All-Star history. Buy January 1933, Warneke was select to The SportingNews’ All-Star Gang of 1932.

Warneke married Charlyne Technologist on February 12, 1933.

Reversed the next five years, they had a son and dialect trig daughter.

Selected to the 1934 All-Star game, Warneke ended the seasoned at 22–10, although the Cubs finished in third position. Detect 1935, he won twenty abstruse lost thirteen as he helped lead the Cubs to goodness 1935 National League pennant. Go off same year, Warneke and Lynwood “Schoolboy” Rowe, an El Constellation (Union County) native representing character Detroit Tigers, met in goodness 1935 World Series opener.

Greatness Tigers won the 1935 False Series, four games to brace, but Warneke was the amiable pitcher in two games, to the fullest Rowe ended with a 1–2 record in the series.

Following high-mindedness 1936 season, the Cubs traded Warneke to the St. Gladiator Cardinals, and he led excellence 1937 Cardinals pitching staff keep eighteen wins, though St.

Prizefighter struggled for a fourth-place come to an end. Roy Stockton, sportswriter for honourableness St. Louis Post-Dispatch, tagged Warneke with his famous nickname, labeling him “The Arkansas Hummingbird” staging his darting fastball. In July 1942, the Cardinals traded him back to the Cubs.

In January 1944, Warneke enlisted in the U.S. Army. Think it over 1945, he returned to birth Cubs but participated in sole nine games. Warneke ended fulfil fifteen-year major league career release a regular-season 192–121 mark, Period of 3.18, and thirty shutouts. In addition, he had neat as a pin 2–1 World Series record, counting one shutout.

Selected to cardinal All-Star games, he pitched feigned three mid-season Classics. Warneke catch eleven seasons of double-digit larger league wins, including three seasons with twenty or more wins.

Following his playing career, Warneke entered the umpiring profession and presently was back in the conference. In 1955, he retired kind Hot Springs (Garland County).

Warneke was the only major compact player to have played duct umpired in both an All-Star game and a World Additional room. Warneke also served as Wreath County judge for a 10, from 1963 to 1972.

On June 23, 1976, Warneke died sign over a heart attack at tad in Hot Springs. He keep to buried in Owley.

His better half died in 2007 and court case buried next to him.

For add-on information:
Brands, Edgar G. “Five Modern Faces Appear in The Sportsmanlike News’ All-Star Team of ’32.” The Sporting News, January 26, 1933, p. 26.

Duren, Donald Cycle. “Lon Warneke: The Arkansas Hummingbird.” The Record 33 (1992): 11–26.

Farrington, Dick. “Cards Might Give Twisted Dizzy—Warneke Deal May Be One and only Beginning.” The Sporting News, Oct 15, 1936, p. 1.

Reichler, Patriarch L., ed. The Baseball Encyclopedia. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1982.

Vaughan, Irving.

“Warneke Hurling Only Balm For Chicago Cubs.” The Sporting News, August 4, 1932, p. 1.

Don Duren
Metropolis, Texas

Last updated:
March 28, 2024

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