Babe Ganzel
Foster Pirie (Babe) Ganzel (May 22, 1901 – February 6, 1978) was an outfielder who played baseball for the Washington Senators from 1927 to 1928. He batted left handed and threw right-handed.
| Babe Ganzel | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: May 22, 1901 Malden, Massachusetts | |||
| Died: February 6, 1978 (aged 76) Jacksonville, Florida | |||
| |||
| MLB debut | |||
| September 19, 1927, for the Washington Senators | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| May 10, 1928, for the Washington Senators | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .311 | ||
| Home runs | 1 | ||
| Runs batted in | 17 | ||
| Teams | |||
A native of Malden, Massachusetts, Ganzel came from a family of baseball men. His father, Charlie, was a catcher who played with the Whitecaps, Quakers, Wolverines and Beaneaters during 14 seasons, and his uncle John was a first baseman for the Pirates, Cubs, Giants, Highlanders and Reds and also managed the Reds and the Tip-Tops. Two brothers and two uncles also played in the minor leagues.
In a two-season career, Ganzel posted a .311 batting average with one home run and 17 RBI in 23 games played.
Following his majors career, Ganzel played in the high minors for nine years. Then he turned to managing and directing the Selma, St. Paul and Jacksonville Triple-A teams.
Ganzel died in Jacksonville, Florida, at the age of 76.
Facts
- In an interview, Ganzel said he was the only player ever put out of a game by a dog. According to him, the incident occurred when he was playing for Minneapolis and was chasing a stray mutt that was disrupting play. Ganzel tackled the dog, which responded by biting Ganzel on the hand.
- While piloting Selma, fans heckled him because his players seldom bunted. At this point, he ordered the first nine batters in a game to bunt and all nine reached base.