Mark Koenig
Mark Koenig | |
---|---|
San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
Died: April 22, 1993 Willows, California, U.S. | (aged 88)|
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 8, 1925, for the New York Yankees | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 27, 1936, for the New York Giants | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .279 |
Hits | 1,190 |
Runs batted in | 446 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Mark Anthony Koenig (July 19, 1904 – April 22, 1993) was an American
Koenig played
Early life
Koenig was born on July 19, 1904, in San Francisco.
Professional career
Minor leagues
Koenig first started playing organized baseball on the Moose Jaw Millers team in the
Koenig returned to St. Paul in
New York Yankees (1925–1930)
Koenig made his major league debut for the Yankees on September 8, 1925, at the age of 21,[1] entering the game as a defensive substitute for shortstop Pee-Wee Wanninger in a 5–4 win against the Boston Red Sox.[9] During his rookie season the following year, he posted a batting average of .271 and struck out just 37 times in 617 at bats,[1] a statistic which his manager Miller Huggins looked highly upon.[2] Defensively, he committed the most errors among all fielders in the American League and most errors by a shortstop with 52. Nonetheless, he had the AL's third highest range factor at shortstop of 4.99 and made a league-leading 470 putouts.[1] In the postseason, the Yankees advanced to the 1926 World Series, where they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.[10] In the crucial Game 7, Koenig made an error attempting to field a double play opportunity in the fourth inning. This eventually led to the Cardinals scoring—what turned out to be—the winning run in a 3–2 victory. Koenig was subsequently criticized by fans for being responsible for Yankees losing the game and, ultimately, the series.[2]
Koenig was penciled into the two-hole spot in the Yankees'
Later career
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On May 30, 1930, the Yankees traded Koenig and Waite Hoyt to the Detroit Tigers for Ownie Carroll, Harry Rice, and Yats Wuestling.[17]
Career statistics
In 1162 games over 12 seasons, Koenig posted a .279
Personal life
In June 1928, Koenig became engaged to Katherine Tremaine, whom he married at the end of
Beginning in 1982, Koenig's health began to deteriorate. In addition to the lung cancer which had developed,[20] he also suffered from gout, poor eyesight and back pain necessitating the use of a cane. Because of these ailments, he moved to Orland, California, in 1986 in order to live with his daughter and her family.[22][23] He died of cancer[23] on April 22, 1993, in Willows, California, at the age of 88 and was cremated.[1] He had outlived his two wives[22] and was survived by his daughter, five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. At the time of his death, he was the last surviving member of the 1927 New York Yankees starting lineup, nicknamed "Murderers' Row".[23] He was also the last surviving member of the 1928 World Champion New York Yankees.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Mark Koenig Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 9781469113081. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 9780786461783. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ Tom, Denise (March 15, 1988). "Koenig fields his diploma 67 years after dropping out". USA Today. p. 2C. Retrieved December 26, 2012. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c "Mark Koenig Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
- ^ a b "Mark Koenig Can Thank An Accident For Baseball Start". The Lewiston Daily Sun. November 7, 1928. p. 10. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ a b Borzi, Pat (November 9, 2007). "The forgotten Saint on Yankees Murderers Row". MinnPost. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
- ^ "Yanks Pay $50,000 for Shortstop Mark Koenig". Providence County Times. September 29, 1925. p. 2. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ "September 8, 1925 New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. September 8, 1925. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ "1926 World Series (4–3): St. Louis Cardinals (89–65) over New York Yankees (91–63)". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ISBN 9781402248740. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ^ Verducci, Tom. "Tom Verducci's Top 10 Teams of All Time – 1927 Yankees". SI.com. Time Warner. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ^ "Murderers' Row – Opposing Pitchers' Worst Nightmare". Rome News-Tribune. March 23, 2002. p. 6B. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ^ Bock, Hal (March 19, 2002). "Baseball Preview '02: 75th anniversary of Murderers' Row". Associated Press Archive. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ^ a b Newhouse, Dave (September 3, 1990). "A Golden Team's Sole Survivor". Sports Illustrated. p. 1. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
- ^ a b Spoon, Doug (August 16, 1987). "Koenig Is A Living Link To '27 Yankees And Ruth". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. p. SB6. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
- ^ "HOYT AND KOENIG GO TO TIGERS IN TRADE; Yanks Obtain Outfielder Harry Rice, Pitcher Carroll and Infielder Wuestling". The New York Times. 31 May 1930.
- ^ "Mark Koenig Will Marry Red Bluff High School Girl". San Jose News. United Press International. June 12, 1928. p. 16. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ISBN 9780313311758. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ a b Ellen, Glen (September 27, 1987). "60 years ago this week, Babe Ruth and the Yankees were in their prime — and the game's greatest hero reached an unthinkable milestone". The Telegraph. Nashua. Associated Press. p. C4. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ Sherrow, Rita (July 22, 2010). "'Jersey Shore' catches flack from Italian-American service group". Tulsa World. p. D2. Retrieved December 26, 2012. (subscription required)
- ^ a b Newhouse, Dave (September 3, 1990). "A Golden Team's Sole Survivor – Mark Koenig is the last of the 1927 New York Yankees". Sports Illustrated. p. 6. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Mark Koenig, 88; Played Shortstop For 1927 Yanks". The New York Times. April 25, 1993. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)