Friday, January 26, 2018

Nevers Say Never

Ernie Nevers, who played his entire career with the St. Louis Browns, and just caught the tail end of the George Sisler-Ken Williams-Baby Doll Jacobson era, is the only major league baseball player to have a football team named after him. Read all about it in today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune. The team was called “Ernie Nevers’ Eskimos”.  

So when you see Vikings fans swooning over Case Keenum or Sam Bradford, realize that Minnesotans four generations ago were rooting for Ernest Alonzo Nevers, the pride of Willow River, MN.

Nevers was also later a Cardinal.  A St. Louis Cardinal?  No not that kind of Cardinal.  A Chicago Cardinal.  Confused yet??

Nevers was also signed right out of Stanford by manager George Sisler.  The Sporting News of Thursday, January 7, 1926 speculates it was a one elite college man to another thing” which enabled Sisler to outbid the New Giants who had already announced in late 1925 that they had Nevers all-but sewn up.


2 comments:

  1. Video Clip of Ernie Nevers You have to copy and paste! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TusjS9ki3xc&t=18s

    ReplyDelete

  2. Well that husband of mine who was in about an inch of being an NFL player, IS the actual son of BIG DOG ERNIE NEVERS as the last piece of conclusive info came in today. Ernie not only pitched against the "Babe", Babe Ruth, he is in the College and NFL football hall of fame, and he had a daughter!!!! In the pictures I have seen of her, I may think I was seeing Gene's sister if I met her in a store!
    I knew when I saw Ernie in a series of movies on youtube from the early 1900's, I was looking at Gene's father. Then I put together some picture's of Ernie and his Father George, given to me by a relative, AND WOW, Gene almost looks more like Ernie's father George, than Ernie!
    More than the interesting life Ernie led, there is some kind of comfort in seeing a father that you resemble. Also understanding things that never made sense.
    This has been both comforting as missing pieces have fallen together, and a sadness that we never got to meet Ernie here on the earth!!! Hoping we can get to know him better, as we get to know those who loved him dearly!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ1C7EJ96Rc

    ReplyDelete