Woody Abernathy, the never-was

In the modern minor league circuit, it's not rare to see career minor leaguers. Maybe they'll play three seasons in low-A ball before calling it quits, or maybe (and this is if they're lucky) they'll get brought on at the age of 31 to a Triple-A team to bring veteran leadership the organizations' top prospects. Well, in the 1930s, it wasn't this way. Local small-town minor leaguers were folk heroes. Just look at Ernest Thayer's poem, Casey at the Bat and you'll see what I mean.

Woody Abernathy, born October 16, 1908, was one of those folk heroes. During the mid-1930s, he was the king of Baltimore baseball as a member of the Double-A Orioles, who played in the International League. Over his time in the minors, he slugged 210 home runs, an impressive feat for a 13-year career that ended when he was only 31. Abernathy led the IL in home runs twice; first in 1934 with 32, and second two years later when he hit 42 out of the park.

With Major League Baseball now in Baltimore, many forget about Abernathy. Since it was so long ago, who can blame them? I have been hard pressed to find information on Abernathy even when looking for it. But we can't forget Abernathy and the IL Orioles. If not for them, baseball may not be in Baltimore today. The 1930s teams, with Abernathy at the throne, laid the ground work for an MLB franchise in the town.

Abernathy started his baseball career at Auburn University. He was a star at football, but chose to go into professional baseball instead. Joining the Vicksburg Hill Billies in 1928, Abernathy made his professional debut batting .358 with 33 doubles, 16 triples, and two home runs in 123 contests. During the next season, he joined the Montgomery Lions, where he played until 1931 when he joined the Birmingham Barrons.

In 1934, Abernathy began his tenure with Baltimore, batting .309 with 32 home runs on the season. Over the next three seasons, he knocked the ball out of the park, reaching his career high in homers in 1936 when he hit 42. In 1938, Abernathy ended his relationship with the Orioles after joining the Buffalo Bisons, also of the International League.

For the season's to follow, Abernathy did well, hitting .281 in his final season with two American Association clubs; the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Paul Saints. Abernathy was remembered in Baltimore for years to come was the larger than life center field power hitter who never got his shot in the majors.

In retrospect, it's easy to say that Abernathy should have chosen professional football instead of slumming around the minors for years. But Abernathy brought joy to many fans, making their lists of all-time great Orioles. Simply put, he made a name for himself. So what if he made it to the majors? He might have been "just another player". Someone who tried their hand in the majors and made it nowhere. The truth is, Abernathy did make it. Playing Baltimore baseball for the five years made him a mini-folk legend amongst fans and commentators. Maybe this is what modern-day minor league "never-were's" should think about when digging into the plate. I mean, I can remember the first home run I ever say. It was Khalil Greene in 2003 when he was playing with the Portland Beavers. It went right out of the park onto the street outside and gave Portland the lead. I'm sure a lot of you can remember the first home run you ever saw. That's the thing players should take away; the impact of one at-bat is far greater than they can ever imagine. So make the most of it.

Note 1: Hey, if you're looking for more info on the Baltimore Orioles IL team, this site is really cool. http://www.forgottenbirds.com/ Enjoy!

Note 2: I will be posting another mini-bio on Abernathy in the near future about an injury he sustained during his final season in the International League. Check back soon.

Bibliography:

"Woody Abernathy Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference, LLC.

Bob Cavagnaro (December 27, 1935). "Joe Walcot, One-Time Ring Champ, Disappears". Associated Press. The Evening Independent.

"Bleachers To Miss Art Weis". Associated Press. Times Daily. February 6, 1932.

"Baltimore Orioles Rebuilt For 1934 Pennant Tussle". The Gazette. The Gazette. March 31, 1934.

"Baltimore Downs Montreal In Two". Schenectady Gazette. Schenectady Gazette. July 28, 1934.

"Mishkin, ex-Royal, and Braton to Baltimore". The Montreal Gazette. The Montreal Gazette. October 18, 1934.

"1935 International League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference, LLC.

"1936 International League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference, LLC.

"Orioles Buy A Player From Newark". United Press International. The Milwaukee Journal. November 6, 1937. '

Kirst, Sean Peter (2003). The Ashes of Lou Gehrig and Other Baseball Essays. McFarland. p. 135. ISBN 0786415789.