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EUGENE HAMLET KRAPP
Bio and Photo by Frank Russo
Major League Baseball Player. Known as "Rubber Arm" for his durability, he pitched in the Southern Michigan League with Tecumseh and Flint before moving on to Portland of the Pacific Coast League. It was there that he gained prominence as a top pitcher, so much so that his contract was purchased by the American League Cleveland Naps, for whom he appeared in 44 games total in 1911 and 1912. In August of 1912 he was suspended by the "Cuyahogas" over a contract dispute. Sent to back to Portland for the 1913 season, he eventually made it back to the Major Leagues with the Buffalo Bisons of the newly formed Federal League.
1914 proved to be his best season as a Major Leaguer as he pitched to a 16-14 record. After the Federal League folded following the 1915 season, he played for the Minor League Chattanooga Lookouts. Leaving the game to join the Army during World War 1, after his discharge, he came back to manage Battle Creek of the Michigan-Ontario League in 1920. He retired after that season to go into the automobile business with his brothers.
Suffering from cancer for the last 2 years of his life, he entered the Evangelical Deaconess Hospital in Detroit in late March of 1923 with the hopes that an operation might save his life, but he eventually succumbed to carcinoma of the colon just two weeks later. Over the course of his Major League career, he accrued a lifetime record of 40-47 with a 3.23 ERA in 116 league games.
Buried at Woodmere Cemetery in Wayne County Michigan
Photo by Josh Perry
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