Harlin Pool
Outfielder
Born: (1908-03-13)March 13, 1908
Lakeport, California
Died: February 15, 1963(1963-02-15) (aged 54)
Rodeo, California
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 30, 1934, for the Cincinnati Reds
Last MLB appearance
June 2, 1935, for the Cincinnati Reds
MLB statistics
Batting average.303
Home runs2
Runs batted in61
Teams

Harlin Welty Pool (March 13, 1908 – February 15, 1963) nicknamed "Samson", was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Cincinnati Reds.[1]

Minor leagues

Pool broke into professional baseball in 1930 with the Oakland Oaks, starting the season with the club's affiliate Phoenix of the Arizona League.[2] of the Pacific Coast League for whom he was a catcher[3] Mission Reds' manager George Burns stated in 1931 that Pool "is one of the most natural hitters in the Coast league.[4] Pool replaced catcher and future Baseball Hall of Famer Ernie Lombardi when Lombardi was elevated to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1931.[5] Pool, in 165 games for the Oaks, batted .348 (seventh in the league) with 103 run scored, 126 runs batted in, 219 hits, 48 doubles, 10 triples and 5 home runs, along with 21 stolen bases.[6]

Pool was part of baseball history in 1933 when the Oaks hosted the San Francisco Seals and 18-year-old Joe DiMaggio, who had a 61-game hitting streak. In an otherwise meaningless game as far as the pennant race was concerned, DiMaggio was hitless with his team trailing by two runs in the ninth inning, but the Seals tied it to go into extra innings. DiMaggio came to bat in the 11th inning and lined a pitch into right field, where Pool ran back and made a one-handed catch to end the streak at 61.[7]

Major Leagues

On May 22, 1934, the Cincinnati Reds acquired Pool, by then an outfielder, from the Oakland club of the PCL for Art Ruble,[8] $20,000 in cash, and a player to be named.[9] He made his MLB debut on May 30, 1934, as the Reds hosted the St. Louis Cardinals at Crosley Field. In the fourth inning with the bases loaded against Paul Dean, he pinch-hit for right fielder Wes Schulmerich, striking out. In his second and last at-bat of the game, he tripled against Dean, scoring Lombardi, then scoring himself on a Linc Blakely single.[10]

On July 8, he hit his first home run, a grand slam, also against the Cardinals' Paul Dean, in an 8–4 win at Sportsman's Park, driving in Gordon Slade, Mark Koenig and Jim Bottomley.[11]

In his rookie year of 1934 with the Reds, Pool led the team in batting average at .327 in 99 games (all in the outfield), followed by the .305 average of Ernie Lombardi, who by now was Pool's teammate in Cincinnati. In 387 plate appearances, Pool hit 2 home runs with 50 runs batted in, 22 doubles and 5 triples.[12] He was also known for being slow afoot and a below-average fielder, and he committed 10 errors, fourth worst among outfielders in 1934.[13]

In 1935, with the Reds, Pool was part of an historic game, starting in left field and batting 5th in the first night game in Major League history on May 24, 1935, as the Reds hosted the Philadelphia Phillies at Crosley Field in a 2–1 win. Pool had one hit in 3 at-bats.[14]

For the season, Pool had 70 plate appearances, batting .176 with 12 hits.[15]

His final MLB game was on June 2, 1935, against the Pittsburgh Pirates as a pinch-hitter for pitcher Paul Derringer, grounding out against Jim Weaver. A Cincinnati Enquirer article on June 7 referred to "the departed Harlin Pool, who led the team at the bat last year but has been unable to get going this season."[16]

Return to minors

Pool then spent most of the 1935 season with Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League.[17] He was released on July 17.[18]

In 1936, he played for the Seattle Indians of the PCL.[19] By August 31 he led the PCL with a .345 batting average after 6 hits in a doubleheader.[20] Pool ended up finishing second to San Diego catcher George Detore, by a fraction of a point, .33410 to .33406.[21]

In 1938, he was acquired by the Dallas Steers of the Texas League, where he was selected to the all-star game as a left fielder.[22] On August 14 he led the league with a .337 average.[23] The "pudgy outfielder" was later moved to catcher as manager Jim Levey said "he's too slow to go as an outfielder."[24] He ended up with the top batting average in the league.[25]

In 1939, the Steers asked him to take a pay cut and became a holdout in the spring. He was released by the Steers on March 2.[26] After "retiring" and playing in a semi-pro team, in late June manager Lefty O'Doul signed Pool to the San Francisco Seals of the PCL, and he debuted with 2 hits against the Oaks.[27]

Later life

In 1942, Pool spent time playing for Union in the Contra Costa refinery league[28] and later in the Alameda League.[29]

Pool was a military veteran[30] of the U.S. Army during World War II.[31] In 1944, the staff sergeant[32] formed a baseball team at Fort Warren, Wyoming, where he was player-manager.[33]

Pool died at his home in Rodeo, California after a long illness.[34] He is buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, California.[35][36] He was survived by his wife, Mildred, a son, three siblings and two grandchildren.[37]

References

  1. ^ "Harlin Pool Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved December 25, 2011.
  2. ^ "The San Francisco Examiner 19 Feb 1963, page 23".
  3. ^ "Oakland Tribune 10 Apr 1931, page Page 39".
  4. ^ "Oakland Tribune 10 Apr 1931, page Page 39".
  5. ^ "The Brooklyn Daily Eagle 04 May 1931, page 23".
  6. ^ "Palladium-Item 23 May 1934, page Page 8".
  7. ^ "Star-Gazette 10 Jul 1941, page 26".
  8. ^ "Harlin Pool Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More".
  9. ^ "Palladium-Item 23 May 1934, page Page 8".
  10. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds Box Score, May 30, 1934".
  11. ^ "Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals Box Score, July 8, 1934".
  12. ^ "Palladium-Item 26 Dec 1934, page Page 7".
  13. ^ "Harlin Pool Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More".
  14. ^ "Philadelphia Phillies at Cincinnati Reds Box Score, May 24, 1935".
  15. ^ "Harlin Pool Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More".
  16. ^ "The Cincinnati Enquirer 07 Jun 1935, page 19".
  17. ^ "The Cincinnati Enquirer 15 Dec 1935, page Page 72".
  18. ^ "The Cincinnati Enquirer 18 Jul 1936, page 9".
  19. ^ "The Spokesman-Review 09 Jun 1937, page 14".
  20. ^ "Wilmington Daily Press Journal 31 Aug 1937, page 5".
  21. ^ "Wilmington Daily Press Journal 31 Aug 1937, page 5".
  22. ^ "The Daily Oklahoman 23 Jul 1938, page 8".
  23. ^ "The Oklahoma News 14 Aug 1938, page 11".
  24. ^ "Fort Worth Star-Telegram 02 Sep 1938, page 23".
  25. ^ "The Shreveport Journal 07 Mar 1939, page 10".
  26. ^ "The Times 03 Mar 1939, page Page 16".
  27. ^ "The Hanford Sentinel 29 Jun 1939, page 6".
  28. ^ "Contra Costa Gazette 18 Feb 1942, page 2".
  29. ^ "Oakland Tribune 23 Jun 1942, page Page 21".
  30. ^ "The San Francisco Examiner 19 Feb 1963, page 23".
  31. ^ https://www.ancestry.com/search/?name=harlin_pool&event=_california&birth=1908
  32. ^ "Casper Star-Tribune 28 May 1944, page 12".
  33. ^ "The Ogden Standard-Examiner 30 Apr 1944, page 11".
  34. ^ The Baseball Necrology: The Post-Baseball Lives and Deaths of More Than 7,600 Major League Players and Others ... - Bill Lee - Google Books Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  35. ^ "Harlin Pool Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  36. ^ "The San Francisco Examiner 19 Feb 1963, page 23".
  37. ^ "The San Francisco Examiner 19 Feb 1963, page 23".

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