Wally Roettger
| Wally Roettger | |
|---|---|
| College | Illinois |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Position | Forward |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
August 28, 1902 St. Louis, Missouri |
| Died |
September 14, 1951 (aged 49) Champaign, Illinois |
| Championships | |
| 1923-24 Big Ten (basketball) | |
Walter Henry Roettger (August 28, 1902 in St. Louis, Missouri – September 14, 1951 in Champaign, Illinois), was a professional baseball player who was an outfielder in the major leagues from 1927 to 1935. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Biography
Roettger attended the University of Illinois, graduating in 1924. While at Illinois, he played basketball and baseball. In 1931 while playing for the Cardinals, he got the first hit (off Lefty Grove) and scored the first run in the 1931 World Series.
He became the head coach for baseball at the University of Illinois from 1935 to 1951 and an assistant coach for basketball from 1936 to 1949.
Roettger committed suicide in Champaign, Illinois.[1]
Roettger had two brothers who were involved in Major League Baseball. Hal Roettger served as an assistant to baseball executive Branch Rickey for nearly 20 years until he died unexpectedly in the swimming pool of a Florida motel in 1955.[2] Oscar Roettger was a major league pitcher and first baseman who later coached minor league baseball.[3]
References
- ↑ "Wally Roettger, Illinois coach, ends life"
- ↑ "Pirates' Hal Roettger Dies in Florida Pool". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 11 August 1955.
- ↑ "Oscar Roettger Signed to Manage Baron Club". The Tuscaloosa News. 1 December 1940. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
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