John Peter "Joe" Boley (July 19, 1896 – December 30, 1962) was an American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
player. He played as a
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) from 1927 to 1932, most notably as a member of the
Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...
dynasty that won three consecutive American League pennants from 1929 to 1931 and, won the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
in 1929 and 1930. He also played for the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
.
Boley started his professional career with the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
where he played on seven championship teams. Boley, along with teammates
Lefty Grove
Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove (March 6, 1900 – May 22, 1975) was an American professional baseball pitcher. After having success in the minor leagues during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in Major League Baseball with the American League's P ...
and
Jack Ogden
John Mahlon Ogden (November 5, 1897 – November 9, 1977), was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played five seasons in the majors, between and , for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Giants, and St. Louis Browns. He played several seasons with t ...
were held back by manager
Jack Dunn for financial and performance reasons, which held back his Major League career. He was signed by
Connie Mack
Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds untoucha ...
for an estimated $60,000 in 1927, but his career was on the decline. Despite his short MLB career, Boley was considered to be one of the top shortstops in baseball.
Early life
Born John Peter Bolinsky to Polish immigrants, Bolinsky started working in the coal fields surrounding
Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania
Mahanoy City (pronounced MAHA-noy, also MA-noy locally) is a borough located southwest of Wilkes-Barre and 13 miles southwest of Hazleton, in northern Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Coal Region of Pennsylvania and is located ...
at age 10.
He legally changed his last name to Boley in the late 1910s, either because of his professional career, or because he wanted an "Americanized" name.
He began his professional baseball career at the age of 19 with the
Chambersburg Maroons
The Chambersburg Maroons were a baseball team located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. They called historic Henninger Field their home, and had done so since the club's creation in 1895. They played their last season in 2010, ending 116 years of ex ...
of the class D
Blue Ridge League
The Blue Ridge League was the name of two minor league baseball organizations that operated in the first half of the twentieth century in the United States.
History
The first league operated for the better part of sixteen years, from 1915 throu ...
in 1916. He moved up to the class B
Harrisburg Islanders
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
of the
New York State League
The New York State League was an independent baseball league that played six seasons between 2007 and 2012 in New York State and the New York City metro area. Over 500 NYSL players have been signed by professional teams. Players from forty-eight ...
in 1917.
Baltimore Orioles
![19190407_Roley](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/19190407_Roley.png)
Boley was a good fielder, steady hitter, and member of the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
team that won seven consecutive
International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
championships (1919–1925). In 1923, the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
took an interest in Boley to replace aging shortstop
Everett Scott
Lewis Everett Scott (November 19, 1892 – November 2, 1960), nicknamed "Deacon", was an American professional baseball player. A shortstop, Scott played in Major League Baseball for 12 seasons as a member of the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees ...
, but backed off as Boley's reputed $100,000 price tag kept the Yankees and major league bidders at bay for years.
The
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
also took an interest in Boley, but Dunn requested $100,000 and three players, which they declined.
It made manager
Jack Dunn give Boley a high salary, similar to the average pay from Major League Baseball.
After the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
won the pennant in 1926, Dunn redundantly parted ways with Boley.
Athletics owner
Connie Mack
Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds untoucha ...
bought him for an estimated $60,000 to $100,000 in 1927, when the Orioles team was being disbanded.
He was elected to the International League Hall of Fame in 1954.
Major League career
During his first MLB season, the 28-year-old rookie
batted .311 for the A's.
Boley joined
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory Foxx (October 22, 1907 – July 21, 1967), nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, ...
,
Max Bishop
Max Frederick Bishop (September 5, 1899 – February 24, 1962) was an American professional baseball player, scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a second baseman from through , most notably as a member of the Philadelphia ...
, and
Jimmy Dykes
James Joseph Dykes (November 10, 1896 – June 15, 1976) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a third and second baseman from through , most notably as a member of the Philadelph ...
in Mack's "Million Dollar Infield", which sparked the A's to three pennants and two world championships (1929–31). In 1930, Boley again led all
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
shortstops with a .970 fielding percentage, while finishing fourth in assists and putouts.
He had career highs in both
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s (4) and
RBIs
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
(55).
Boley was injured for most of 1931, playing only in 67 games, and batting a career-low .228.
Dib Williams took over at shortstop and played well, costing Boley his starting job once he recovered.
Before the start of the
1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
, Mack sold Boley to the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
in a trial basis, with the proviso that the Indians would buy his full contract if satisfied, and return him to the Athletics if not.
The Indians had tried three shortstops during its 1931 campaign,
Ed Montague,
Bill Hunnefield and
Jonah Goldman, without much success.
Cleveland manager
Roger Peckinpaugh
Roger Thorpe Peckinpaugh (February 5, 1891 – November 17, 1977) was an American professional baseball player shortstop and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1910 through 1927, during which he played for the Cleveland Naps ...
thought Boley's fielding skills would help them win, and Boley was considered a "considerable improvement" by local sportswriters.
Commissioner of Baseball
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis (; November 20, 1866 – November 25, 1944) was an American jurist who served as a United States federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death. He is remembered for his h ...
vetoed the "try-him-and-buy-him" deal and ordered Boley to return to the Athletics.
Mack commented of the veto "It seemed a shame for a player of Joe's years and ability... to sit on a bench when he might be playing regularly with some other club."
He regained his starting job once Williams started struggling, but injured his shoulder a few weeks into the season and started playing poorly.
He was released by the Athletics on May 9, which was likely linked to the injury and subsequent play.
Between his two stints between teams, Boley helped save the lives of five occupants of a burning car near Philadelphia and drove the injured to the hospital.
He signed a contract with the Indians on June 10, but only played one game with them.
In a June 29 loss against the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
, Boley had a harmless
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
in four at-bats, while starting at shortstop.
He was released a week later, ending his career.
In 540 games over six seasons, Boley posted a .269
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
(478-for-1780) with 203
runs, 88
doubles, 22
triples
TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...
, 7
home runs
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
, 227
RBI and 130
bases on balls
A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Se ...
. Defensively, he recorded a .957
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
. In three World Series (1929–31) he batted .154 (6-for-39) with 2 runs and 2 RBI.
Personal life
Nicknamed "Silent Joe" for his quiet personality, Boley was named "the second least talkative player in the big leagues" by legendary ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' reporter
Shirley Povich
Shirley Lewis Povich (July 15, 1905 – June 4, 1998) was an American sports columnist and reporter for ''The Washington Post''.
Biography
Povich's parents were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania. Having grown up in coastal Bar Harbor, Maine ...
.
Boley was married to Ann Christoff and had three children.
He worked in the mining fields before moving to the automotive business during the off-season.
He died in Mahanoy City, after a six-week hospital stay in 1962.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boley, Joe
1896 births
1962 deaths
Major League Baseball shortstops
Philadelphia Athletics players
Cleveland Indians players
Philadelphia Athletics scouts
Chambersburg Maroons players
Harrisburg Islanders players
Baseball players from Pennsylvania
People from Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania