Lowell Otto Miller (June 1, 1889 – March 29, 1962) was a
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
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), ...
from 1910 through 1922 for
Brooklyn teams the Superbas (1910, 1913), Dodgers (1911–1912) and Robins (1914–1922). Nicknamed "Moonie", Miller batted and threw right-handed, and was listed at and .
Career
In a 13-season career, Miller was a .245
hitter
In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher. The three main goals of batters are to become a baserunner, to driv ...
(695-for-2836) with five
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 and 231
RBIs in 927
games played
Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.
Basebal ...
, including 229
runs, 97
doubles, 33
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 ...
, and 40
stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...
s. In eight postseason games, he went 3-for-22 for a .136 average.
As a catcher, he collected 3870
outs
In baseball, an out occurs when the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a batter or runner is out, they lose their ability to score a run and must return to the dugout until their next turn at bat. When three outs are recorded in a ha ...
with 1053
assist
Assist or ASSIST may refer to:
Sports
Several sports have a statistic known as an "assist", generally relating to action by a player leading to a score by another player on their team:
*Assist (basketball), a pass by a player that facilitates a ba ...
s and committed 135
errors in 5058
chances
Chances may refer to:
* ''Chances'' (TV series), an Australian soap opera
* ''Chances'' (Philippine TV series), a prime-time soap opera
* '' Chances: The Women of Magdalene'', a 2006 documentary film
* ''Chances'' (novel), a 1981 novel by Jac ...
for a .973
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 ...
.
His best season was 1920, when he posted a career-high .289 average and led
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
catchers with .986 fielding percentage.
Miller was also a participant in a historical play in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the
1920 World Series
The 1920 World Series was the championship series for Major League Baseball's 1920 season. The series was a best-of-nine format played between the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians and the National League (NL) champion Brooklyn ...
. He was tagged by
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 ...
second baseman Bill Wambsganss
William Adolf Wambsganss (March 19, 1894 – December 8, 1985) was a second baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1914 in baseball, 1914 through 1926 in baseball, 1926, Wambsganss played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia ...
for the third out in the only
unassisted triple play
In baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes all three outs by himself in one continuous play, without his teammates making any assists. Neal Ball was the first to achieve this in Major League Baseball (MLB) under ...
in
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 ...
history.
After his playing career ended, Miller managed the
Atlanta Crackers
The Atlanta Crackers were Minor League Baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1966.
History
Atlanta played its first ...
in 1923 and was a coach for the Dodgers and
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
.
Miller died in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
at the age of 72, when he fell from a hospital window after
cataract surgery
Cataract surgery, also called lens replacement surgery, is the removal of the natural lens of the eye (also called "crystalline lens") that has developed an opacification, which is referred to as a cataract, and its replacement with an intraocu ...
.
File:Wamby19201010UATP.JPG, Bill Wambsganss
William Adolf Wambsganss (March 19, 1894 – December 8, 1985) was a second baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1914 in baseball, 1914 through 1926 in baseball, 1926, Wambsganss played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia ...
''(top left, in white)'' tags out Miller to complete an unassisted triple play
In baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes all three outs by himself in one continuous play, without his teammates making any assists. Neal Ball was the first to achieve this in Major League Baseball (MLB) under ...
in Game 5 of the 1920 World Series
The 1920 World Series was the championship series for Major League Baseball's 1920 season. The series was a best-of-nine format played between the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians and the National League (NL) champion Brooklyn ...
File:Wambsganss, and his tripple (sic) play victims, Kilduff, Mitchell & Miller of the Brooklyn B.B. Club LCCN89712599.jpg, Bill Wambsganss, and his unassisted triple play victims: Pete Kilduff
Peter John Kilduff (April 4, 1893 – February 14, 1930), was a professional baseball player who played second base from 1917 to 1921, with the Giants, Cubs, and Brooklyn Robbins, and as a player / manager in the minors for several years after. ...
, Clarence Mitchell and Miller
File:Otto Miller (1912 baseball card).jpg, Miller's 1912 baseball card
A baseball card is a type of trading card relating to baseball, usually printed on cardboard, silk, or plastic. In the 1950s they came with a stick of gum and a limited number of cards. These cards feature one or more baseball players, teams, sta ...
Postseason appearances
*
1916 World Series
The 1916 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1916 season. The 13th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion Boston Red Sox against the National League champion Brooklyn Robi ...
*
1920 World Series
The 1920 World Series was the championship series for Major League Baseball's 1920 season. The series was a best-of-nine format played between the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians and the National League (NL) champion Brooklyn ...
See also
*
References
External links
, o
Retrosheet*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Otto
Brooklyn Dodgers players
Brooklyn Robins players
Brooklyn Superbas players
Major League Baseball catchers
Baseball players from Nebraska
1889 births
1962 deaths
Minor league baseball managers
Brooklyn Dodgers coaches
Accidental deaths from falls
Accidental deaths in New York (state)
Sharon Giants players
Duluth White Sox players
Atlanta Crackers managers
Atlanta Crackers players
Indianapolis Indians players
People from Minden, Nebraska