Note: the bios for each player have been moved to the bottom of this page.
Robert Herbert “Bob” Ludwig (September 25, 1927 – August 26, 2024) was born in Muskegon, Michigan and attended Muskegon High School and Michigan State University. He signed with the Chicago Cubs organization in May 1946 and spent seven-and-one-half years in the minor leagues that spanned 806 ball games. Promoted to Nashville of the Double A Southern Association for the 1950 season, Ludwig suffered a skull fracture late in the year. He returned to Nashville in 1951 and rebounded with his finest season as a professional, earning a place on the Southern Association All-Star team. In 1951 he led the league in games played (155), at-bats (644), and hits (213).
1950: 123 hits, 13 home runs, 43 RBI, .276 batting average / Fielding: 360 chances, 21 errors, .942 fielding %
1951: 213 hits, 21 home runs, 67 RBI, .331 batting average / Fielding: 427 chances, 19 errors, .956 fielding %
Rance Pless (December 6, 1925 – November 11, 2017) was third baseman, first baseman and outfielder over the course of a 14-year professional career. He played part of one season with the 1956 Kansas City Athletics. During World War II, Pless served in the Navy on the Asiatic Pacific from 1944 to 1946. Born in Greeneville, Tennessee, he won two batting championships, in the 1952 Double-A Southern Association when also led the league in hits and the 1955 Triple-A American Association (.337) and retired from baseball after the 1960 season with a career minor league batting average of .303 in 1,755 games.
1952: 196 hits, 11 home runs, 98 RBI, .364 batting average / Fielding: 445 chances, 26 errors, .942 fielding %
Donald Robert “Bob” Boring (August 11, 1926 – March 15, 2008) was born in Detroit, Michigan but grew up in Friendsville, Tennessee, and attended Friendsville High School. Upon graduation, the US Navy was waiting and he served as Navigator 1st Class on PT boat #584 in the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. Boring spent two seasons in Nashville before two final pro seasons in Atlanta in 1955 and 1956. During his 1953 season with the Vols he led the league in at-bats (612) and tied with teammate Billy Gardner for the lead in doubles (42).
1953: 193 hits, 21 home runs, 111 RBI, .315 batting average / Fielding: 472 chances, 32 errors, .932 fielding %
Floyd Collins Fogg (May 24, 1926 – April 23, 2018). Before his minor-league career, Fogg joined the Marine Corps at 17, serving in the Solomon Islands during World War II with the 23rd Marines, 4th Division. Born in Lacombe (LA), his baseball career landed him in Nashville three times; the first time for five games in 1945, then in 1949 when he played in 146 games with a .246 batting average, returning in 1954 to close out his career. In between he also played for Little Rock, New Orleans, and Memphis in the Southern Association..
1954: 109 hits, 16 home runs, 46 RBI, .245 batting average / Fielding: 358 chances, 36 errors, .899 fielding %
Thomas Michael “Tommy” “Buckshot” Brown (born December 6, 1927) made his major league debut with his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers at 16 years and 241 days old, starting at shortstop at Ebbets Field against the Chicago Cubs, on August 3, 1944. In a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 20, 1945, Brown became the youngest player in MLB history to hit a home run, a record that still stands. He was 17 years and 257 days old at the time. In all, he spent parts of nine years in the majors and eight seasons in the minors including three years in Nashville. His first Vols season was in 1955 when he held down third base for 94 games, but for the next two years, was a solid third baseman for the ball club before he was traded to Chattanooga. After one final season in 1959 split between Chattanooga and New Orleans, Brown retired to Nashville.
1956: 148 hits, 10 home runs, 85 RBI, .316 batting average / Fielding: 355 chances, 26 errors, .927 fielding %
1957: 124 hits, 8 home runs, 60 RBI, .256 batting average / Fielding: 369 chances, 25 errors, .932 fielding %
Thomas Bradshaw “Tommy” Dotterer (born December 19, 1936) signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization in 1953. His 10-year pro career took him through the lower minor leagues all the way to Triple A where he played for Jersey City and Toronto. In 1962, Dotterer played for his hometown Syracuse Chiefs and batted .417 in seven games. He was with Nashville in 1959, his fourth season as a pro, and retired after the 1963 season with Macon in the South Atlantic (SALLY) League. He is the brother of former Nashville Vols player, Dutch Dotterer.
Note: Sorry to report that Dotterer died on October 15, 2024.
1959: 131 hits, 8 home runs, 46 RBI, .259 batting average / Fielding: 364 chances, 18 errors, .951 fielding %
Raymond Clifford “Cliff” Cook (born August 20, 1936) appeared in 163 games played over parts of five Major League Baseball seasons. Born in Dallas, he attended Sunset High School before embarking on a 10-season pro career. His best year was in 1961 with Indianapolis when he batted .311and drove in 119 runs for the Indians, one season after performing for Nashville. His career ended after the 1964 season after being traded to the Mets early in the 1962 season.
1960: 128 hits, 19 home runs, 76 RBI, .310 batting average / Fielding: 309 chances, 19 errors, .939 fielding %
Robert Wayne “Bob” Meisner (born January 26, 1935) was born in Ft. Collins (CO) played baseball at the University of Southern California. He spent his first professional season at Edmonton in the Western International League before moving up to Quincy in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. Meisner played second, third, and short and first came to the Southern Association in 1955 with Birmingham in 1955 and 1956, then New Orleans in 1957. He retired after 28 games with Vancouver in the PCL.
1961: 155 hits, 21 home runs, 65 RBI, .303 batting average / Fielding: 253 chances, 15 errors, .941 fielding %
Note: Jim Ludtka (1958) and Mike Sinnerud (1963) do not qualify as each appeared in less than 100 games.
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© 2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.
Third base is a power position and Boring had more HR at that position than the other candidate in his best season in a Vols uniform. Also a decent RBI man and a .315 average during that season tips the scales for him in the Nashville Vols HOF for this voter.
I’m going with Tommy “Buckshot” Brown, mainly because he remains the youngest player in MLB history to hit a home run. I believe his record will stand forever.