Make your selection! Over the weeks ahead, your ballot will help determine the eight (8) position players, one (1) utility player, and three (3) pitchers for the period 1950-1961 & 1963 (the team did not exist in 1962). Position players who played in a minimum of 100 Nashville Vols games during these seasons are eligible. Today, make your selection in the category of shortstop. Nine qualify; see the ballot options below (vote for one only):
Roy Harold “Swede” Peterson (December 11, 1921 – October 1, 1987) was born in Flint, Michigan, but made his home in Chicago. He broke into organized ball at Janesville, in 1941. He served in the U. S. Navy from 1942 until 1946. He led the South Atlantic League (SALLY) in RBIs with 100 and total bases with 235 with Macon in 1949 while hitting .271. His best seasons at the plate was in 1946 with Tacoma in the Western International League when his hit .303 with 17 home runs and 109 RBIs.
1950: 109 hits, 9 HR, 49 RBI, .247 batting average / Fielding: 628 chances, 49 errors, .922 fielding %
Daryl Dean Spencer (July 13, 1928 – January 2, 2017) shortstop, second base and third base in Major League Baseball between 1952 and 1963 for the New York/San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. Born in Wichita, Kansas, his pro baseball career included 20 seasons spanning 24 years. He was inducted into the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.
1951: 100 hits, 8 home runs, 61 RBI, .251 batting average / Fielding: 633 chances, 69 errors, .943 fielding %
Zikfirt Frank “Ziggy” Jasinski (December 3, 1925 – October 28, 1997) was born in Maspeth, Long Island, New York. Before beginning his professional career in 1947 with Erie of the Mid-Atlantic League, he served in the U. S. Navy for two years and considered playing against the National League All-Stars in Manila as one of his most interesting experiences while serving. After two seasons in Erie, he moved to Knoxville before his rise to Jersey City in 1950 and Ottawa in 1951, both AAA clubs. Although he never made it to the majors, he was key in Nashville setting a league record for double plays in a season with 222.
1952: 182 hits, 10 home runs, 71 RBI, .259 batting average / Fielding: 689 chances, 40 errors, .942 fielding %
William Frederick “Billy” Gardner (July 19, 1927 – January 3, 2024) was a player, coach, and manager in the major leagues, managing the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals during the 1980s. He played for 10 seasons in the majors, leading the American League with 718 plate appearances, 644 at-bats, and 36 doubles with Baltimore in 1957. He played 13 seasons in the minors with New York Giants farm clubs in Jersey City, Bristol (VA), Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Sioux City, Ottaway, and Minneapolis before joining Nashville in 1953. He tied for the Southern Association lead in doubles with 42.
1953: 135 hits, 2 home runs, 32 RBI, 308 batting average / Fielding: 668 chances, 33 errors, .951 fielding %
Alexander Nicholas “Alex” Cosmidis (September 22, 1928 – June 26, 2019) was a player, manager, and scout. He spent 11 seasons as an infielder and eight seasons as a manager, all in the minors. He later served as a scout for two Major League Baseball teams. Cosmidis attended Illinois Wesleyan University and was signed by the Chicago White Sox, sent to their Hot Springs (AR) farm club where he was named Cotton States League co-MVP. He joined the Vols in Nashville for 92 games in 1953 and a full season in 1954. He later spent three years with Dallas and set a Texas League fielding record of 66 errorless games at second base. In 1957, he was awarded the Rawlings Silver Glove trophy for best minor league second baseman.
1954: 147 hits, 6 home runs, 46 RBI, .276 batting average / Fielding: 545 chances, 32 errors, .941 fielding %
Robert Eugene “Bobby” “Scroggy” Durnbaugh (January 15, 1933 – September 20, 2023) played in two games at shortstop for the Cincinnati Redlegs in 1957, grounding out in his only major league at-bat. He began his career in Welch, (WV) in 1951 and spent one season in Ogden in the Pioneer League before advancing to Nashville where he played four seasons. He moved up to Omaha, Rochester, and Seattle after his first two seasons with the Vols before returning for 1958 and a short 1959 season. He retired from baseball in 1960 before returning for one more season in 1961 with Mobile and Shreveport; following baseball Durnbaugh spent 40 years in sporting goods sales.
1955: 112 hits, 0 home runs, 54 RBI, .281 batting average / Fielding: 531 chances, 29 errors, .945 fielding %
1956: 150 hits, 0 home runs, 44 RBI, .261 batting average / Fielding: 701, chances, 25 errors, .964 fielding %
1958: 160 hits, 0 home runs, 65 RBI, .265 batting average / Fielding: 743 chances, 34 errors, .954 fielding %
Philip E. “Phil” Shartzer (October 15, 1935 – August 13, 2014) was born in Louisville and graduated from DuPont Manual High School. He began his professional career in 1954 and became a member of the Nashville Vols in 1957 and after one season moved up to Seattle for a single season. He returned to Nashville for three more seasons in 1959, 1960, and 1961. He played his final season in 1962 with Oklahoma City before retiring.
1957: 138 hits, 4 home runs, 78 RBI, .261 batting average / Fielding: 738 chances, 14 errors, .981 fielding %
1959: 112 hits, 3 home runs, 71 RBI, .254 batting average / Fielding: 661 chances, 26 errors, .961 fielding %
1961: 120 hits, 2 home runs, 28 RBI, .286 batting average / Fielding: 503 chances, 22 errors, .956 fielding %
Robert Edward “Bobby” Henrich (born December 24, 1938) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. He played parts of three seasons, from 1957 until 1959, for the Cincinnati Redlegs, used most frequently as a pinch runner. After playing for Nashville in 1960 he left baseball at the age of 22.
1960: 108 hits, 7 home runs, 54 RBI, .250 batting average / Fielding: 577 chances, 30 errors, .948 fielding %
Marvin Gustave “Marv” Staehle (March 13, 1942 – September 30, 2022) attended Western Illinois University and signed with the White Sox where he played three seasons. He also played for the Montreal Expos and Atlanta Braves. He led the Double-A Sally League in batting average with the 1963 Nashville Vols, batting .286 overall in 1,239 minor league games.
1963: 139 hits, 1 home run, 30 RBI, .337 batting average / Fielding: 515 chances, 32 errors, .938 fielding %
You can still vote for the catcher position here: Catcher
You can still vote for the first base position here: First Base
You can still vote for the second base position here: Second Base
© 2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.
There are several good candidates for shortstop. What I want in a shortstop is a great middle infielder and Schartzer has the best fielding percentage of all the candidates. If they can field the position and hit some, too all the better.