Note: the bios for each player have been moved to the bottom of this page.
Joseph Dominick “Joe”Damato (January 26, 1922 – December 31, 1986) was born in Chicago, Illinois, and signed a professional contract with Janesville of the Wisconsin State League in 1941 where he played for two seasons before joining the U.S. Army. He played for Nashville beginning in 1948 and was batting .280 for the Vols when he suffered a broken hand as the result of being hit by a pitch on August 3. He remained with the Vols through the 1951 season before joining Oklahoma City for three more years. Damato retired after the 1955 season.
1950: 103 hits, 2 home runs, 48 RBIS, .246 batting average / Fielding: 495 chances, 30 errors, 939. fielding %
1951: 120 hits, 14 home runs, 66 RBIS, .266 batting average / Fielding: 590 chances, 31 errors, .947 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).
1952: 149 hits, 13 home runs, 76 RBIS, .323 batting average / Fielding: 659 chances, 23 errors, .965 fielding %
Harold McMillan “Buster” Boguskie (October 27, 1923 – June 16, 2001) was born in Nashville where attended Cumberland High School. He served as charter member of the Metro Nashville city council from 1963 to 1995. After serving in the military during World War II his baseball career began in 1946 with Hopkinsville in the Kitty League, and he played with Nashville for eight seasons. In 1954 he played three second base, shortstop, and third base as a utility infielder for manager Hugh Poland’s ballclub. Boguskie sold sporting goods in the Nashville area upon retiring from baseball after the 1955 season.
1954: 95 hits, 13 home runs, 39 RBIS, .270 batting average / Fielding: 357 chances, 15 errors, .960 fielding %
Larry J. Taylor (August 7, 1930 – April 21, 2022) was born in Rockwell, North Carolina, and graduated from Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. After military service Taylor had an eight-year career in the minor leagues beginning in Columbia, South Carolina in 1951. Taylor played for three seasons with Nashville beginning in 1955 with a partial season in 1958 when he became player-manager of Visalia in the California League. He retired after his final season at Salisbury in the Western Carolina League in 1960 and was a faculty member and head baseball and basketball coach at Berry College in Rome, Georgia.
1955: 72 hits, 0 home runs, 32 RBIS, .233 batting average / Fielding: 407 chances, 19 errors, .955 fielding %
William Waldemar “Bill” Werber (January 8, 1931 – August 19th, 2021) was born in Washington, D.C. and attended McKinley Tech High School. He was a two-time All-American baseball player in 1952 and 1953 and named to the All-Southern Conference while attending Duke University, then served in the Marines between 1953 and 1955. He played only one season of pro baseball as a first baseman and outfielder for Nashville before joining the Werber Insurance Agency in 1957 which was started by his grandfather, Waldemar Werber, in 1904. His father, Billy Werber, played for 11 years in the majors with the Yankees, Red Sox, Athletics, Reds, and Giants.
1956: 95 hits, 15 HR, 57 RBIS, .251 batting average / Fielding: 394 chances, 9 errors, .977 fielding %
Roderick Edwin “Rod” Kanehl (April 1, 1934 – December 14, 2004) played his entire MLB career with the New York Mets (1962–1964). He hit the first grand slam in Mets history on July 6, 1962, at the Polo Grounds, and in his three seasons with the Mets he played every position except pitcher and catcher. He had eight seasons in the minors, and appeared in 97 games with Nashville in 1960. Returning to the Vols in 1961, Kanehl led the league by playing in every Nashville game during the season (152).
1960: 99 hits, 1 HR, 21 RBIS, .275 batting average / Fielding: 375 chances, 10 errors, .974 fielding %
James Ernest Orton (February 4, 1938 – March 3rd, 2022) was born in El Dorado, Arkansas. He grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, went to Fair Park High School where he played and excelled in baseball, basketball, and football, and went on to play baseball, basketball and football at La Tech University starting as short stop, point guard and quarterback. After signing with the New York Yankees, Orton spent his first season between Modesto (CA) and Greensboro in 1959, his last season was with Nashville in 1963.
1963: 106 hits, 0 HR, 32 RBIS, .244 batting average / Fielding: 487 chances, 30 errors, .938 fielding %
Note: Bob Boring, Larry Taylor, and Rod Kanehl are candidates in previous positions; however, each had a season in which they played multiple positions and are eligble in this category.
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