Hal Chase, American baseball player and manager (b. 1883)
Harold Homer Chase (February 13, 1883 – May 18, 1947), nicknamed "Prince Hal", was an American professional baseball first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball, widely viewed as the best fielder at his position. During his career, he played for the New York Highlanders (1905–1913), Chicago White Sox (1913–1914), Buffalo Blues (1914–1915), Cincinnati Reds (1916–1918), and New York Giants (1919).
Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson named Chase the best first baseman ever, and contemporary reports described his glovework as outstanding. He is sometimes considered the first true star of the franchise that would eventually become the New York Yankees. In 1981, 62 years after his last major league game, baseball historians Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.
Despite being an excellent hitter and his reputation as a peerless defensive player, Chase's legacy was tainted by a litany of corruption. He allegedly gambled on baseball games, and also engaged in suspicious play in order to throw games in which he played. He was also indicted as an early conspirator in the 1919 Black Sox scandal but was acquitted.
1947May, 18
Hal Chase
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Events on 1947
- 10Feb
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Italy cedes most of Venezia Giulia to Yugoslavia. - 5Jun
George Marshall
Marshall Plan: In a speech at Harvard University, the United States Secretary of State George Marshall calls for economic aid to war-torn Europe. - 15Aug
Indian independence movement
India gains Independence from British rule after near 190 years of Crown rule and joins the Commonwealth of Nations. - 30Sep
New York Yankees
The World Series, featuring the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, is televised for the first time. - 5Oct
Harry S. Truman
The first televised White House address is given by U.S. President Harry S. Truman.