"I read the news today, oh boy...."


I found this clipping in a box of photos that belonged to my grandparents. You'll probably have to click on it and enlarge. It appears to be from the Detroit Times in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Top photo shows "great catching prospect" Frank House, who signed w/ Detroit in 1948 for a $75,000 bonus. Big money in those days. (Still big money for me.) As far as I can tell from searching the web, House first played in the majors w/ the Tigers in the 1950 season. Also in the photo are Matt Batts and Cliff Mapes, who both joined the Tigers before the 1952 season. If so I wonder why the photo caption still refers to House's signing bonus. House's nickname, by the way, was Pig. The story on the Wings mentions Marcel Pronovost, who played for them from 49/50-64/65. And finally, methinks my grandparents saved the paper not for the sports articles but for what was on the other side of the page -- a map of Ireland.

1 comment:

  1. According to my Baseball Encyclopedia "Pig" House played for the Tigers from 1950 to 1957, when the Tigers traded him for no less than Billy Martin to Kansas City as part of a 12 player deal.

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