Chapter SIX

1928 Philadelphia Phillies

Won 43

Lost 109

From First to Last

The Phillies rose from virtual obscurity to a World Series berth in 1915. They appeared to have a team for the ages with the stellar defense of rookie shortstop Dave Bancroft (an eventual Hall of Famer) and the slugging of right fielder Gavvy Cravath, who paced the circuit for the third straight year with 24 homers. The club’s real strength was its pitching staff, anchored by Triple Crown winner Pete Alexander. Only Walter Johnson of the Senators came close to matching “Old Pete’s” 31 victories, 241 strikeouts, and 1.22 ERA that year. Alexander’s supporting cast included Erskine Mayer, a 21-game winner, and Eppa Rixey, who was in the early stages of a Hall of Fame career.

Among the most dominant teams of the era, the Boston Red Sox proved to be too much for the Phillies that October, taking the World Series in 5 games—4 of which were decided by a single run. Philly’s shining moment came in the opener, when Alexander held the Sox scoreless for 7 straight innings at the Baker Bowl. Boston knotted the score at one apiece in the top of the eighth, but the Phillies answered with 2 runs of their own, jumping out to a 1–0 World Series lead. Both clubs combined for just 22 tallies in the 5 meetings.

Over the next few seasons, the Phillies began a gradual descent into mediocrity. With roughly the same roster, the team finished second in 1916, just 2 1/2 games behind Brooklyn. They held onto second place the following year but slipped further from contention—10 games out. With the advent of World War I, the Phillies lost Rixey to military service. He was eventually dealt to Cincinnati. Alexander was lost as well, traded to the Cubs and then drafted into the army. Seriously wounded in combat overseas, he returned to claim his third pitching Triple Crown and win at least 15 games for Chicago every year from 1919 through 1923.

With the arrival of the Lively Ball Era, the Philadelphia pitching staff fell to ruin, posting the worst ERA in the National League (NL) for well over a decade. Under six different managers, the Phillies finished last six times between 1919 and 1927. About the only thing worth watching in that span was the rise of center fielder Cy Williams to superstardom. A Notre Dame alumnus who became an architect when his baseball career was finished, Williams led the league in round-trippers four times. He was the first senior circuit slugger to reach the 200-homer mark. A dead-pull hitter with a left-handed swing, opposing managers often flooded the right side of the infield when he came to bat. The strategy was dubbed “The Williams Shift” and has survived to the present day under various titles. By 1928, Williams was forty years old and no longer a full-time player. The Baker Bowl was a dilapidated hulk, and the owner was a shortsighted miser. There was little reason to follow the Phillies.

Same Old, Same Old

As was his custom, owner William F. Baker gave the appearance that he was committed to improving the club. In January, the frugal Philly owner referred to the 1927 squad as a “grievous disappointment” and fingered manager Stuffy McInnis as an impediment to the team’s success. McInnis was abruptly dismissed and replaced by Burt Shotton. Shotton was granted free reign to make necessary trades, but all of those transactions would be made on a shoestring budget.

The pitching staff was rebuilt with spare parts. The untested Ray Benge was signed after a lukewarm showing with Waco of the Texas League. Right-handers Jimmy Ring and Bob McGraw, who had combined for a 4–9 record and 5.46 ERA, were acquired from the Cardinals. Making room for these changes, Jack Scott (9–21/5.09 ERA) and Dutch Ulrich (8–11/3.17 ERA) were let go. Alex Ferguson, Les Sweetland, and Claude Willoughby returned, having collectively staked opponents to a .327 batting average in 1927.

In regard to positional players, the Phillies were in a bind with center fielder Freddy Leach and second baseman Fresco Thompson holding out for more money. Both had exceeded the .300 mark at the plate and played respectable defense the previous year. In fact, Leach had led the league in assists. Baker was sensible enough to resign them, although neither player got a substantial raise (as could only be expected).

Before the 1928 season began, no one was terribly optimistic about Philadelphia’s pennant chances. The Miami News predicted a tight NL race but counted the Phillies out of it from the onset. The Associated Press was in agreement. Undeterred by these estimates, Shotton went about the business of whipping his club into shape. Shotton had fourteen years of major league playing experience behind him and had honed his managerial skills with Syracuse of the International League. One wire service writer observed that Shotton was “taking his job very seriously” and proclaimed that his spring performances showed “much enthusiasm.” The former Cardinal skipper bravely declared that the Phillies would escape the basement sooner rather than later. The club was given a chance to prove the validity of that statement in the annual City Series against the Athletics, a preseason tradition dating back to 1903.

After a World Series sweep at the hands of the Braves in 1914, the A’s had floundered in the second division for a decade before climbing back into contention. By 1928, they stood on the cusp of greatness with seven eventual Hall of Famers on the roster. But the Phillies would not go quietly that spring. Trailing 6–1 in the ninth inning of Game 1, the senior circuit squad rallied for 2 runs off of knuckleballer Eddie Rommel in a respectable 6–3 loss. The second contest was much closer, as the Phillies rebounded from a 5–0 deficit to send the game into extra innings. They fell apart in the eleventh frame, when the A’s capitalized on 3 walks, a balk, and a wild throw, pushing 3 runs across for an 8–5 win. Rescheduled due to heavy rain, Game 3 was another thriller that lasted beyond the standard 9 frames. Tris Speaker led the offensive charge for the A’s, and Ty Cobb pulled off an unassisted double play from his outfield post as Connie Mack’s crew claimed Quaker City bragging rights with their third straight victory (a 6–5 affair). The A’s finished just 2 1/2 games behind the Yankees that year and moved on to three consecutive Fall Classic appearances.

The New Frontier

The game of baseball had undergone some radical alterations during the 1920s. After eight players conspired to throw the 1919 World Series, there was an emphasis on fair play. The spit ball was declared illegal, along with various deceptive pitching motions labeled “freak deliveries” by officials. Following a tragic incident in which Cleveland infielder Ray Chapman was struck and killed by a Carl Mays pitch, umpires were encouraged to put “fresh” balls into play more often. Some controversy still exists as to whether a “livelier” baseball was introduced in the early 1920s, but the manufacturer adamantly denied it. In 1925, a cushioned cork center was introduced and probably played a small role in the changing face of the game. All of these elements led to an offensive explosion that would not be equaled until the so-called “Steroid Era.”

In 1917, the highest team batting average belonged to the Cincinnati Reds, who posted a fair .264 mark. That same year, Wally Pipp led the American League (AL) in homers with 9, and Gavvy Cravath paced the NL with 12. Across the majors, only seventeen regular players hit .300 or better. By way of comparison, the highest team batting average in 1927 was .307. Hack Wilson and Cy Williams paced the senior loop with 30 circuit blasts, while Babe Ruth set a long-standing record with 60 in the AL. More than fifty players reached the .300 mark at the plate that year. Those numbers were fairly consistent throughout the decade. This dramatic increase in offense led to a virtual abandonment of “little ball” strategy. Teams still executed sacrifices, but fewer players were given the green light on the base paths. In 1917, eleven men stole 30 or more bases. By 1927, that number had dwindled to two.

With its tiny dimensions and irregular cigar box facets, the Baker Bowl had been an ideal hitter’s venue, even in the Deadball Era. Within this offensive paradise, the Phillies produced a bountiful rookie crop in 1928. Third base had been somewhat of a weak spot the previous year, as Bernie Friberg hit just .233 and provided little power. Heinie Sand was an adequate substitute, but his services were needed at shortstop. Hoping to add a little spark to the Philly attack, Burt Shotton installed twenty-three-year-old Pinky Whitney at the hot corner. Nicknamed after a cartoon character, Whitney had feasted upon South Atlantic League pitching in 1927 with a healthy .336 average. Shotton’s move paid off, as Whitney made an instant impact, hitting safely in 12 of his first 15 starts. He would enjoy 49 multihit games in his big-league debut, finishing the season with a .301 average. Defensively, he was more than adequate, ranking third in putouts and fielding percentage.

Attempting to shore up various other roster deficits, Shotton moved steady-hitting first baseman Russ Wrightstone to the outfield. When his replacement (Bill Kelly) hit just .169 through early May, the Phillies orchestrated their most significant trade of the season, acquiring Spud Davis and Don Hurst from the Cardinals in a six-player deal. Davis was a solidly built catcher who had appeared in just 2 major league games before arriving in Philadelphia. He served as a reliable backup to first-stringer Walt Lerian, hitting .282 in 67 games. He quickly blossomed into one of the best offensive backstops in the majors, exceeding the .300 mark for seven consecutive seasons, five of which were spent with the Phillies. Hurst was no disappointment either, swinging the bat at a .285 clip in 1928 while driving in 64 runs. His best offensive stretch came in mid-June, when he slugged 5 homers in 6 games. The burly infielder finished seventh in MVP voting four years later, reaching career highs in virtually every statistical category, including RBIs (143), doubles (41), and base hits (196).

The most distinguished rookie of 1928 was right fielder Chuck Klein. Looking to overhaul their existing platoon system, the Phillies sent seldom-used fly-chaser Harvey MacDonald to Fort Wayne of the Central League in exchange for Klein. Making his first appearance on July 30, the lefty-swinger went on to assemble a pair of 13-game hitting streaks and finish the season with a 12-game skein. His finest day at the plate came against Brooklyn on September 10, when he went 4-for-4, scoring 3 runs and driving in 3 more in an 11–6 win. He hit .360 overall. During his Hall of Fame career, he captured MVP and Triple Crown honors in different seasons and even led the league in stolen bases once. He was the heart of the Philly offense for several years.

Dead Arms

Even with an impressive group of rookies, the Phillies failed to compete. The root of the problem was the pitching staff. There was a total absence of effective starters. Stamina was a serious issue, as thirteen Philly hurlers completed just 28 percent of their starting assignments—by far the lowest percentage in the majors. Of the seven twirlers who logged at least 11 starts, six surrendered an average of more than 5 earned runs per game. As a collective unit, Philly moundsmen allowed 2,381 opponents to reach base by hit, walk, or bean ball. This accounted for 38 percent of all batters faced and put unimaginable pressure on the offense to perform. It goes without saying that there were quite a few lopsided losses in 1928.

One such pasting occurred on May 8 at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis. Rookie right-hander Ray Benge lasted just 5 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits, one of them a 2-run homer by third baseman Andy High. Called upon in relief, right-hander Bob McGraw proceeded to walk the bases full. He was replaced by Claude Willoughby, who issued another free pass, forcing in a run. With Burt Shotton recovering from the flu, acting manager Newt Hunter gave “Weeping Willie” the hook and summoned forkballer Alex Ferguson to stop the bleeding. Ferguson was moderately effective through the seventh. The Phillies scratched out another run in the top of the eighth, closing the margin to 6–4, but it was as close as they would get. Les Sweetland and Russ Miller faced thirteen batters in the bottom of the frame as the Cardinals exploded for 9 runs on 7 hits and a pair of walks. The final score was a laughable 15–4.

The Red Birds made the Phillies look pathetic again on July 31, when they scored 16 runs in a 5-inning span. The trouble began when Philly shortstop Heinie Sand mistakenly believed that there were 3 outs in the fifth after a force play at second. As he flipped the ball toward the pitcher’s mound, left fielder Chick Hafey began circling the bases. Hafey scored all the way from first on the play, opening the door for 4 more Cardinal tallies in the inning. The Philadelphia defense fell apart that day, with costly errors by Pinky Whitney and Walt Lerian. Pitchers Hub Pruett and Claude Willoughby added another pair of miscues. Pruett issued 5 walks and 6 hits, failing to survive through the fifth. Willoughby was worse out of the bull pen, walking 6, while getting tagged for 11 runs on 12 safeties. Even Pete Alexander, the former Philly pitching great, joined the St. Louis hit parade with a 3-for-5 showing at the plate. He drove-in 4 runs and picked up his 360th career win in an 18–5 blowout. The Phillies went on to post a dreadful 2–20 record against the Cards in 1928.

Philly pitchers sometimes looked bad in the act of accomplishing something good. In the first game of a September 7 doubleheader at the Baker Bowl, the Boston Braves victimized Ray Benge for 11 hits and 3 walks. The right-handed curveballer was far from overpowering that day, collecting just 4 strikeouts over 9 frames. But the Phillies played error-free baseball, helping Benge out of trouble with 3 double plays. The Braves failed to push a single run across, even after loading the bases with no outs in the first. Freddy Leach sparked the Philly offense with a pair of doubles in a 4–0 win. It was only the third shutout thrown by a Philadelphia pitcher all year and among the ugliest in major league history. The time of the game was a remarkably brief one hour and forty-six minutes.

One out of Six Ain’t Bad

Of the six grueling months that comprised the 1928 season, the Phillies approached the .500 mark in only one. Journalist Arthur Markey slammed the club in a June article, likening Burt Shotton’s squad to a “semipro nine.” By the time these words went to press, the Phillies were already in the process of stepping up their game. From June 7 through June 23, they compiled a 10–4 record. This included a 4-game winning streak, their longest of the season. In that span, Philly hurlers actually looked competent, holding opponents to 3 runs or less on 5 occasions. The offense was there to back them up, as several players enjoyed their most productive stretches of the season. First baseman Don Hurst slugged 8 homers and 6 doubles during the month of June. Hot corner guardian Pinky Whitney drove in 27 runs. Left fielder Freddy Leach was a tough man to retire with a .435 on-base percentage. Walt Lerian was among the hottest hitting catchers in the majors, with a .388 batting average. Second baseman Fresco Thompson pulled his weight as well, slamming 11 extra-base hits.

With the offense firing on all cylinders, the Phillies engaged in one of the most dramatic slugfests of the season on June 19 at home. Philadelphia jumped out to a 5–1 first-inning advantage over Brooklyn after a 3-run homer by Freddy Leach. When Ray Benge and Bob McGraw failed to hold the lead, the Philly regulars got back to work. Trailing 9–7 in the bottom of the seventh, Pinky Whitney knotted the score with a 2-run shot off of right-hander Ray Moss. Jumbo Elliott pitched 2 scoreless frames in relief of Moss and then broke the tie with a ninth-inning homer of his own. But the Phillies came storming back. Brooklyn’s staff ace Dazzy Vance, who led the league in strikeouts, shutouts, and earned run average that year, was called upon to put out the fire. He faced just one batter, surrendering a game-winning triple to Walt Lerian. A sparse hometown crowd celebrated energetically.

Wire service writer John B. Foster was impressed with the sudden turnaround, remarking that the Phillies’ progress should not be taken lightly. Unfortunately, it was short-lived. On June 28, the team completed a 6-game losing streak. Although 3 of those losses were by a single run, they never fully regained the momentum they had so briefly established. After posting an 11–13 record for the month, they would win just 25 more contests all year. Their worst stretch of baseball came in late September, when they dropped 15 of their last 16 games.

Smoke and Mirrors

In desperate need of fresh arms, the Phillies promoted a twenty-three-year-old right-hander by the name of Earl Caldwell, who had been hit pretty hard by Texas League opponents in 35 appearances. He briefly became the toast of the town as he spun a 6-hit shutout against the Boston Braves in his September 8 debut. This was no small feat considering that he held two of the most prolific hitters in history, Rogers Hornsby and George Sisler, to a collective 1-for-6 showing at the plate that day. Believing he had captured lightning in a bottle, Burt Shotton immediately inserted Caldwell into the rotation. Sent to the hill against Brooklyn on September 13, Caldwell never made it out of the seventh, yielding 9 runs on 12 hits and 4 walks. In his 3 remaining starts, he lasted no longer than 7 innings and surrendered at least 4 runs each time. He finished the season with an ERA of 5.71, several points above the staff average.

As the Phillies gradually fell 51 games out of contention, their fickle fan base evaporated, along with their pennant chances. Attendance at home games in 1928 was slightly above 182,000, the worst total since 1918. To fully appreciate that number, one needs to imagine roughly 2,400 patrons sparsely scattered along a double-decked expanse of 20,000 seats. This was the sight that greeted Philly players each time they took the field at the Baker Bowl.

In 1928, prohibition was still in full swing. Bootlegging became an immensely profitable venture, and organized crime reached a zenith with such mobsters as Al Capone, “Bugs” Moran, and Dutch Schultz ascending to celebrity status. By the end of the decade, there were about 32,000 speakeasies operating in New York City alone. In Philadelphia, the Irish mob controlled underworld activities, as Danny O’Leary battled rival crime boss Maxie “Boo Hoo” Hoff for Quaker City dominance. O’Leary’s death in August 1928 touched off a violent series of gang wars within the city.

In these turbulent surroundings, the Phillies crawled out of the basement in 1929, climbing all the way up to fifth place. Chuck Klein paced the circuit with 43 homers, while newly acquired outfielder Lefty O’Doul fell just 3 hits shy of tying George Sisler’s all-time mark for safeties in a season. O’Doul easily captured the batting title with a stellar .398 mark. The infield remained productive as well, with Pinky Whitney and Don Hurst collecting more than 100 RBIs apiece. Shotton kept his job until 1933, when the club followed up a respectable fourth place finish with a lackluster 60–92 effort. They went on to place no higher than seventh for the next twelve years.

Bright Spots of 1928

Don Hurst

Don Hurst’s appearance in May of 1928 sparked a dramatic improvement in the Philly defense. He was also a force to be reckoned with at the plate. Appearing third in the order most of the time, he collected 46 extra-base hits. A disciplined hitter, he worked 68 walks for a highly respectable .390 on-base percentage. In seven major league seasons, he topped the .300 mark four times and accumulated no fewer than 76 ribbies on five occasions. Hurst led the league in errors twice, but he also paced the loop in assists as many times. Traded to the Cubs in 1934, he hit just .198 at Wrigley Field and was released. He died of cancer quite young, at the age of 47.

Pinky Whitney

Pinky Whitney’s career began with a bang as he set an all-time record for third basemen, with 583 hits and 335 RBIs in his first three seasons. Had there been a Rookie of the Year award in 1928, Whitney would have been in contention, with his 176 safeties and dazzling play at third base. In his twelve-year career, he led the league in assists four times, putouts three times, and fielding percentage on three occasions. He never placed lower than third in that category. Twenty-three years old at the time of his big-league debut, he earned instant acclaim from sportswriters. The Associated Press referred to him as the “best young ballplayer the Phillies have found in years.” He was particularly comfortable against the Reds and Cubs in 1928, compiling a .370 average with 33 RBIs in 42 games. His 103 ribbies overall led the team and were especially impressive since he most often hit sixth in the lineup. Whitney spent portions of four seasons with the Braves and then finished his career with the Phillies in 1939. Baseball historian Bill James ranks him among the top 100 third basemen of all-time.

Freddy Leach

Used sparingly in his 1923 debut, Freddy Leach bounced back and forth from the majors to the minors over the next two seasons, hitting well each time. By 1926, he was a permanent fixture in the Philly outfield. In 1928, he reached career highs in hits (179), triples (11), and RBIs (96), while playing exceptional defense. He hit .347 out of the cleanup slot and enjoyed his finest day at the plate on June 2, with 4 hits and 5 runs batted in against the Cardinals. Hovering around the .300 mark all season, he peaked at .307 in July. Traded to the Giants in 1929, he went on to hit better than .300 in two of three seasons with New York. Leach was a more than capable player, but he was not particularly fond of the game, according to Society for American Baseball Research sources. He voluntarily retired after the 1932 slate and turned to potato farming in Idaho.

Fresco Thompson

Reaching full-time status in 1927, second baseman Fresco Thompson was a critic’s darling. George Kirksey of the United Press described Thompson as “sensational,” while Associated Press scribe Alan J. Gould labeled him “outstanding.” Thompson lived up to that billing in 1928, handling 150 successive chances without an error at one point. His offensive work was adequate as well, as he led the Phillies in hits (182), runs scored (99), and stolen bases (19). Before turning pro, he had attended college with Lou Gehrig at Columbia University. Thompson reached the 200-hit threshold in 1929 and posted a .324 batting average. After that, his hitting tapered off gradually. He developed a reputation as a bench jockey, openly harassing opposing players. After mouthing off to manager Bill Terry while playing for the Giants in 1934, he was demoted to Montreal of the American Association. At the end of his playing days, he remained in the game as a manager, scout, and farm director.

Chuck Klein

Chuck Klein worked in a steel mill as a youngster and played semipro ball on the side. He was scooped up by Cardinals’ scouts and assigned to Fort Wayne of the Central League. The Yankees were interested in Klein as well, but the Phillies were willing to include a player, along with cash, to obtain him. Despite missing two full months of the 1928 campaign, Klein collected more extra-base hits than many of his teammates and remained among the league leaders in batting average (although he didn’t have enough at bats to officially qualify for an award). In early September, a wire service writer called him the “Fort Wayne terror” and reported that he was “making the ball hum.” The press hadn’t seen anything yet, as Klein turned in a .356 average in 149 games the following year. A quiet, hard-working player who never complained about his team’s inability to contend, the Indianapolis native put up offensive numbers paralleled by few in franchise history. Traded to the Cubs after the 1933 slate, he tore a muscle in his leg but continued to play until forced out of action. The injury nagged him the following season as well, and his numbers came crashing back to earth. He returned to Philadelphia bearing little resemblance to his former self. A lifetime .320 hitter, Klein currently has plaques hanging in his honor at Cooperstown, as well as at the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame in Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies. He was also inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame.

Philadelphia Failures

Alex Ferguson

In 1925, Alex Ferguson played for three teams—the Red Sox, Yankees, and Senators. His arrival in Washington was a timely one, as the Capital City crew captured their second consecutive pennant. Allowing an average of more than 6 runs per 9 frames that year, the right-hander set a record for the highest ERA among any hurler to start a World Series game. He was not intimidated by the spotlight, going 1–1 in two October starts against the Pirates, with 11 strikeouts. A forkball artist, Ferguson used an unusual wrist motion during his windup to deceive hitters; however, few were thrown off balance by it in 1928, as opponents reached base against him more than 38 percent of the time. As a starter, he was dreadful that year, with a 4–10 record and 6.81 ERA—astronomical even for the Lively Ball Era. He did manage 3 saves and a win in 15 relief appearances. Traded to Brooklyn in 1929, he finished his major league career with a 4.93 ERA and .418 winning percentage. He continued in the minors through the 1933 slate.

Jimmy Ring

By the time Jimmy Ring rejoined the Phillies in a five-player swap after the 1927 slate, his best years were behind him. The slender right-hander reached double-digit win totals in eight straight seasons, five of which were spent with Philadelphia. In his prime, Ring was at least competent, a fact that put him light years above his Philly teammates. He was ace of the staff several times. Interestingly, Ring had pitched two games in the ill-fated 1919 World Series for the Reds. He won Game 4, a 2–0 shutout, and then started again on a day when the White Sox decided not to throw the contest. He was 1–1 with a miniscule 0.64 ERA overall. Ring had a sparse repertoire of pitches and a tendency to lose the plate. He led the NL in wild pitches five times and walks on four occasions. In 1928, he proved that he was completely washed up with a 4–17 record and 6.44 ERA. He logged 6 straight losses and 3 no-decisions from mid-June through early August. He hung around for one more unsuccessful minor league season in 1929.

Heinie Sand

Heinie Sand worked his way up the food chain in the Pacific Coast League before landing a roster spot with the Phillies in 1923. He led the league in errors committed at shortstop that year and went on to duplicate the feat twice more before retiring. To his credit, he did pace the circuit in putouts on two occasions. Frankly speaking, Sand was not a consistent performer. He began his career as a .228 hitter in an era when many shortstops were contributing offensively. When he finally raised his average to league standards, his defense slipped a bit. He drew 60 or more walks four times, but he also finished among the top ten in strikeouts every year he played. In 1928, he managed just 90 hits in 509 plate appearances while fielding his position above the league average. The Phillies grew tired of waiting for him to develop all aspects of his game. In 1929, he was replaced by Tommy Thevenow. Sand continued in the minors through 1934.

Les Sweetland

Les Sweetland debuted with a .167 winning percentage for the Phils in 1927, and he then duplicated that mark the following year (he was 2–10 and 3–15, respectively). True, the Phillies were an awful team, but Sweetland was an awful pitcher. A lefty sinker ball specialist, he likely remained in the majors for five seasons on the strength of his hitting. Swinging from the right side, he hit .272 with 17 extra-base hits and 34 RBIs in 287 at bats—excellent numbers for a pitcher. Below average defensively, he never would have stuck at any other position for long. On the mound, he gave up far too many hits, maintained a poor strikeout-to-walk ratio, and had a propensity for wildness. In 1928, he plunked a league-high 15 batters while uncorking 5 wild pitches. In 1930, his last year with the Phillies, he set a record for the highest ERA among hurlers, qualifying for an ERA title (7.71). He was traded to the Cubs in 1931 and released at the age of twenty-nine. He finished his career in the International League.

Russ Miller

Russ Miller attended Ohio State University with teammate Don Hurst. He accrued an ERA above the 4.00 mark in all but one of his nine seasons as a professional. The Phillies almost released him after he surrendered 8 runs to the Cubs in his 1927 debut. His follow-up performance several days later was far more promising—a complete game victory over the Braves. It would be the last win of his major league career, as he went 0–12 in 1928 with a 5.42 ERA (still a few points below the team average). The Phillies were a sickly 4–29 in games he appeared in. Miller was cursed by the Pirates, who raked him for 24 earned runs in 14.1 innings. He lasted just 2 innings against them on August 3, yielding 6 runs on 9 hits, one of them a homer by light-hitting Fred Brickell (who amassed just 6 long balls in his eight-year career). Released after the 1928 campaign, Miller played four more minor league seasons. His brother Jake was a far better pitcher, accruing a 60–58 lifetime record with a 4.09 ERA over 9 campaigns spent mostly with the Indians.