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William Adam Meyer (January 14, 1893 – March 31, 1957) was an American
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
player and
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
. He holds the dubious distinction of having played with, then managed, two of the worst teams in the history of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
. A
catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...
who spent most of his 19-year active (1910–1928) playing career in the minor leagues, he threw and batted right-handed, and was listed as tall and . Meyer broke into the majors with the 1913
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
, though he appeared in only one game. Three years later, when he returned to the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
with the
Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, they became the Oakland ...
in 1916, he appeared in 50 games for a squad which won only 36 games and lost 117. The following year, he played in 62 games for an improved A's club which, however, still posted a 55–98 mark. Then, a generation-and-a-half later, Meyer managed the 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates to the third-worst record in modern
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
history, the Bucs winning only 42 of 154 games. However, during the period from 1932 through 1947, Meyer was a highly successful
minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...
manager, helming high-level teams in the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
' organization and winning four playoff championships. In addition, in , Meyer's first season at the helm of the Pirates, he was selected ''The Sporting News'' Major League Manager of the Year, after he led the Bucs to a surprising first-division finish.


Early life

Meyer was born in
Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
, to William and Carrie Meyer. His father, born in the
Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918. The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a Margravia ...
in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, had emigrated to the United States at age 16 and operated a
brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of b ...
in Knoxville. Meyer started playing baseball in grade school when his father bought him a catcher's mitt to catch his older brother. His hero was catcher Johnny Kling. He was a good student until high school, when baseball became such a primary focus that it even resulted in a school suspension. His father also owned a brewery in
Smithton, Pennsylvania Smithton is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 399 at the 2010 census. As of 2018, the population was listed at 378. Smithton has its own post office, with zip code 15479, and is serviced by Yough S ...
, for a time and the younger Meyer worked there during vacation. During his
sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educatio ...
year of high school, Meyer was offered $75 per month to catch for a
Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. Located along Interstate 4, I-4 east of Tampa and southwest of Orlando, Florida, Orlando, it is the List of municipalities in Florida, most populous city in Polk County. As of the 2020 ...
, team, but was expected to inherit the brewery so his father resisted the idea. He went regardless, and played so well a
Sanford, Florida Sanford is a city and the county seat of Seminole County, Florida, United States. It is located in Central Florida and its population was 61,051 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical ...
, team offered him $175 per month to play for them. He caught for other Florida teams and finally hit a championship-winning home run for
Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the most populous city in North Central Florida, with a population of 145,212 in 2022. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gainesv ...
. When he returned to Tennessee with $250, his father never protested against baseball again.Baseball Digest, 1948, by Vince Johnson from the ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''.
/ref>


Major league playing career

In 1915, Meyer played so well for a
Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...
, team
Connie Mack Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. Mack holds records for the most wins (3,731), losses (3,948), ties (76), and ga ...
acquired him to back up catcher
Wally Schang Walter Henry Schang (August 22, 1889 – March 6, 1965) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from to for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, St. Lou ...
for his major league Philadelphia Athletics. He recalled Mack had him catch for unpredictable young pitchers in order to save Schang. He played 50 games for the A's that year—and was thus on hand for a season in which the A's finished with the worst winning percentage in Major League Baseball history. He played 62 games for the A's in 1917. As it turned out, this would be Meyer's last season in the majors as an active player. He collected 71
hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...
, with seven doubles, three
triples TripleS (; ; stylized as tripleS) is a South Korean 24-member multinational girl group formed by Modhaus. They aim to be the world's first decentralized idol group, where the members will rotate between the full group, sub-units, and solo activi ...
and one
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
, batted .236, and was credited with 21
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
. After the season, Meyer was sold to the
Louisville Colonels The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association (AA) throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891. They were known as the Louisville Eclipse from 1882 to 1884, and as th ...
in the American Association. He would stay in Louisville for 11 years, and was a major contributor to the Colonels' American Association pennants in 1921 and 1925 under
Joe McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death at age 48 in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the mo ...
.


Minor league managerial career


Playing manager

When McCarthy was called up to manage the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
for the 1926 season, Meyer was named to succeed him at the helm of the Colonels.The Pittsburgh Pirates Encyclopedia
by David Finoli and Bill Ranier, 2003.
In his first season, Louisville won a second consecutive pennant with a team which included future
Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...
second baseman Billy Herman (whom Meyer would replace as skipper of the Pirates over 20 years later). But when the Colonels promptly slumped to consecutive 100-loss seasons in 1927 and 1928, he was fired. At the same time, he was released as a player.


Yankees' organization

After spending three years (1929–1931) as a coach with the
Minneapolis Millers The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League. The team played first in ...
, an American Association rival of the Colonels, Meyer became manager of the 1932 Springfield Rifles of the Eastern League, an affiliate of the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
, where McCarthy was in his second season as manager. Meyer had the Rifles in first place on July 17 when the league folded due to Depression-related financial troubles. Only two days later, was hired by the
Binghamton Triplets The Binghamton Triplets were a minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York between 1923 and 1963. The franchise played as members of the New York–Penn League (1923–1937), Eastern League (1938–1963), New York–Penn League ( ...
of the New York–Pennsylvania League, another Yankees farm team. Meyer stayed in Binghamton for 3 years, winning the pennant in 1933 and split-season pennants in 1934 and 1935, and impressing George Weiss, head of the parent club's growing
farm system In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful pl ...
. In 1936, Meyer moved up to the top-level Oakland Oaks of the
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
, who then had a working agreement with the Bronx Bombers. He produced one playoff team in two seasons while at Oakland and was named to manage another top-level Yankees farm outlet, the Kansas City Blues of the American Association, in 1938. For the next ten years, Meyer alternated as the manager of the Blues (1938–1941; 1946–1947) and another elite Yankee farm club, the
Newark Bears The Newark Bears were an American independent league professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They were a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and, later, the Canadian American Association of Professional Bas ...
of the
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
(1942–1945). During that time, he won four pennants and finished second four times. His 1939 Blues, who finished 107–47 and won the Junior World Series for the second year in a row, were named the 12th best team in history by Minor League Baseball. Meyer was named Minor League Manager of the Year by ''
The Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
.'' Overall, as a manager in the minors, Meyer won eight pennants, narrowly missed a ninth, and finished in the second division only twice. On July 6, 1944, Meyer and Newark were in last place, 30
games behind In some North American sports, the phrase games behind or games back (often abbreviated GB) refers to a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division. Example In the standings ...
Bucky Harris Stanley Raymond "Bucky" Harris (November 8, 1896 – November 8, 1977) was an American professional baseball second baseman, Manager (baseball), manager and executive. While Harris played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senato ...
and his
Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...
, and had lost to Buffalo seven consecutive times. Newark rebounded by winning 30 of 34 games while Buffalo dropped into the second division, and missed winning the pennant by a fraction of a percent. In 19 seasons as a minor league skipper, Meyer's clubs won 1,605 and lost 1,325 (.548).


Reputation

Meyer was known for scrappiness. With Newark, one of his players, Nick Rhabe, threatened the general manager, "If you don't get me more dough, you'll be sorry." Rhabe carried through on the threat by running the bases poorly in a game. Meyer responded by knocking Rhabe down the dugout steps and kicking him off the team. In general, he was a disciplinarian who rarely screamed at players, similar to the style of Joe McCarthy. Meyer was an avid singer and a fan of
George M. Cohan George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudev ...
. While in New York,
Joe McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death at age 48 in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the mo ...
introduced Meyer to Cohan. Meyer impressed him by singing songs that Cohan himself had not remembered writing.


Bypassed for MLB jobs

During his minor league managerial career, Meyer was considered for major league jobs several times. He was a candidate to be manager for the 1938 Cleveland Indians, but lost out to Ossie Vitt, his peer as the skipper of the Yanks' Newark Bears affiliate. Later, he was derailed by the clubs' preference of the time for player–managers, thus saving salary during the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, or men whose major league résumés were stronger than Meyer's. When the Cubs fired Gabby Hartnett after the 1940 campaign Meyer was considered, but Jimmie Wilson got the job after helping the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
win the
1940 World Series The 1940 World Series matched the 1940 Cincinnati Reds season, Cincinnati Reds against the 1940 Detroit Tigers season, Detroit Tigers, with the Reds winning a closely contested seven-game series. The victory secured the Reds the second champions ...
. In 1945, Frank E. McKinney, owner of the
Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...
of the American Association, approached Meyer at the Little World Series in Louisville on behalf of the Indians' parent team, the
Boston Braves The Boston Braves were a Major League Baseball club that originated in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, and played from 1871 to 1952. Afterwards they moved to History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee, Milwaukee (and became the Milwaukee Braves). ...
, about their managerial opening, but the Braves owners, led by Lou Perini, ultimately chose
Billy Southworth William Harold Southworth (March 9, 1893 – November 15, 1969) was an American outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player in and and from to for five big-league teams, Southworth took part in almost 1,200 games, fell ...
, winner of three straight NL pennants and two
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
titles from 1942 to 1944 with the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
; Southworth would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager in 2008. The parent Yankees, meanwhile, had only one skipper from 1931 through 1945: McCarthy, who won eight American League pennants, seven
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
titles, and 1,438 regular-season games (an average of 96 a season) during that span.


Major league managerial career


Health issues

After a tumultuous 1946 season, which saw McCarthy quit as the Bombers' skipper in May, Yankees president and co-owner
Larry MacPhail Leland Stanford "Larry" MacPhail Sr. (February 3, 1890 – October 1, 1975) was an American lawyer and an executive in Major League Baseball. He served as a high-ranking executive, including club president and general manager, with the Cincin ...
offered the
1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...
managerial job to Meyer, though Meyer had been seriously ill during 1946, having collapsed during a June game from heat prostration, then been hospitalized for several weeks after suffering a mild
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
. The hot-tempered, hard-drinking MacPhail also had a reputation for clashing with his managers. Meyer declined MacPhail's offer and instead returned to Kansas City, leading the 1947 Blues to a first-place finish, while the Yankees rebounded to win the 1947 pennant under
Bucky Harris Stanley Raymond "Bucky" Harris (November 8, 1896 – November 8, 1977) was an American professional baseball second baseman, Manager (baseball), manager and executive. While Harris played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senato ...
.


Pittsburgh Pirates

The years 1946 and 1947 were also consequential for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Frank McKinney—who had contacted Meyer about interviewing with the Braves after the 1945 season—became the Pirates' majority owner in August 1946. His ownership group, which included entertainer
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
and real-estate magnate John W. Galbreath, hired a new management team at the close of the 1946 season. As
general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
, they selected former Yankees farm system official Roy Hamey. Then they acquired Billy Herman from the Braves and named the future Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman their player–manager for 1947. However the managerial move backfired: the 37-year-old Herman was at the end of the line as a player, appearing in only 18 games and hitting .213, and his Pirates stumbled to the club's second consecutive seventh-place season in the eight-team National League. Herman resigned with one game left in the
1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...
campaign. Hamey, who had worked with Meyer at both Binghamton and Kansas City in the Yankee organization, and McKinney then turned to Meyer, who accepted their offer to become Pittsburgh's pilot for
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...
. Meyer received an important endorsement from Joe McCarthy, who had followed Meyer's work closely with future Yankees stars in Oakland, Kansas City and Newark. McCarthy was impressed enough to say Meyer had been the best manager in the minor leagues at the time, and predicted that he would be one of the best in the majors as well. In
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...
, in his first season, Pittsburgh rose from seventh place to fourth in the standings—and just 8 games out of first. The 21-game improvement to 83–71 earned Meyer ''The Sporting News'' Major League Manager of the Year. The Pirates also led the National League in attendance. Despite the
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
heroics of
Ralph Kiner Ralph McPherran Kiner (October 27, 1922 – February 6, 2014) was an American Major League Baseball player and broadcaster. An outfielder, Kiner played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and Cleveland Indians from 1946 through 1955. Fo ...
, the Pirates dropped to sixth place in 1949. Reportedly, Meyer lost the team when he suggested to reporters a player had run into a pitchout on his own when he had actually given the player a
hit and run In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the criminal act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions. Additional obligation In many jurisdictions, there ma ...
sign. By 1950 they were back in the cellar. In December 1950, the Pirate ownership replaced Hamey with
Branch Rickey Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player and sports executive. Rickey was instrumental in breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier by signing black player Jackie Robinson. He also creat ...
, whose solution was to purge the team of high-salaried veterans and bring up young players from the farm system—the same tactic he'd used to rebuild the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
and
Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
. However, it backfired disastrously in Pittsburgh, and Meyer was saddled with what amounted to a minor-league team at the major-league level. The Pirates managed to improve to seventh in 1951, but lost 112 games in 1952—the second-worst record in franchise history, and the third-worst in modern (post-1900) National League history. Meyer resigned at the end of that campaign.


Personal life

Despite a managing record of 317–452 (.412) over five seasons, all with Pittsburgh, and his pedestrian big league playing career, Meyer was given two significant honors, a measure of how widely respected he was. In 1954, the Pirates retired Meyer's uniform number (1). He also was saluted by his native city of Knoxville, where he maintained his home and had married a classmate from grade school, Madelon Warters, in 1932. The city's baseball park, for years the home of the minor-league
Knoxville Smokies The Knoxville Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The team was based in Kodak, Tennessee, a Knoxville suburb, fr ...
, was named Bill Meyer Stadium in his honor. Meyer appears in the
Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...
painting '' Bottom of the Sixth''. After his managing days, Meyer worked as a scout and troubleshooter for the Pirates until he suffered a
stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
in 1955. Meyer died two years later, in Knoxville, of heart and kidney ailments at age 64.


References


Further reading

* Abrams, Al
"Sidelights on Sports: Passing of s Good One"
''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. April 2, 1957.
Billy Meyer
Article written by Denis Repp. ''SABR Biography Project.'' Retrieved on July 22, 2019.


External links

* * *
Billy Meyer
at Baseball Almanac * {{DEFAULTSORT:Meyer, Billy 1893 births 1957 deaths American people of German descent American sportsmen Baseball players from Knoxville, Tennessee Binghamton Triplets managers Chicago White Sox players Davenport Blue Sox players Des Moines Boosters players Kansas City Blues (baseball) managers Knoxville Appalachians players Knoxville Reds players Lincoln Tigers players Louisville Colonels (minor league) managers Louisville Colonels (minor league) players Major League Baseball catchers Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Oakland Oaks (baseball) managers Philadelphia Athletics players 20th-century American sportsmen Pittsburgh Pirates managers Pittsburgh Pirates scouts Winona Pirates players