Fritz Buelow
Encyclopedia
Frederick William Alexander "Fritz" Buelow (February 13, 1876 – December 27, 1933) was a catcher
in Major League Baseball
. Born in Berlin
, Germany
, Buelow was the first player born in Berlin to play in the major leagues.
Buelow got his start in the major leagues after being sold in September 1899 by Detroit
of the Western League to the St. Louis Perfectos
with Tom Thomas
and Pat Dillard
. He played nine seasons in the major leagues with the St. Louis Perfectos (1899), St. Louis Cardinals
(1900), Detroit Tigers
(1901–04), Cleveland Naps
(1904–06), and St. Louis Browns
(1907). He had a career batting average
of .192 with six home runs. Though a weak hitter, Buelow was reputed to be better as a catcher. He had at least 66 assists as a catcher in five straight seasons, 1901–05, including 88 in 1904. In 1904, Buelow had 466 chances, with 378 putouts and 88 assists.
On May 4, 1902, the American League suspended Buelow for rowdyism on the field during a game on May 1. John McGraw was also supsended in the incident.
According to retrosheet.org, Buelow umpired a game on July 16, 1906.
Fritz Buelow died in 1933 at age 57 in Detroit, Michigan
and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit.
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Born in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Buelow was the first player born in Berlin to play in the major leagues.
Buelow got his start in the major leagues after being sold in September 1899 by Detroit
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
of the Western League to the St. Louis Perfectos
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
with Tom Thomas
Tom Thomas
Thomas Robert "Savage Tom" Thomas was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Cleveland Spiders and St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals.-External links:...
and Pat Dillard
Pat Dillard
Robert Lee "Pat" Dillard was a professional baseball player from 1896 to 1906. He played one season in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. Dillard was 6 feet tall and weighed 180 pounds.-Career:...
. He played nine seasons in the major leagues with the St. Louis Perfectos (1899), St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(1900), Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(1901–04), Cleveland Naps
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(1904–06), and St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1907). He had a career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .192 with six home runs. Though a weak hitter, Buelow was reputed to be better as a catcher. He had at least 66 assists as a catcher in five straight seasons, 1901–05, including 88 in 1904. In 1904, Buelow had 466 chances, with 378 putouts and 88 assists.
On May 4, 1902, the American League suspended Buelow for rowdyism on the field during a game on May 1. John McGraw was also supsended in the incident.
According to retrosheet.org, Buelow umpired a game on July 16, 1906.
Fritz Buelow died in 1933 at age 57 in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit.