Skel Roach
Encyclopedia
Rudolph Charles "Skel" Roach (born Rudolph Charles Weichbrodt, October 20, 1871 – March 9, 1958) was a baseball
player and coach. He played professional baseball from 1895 to 1905, including one game in Major League Baseball
with the Chicago Orphans
on August 9, . He was also a college baseball coach for the Lewis Institute (now part of Illinois Institute of Technology
), the University of Michigan
, and Indiana University
. He later became an attorney practicing in the Chicago
area.
, Germany
, and is now Gdańsk
, Poland
. His birth name was Rudolph Charles Weichbrodt. He emigrated to the United States in 1880.
. He compiled a 13–7 record for Des Moines in 1895.
Roach appeared in only one major league game, pitching a complete game victory for the Chicago Orphans
on August 9, .
Roach played nine seasons of minor league baseball from 1895 to 1905. He played for Des Moines Prohibitionists (1895), Mobile Blackbirds (1896, 1898), Kansas City Blues
(1897), Omaha Omahogs (1900-1901), Des Moines Hawkeyes (1900), Butte Miners (1902-1903), Portland Browns (1904) and Seattle Siwashes. His best season as a pitcher was 1903 when he won 22 games and lost nine with 137 strikeouts for the Butte Miners in the Pacific National League. His final season as a minor league player was 1905, when he won 15 games and maintained a 2.47 earned run average
for the Seattle Siwashes in the Pacific Coast League
.
) from 1899 to 1902, leading the team to championships all four years.
In 1903, he was hired as the baseball coach at the University of Michigan
. Upon his arrival at Michigan in March 1903, The Michigan Alumnus wrote: "Mr. Roach, the new baseball coach, came to Ann Arbor to take charge of the men, March 20. He is a big fellow, and bears all the marks of a ball-player. He has been playing professional ball for a number of years past, at Butte, Montana
, in the Pacific-Northwest league, and also, for a short time with a Chicago league team." He led the Wolverines
to a 12–5 record in 1903.
Roach later coached baseball at Indiana University
.
and became an attorney. He married Louise Otillie Eichman. At the time of the 1910 Census, Roach and his wife were living in Chicago
with his mother-in-law, Otillie Eichmann. His occupation was listed as lawyer. At the time of the 1920 Census, Roach and his wife were living in Oak Park, Illinois
with two daughters, Louise and Margaret. His occupation was recorded at the time as a lawyer in private practice. In 1930, he was living in Oak Park with daughters Louise, Margaret and Helen; he was employed as a lawyer in general practice.
Roach died in 1958 at Oak Park, Illinois
.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player and coach. He played professional baseball from 1895 to 1905, including one game 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...
with the Chicago Orphans
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
on August 9, . He was also a college baseball coach for the Lewis Institute (now part of Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
), the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, and Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
. He later became an attorney practicing in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area.
Early years
Roach was born in 1871 at what was then known as DanzigGdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, 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...
, and is now Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. His birth name was Rudolph Charles Weichbrodt. He emigrated to the United States in 1880.
Baseball player
Roach began an eleven-year career in professional baseball at age 23 with the Des Moines Prohibitionists of the Western AssociationWestern Association
The Western Association was the name of five different leagues in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western Association on October 28, 1887...
. He compiled a 13–7 record for Des Moines in 1895.
Roach appeared in only one major league game, pitching a complete game victory for the Chicago Orphans
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
on August 9, .
Roach played nine seasons of minor league baseball from 1895 to 1905. He played for Des Moines Prohibitionists (1895), Mobile Blackbirds (1896, 1898), Kansas City Blues
Kansas City Blues (American Association)
The Kansas City Blues are a former minor league baseball team located in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Midwestern United States. The team was one of the eight founding members of the American Association....
(1897), Omaha Omahogs (1900-1901), Des Moines Hawkeyes (1900), Butte Miners (1902-1903), Portland Browns (1904) and Seattle Siwashes. His best season as a pitcher was 1903 when he won 22 games and lost nine with 137 strikeouts for the Butte Miners in the Pacific National League. His final season as a minor league player was 1905, when he won 15 games and maintained a 2.47 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
for the Seattle Siwashes in the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
.
Baseball coach
Roach coached baseball at the Lewis Institute (now part of Illinois Institute of TechnologyIllinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
) from 1899 to 1902, leading the team to championships all four years.
In 1903, he was hired as the baseball coach at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Upon his arrival at Michigan in March 1903, The Michigan Alumnus wrote: "Mr. Roach, the new baseball coach, came to Ann Arbor to take charge of the men, March 20. He is a big fellow, and bears all the marks of a ball-player. He has been playing professional ball for a number of years past, at Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
, in the Pacific-Northwest league, and also, for a short time with a Chicago league team." He led the Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines baseball
The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference...
to a 12–5 record in 1903.
Roach later coached baseball at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
.
Later years
Roach later attended law school at Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
and became an attorney. He married Louise Otillie Eichman. At the time of the 1910 Census, Roach and his wife were living in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
with his mother-in-law, Otillie Eichmann. His occupation was listed as lawyer. At the time of the 1920 Census, Roach and his wife were living in Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
with two daughters, Louise and Margaret. His occupation was recorded at the time as a lawyer in private practice. In 1930, he was living in Oak Park with daughters Louise, Margaret and Helen; he was employed as a lawyer in general practice.
Roach died in 1958 at Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
.