FINAL NOT LOCATED in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery but the virtual stages you need to visit are. Main entrance is off of 10 mile road. Posted hours are: 8:00am-7:30pm daily.
CAUTION!!!!!!
The last three locations are found in the Masoleum which is open from 9:00am - 4:00pm daily!!! Make sure you get here in time to seek what you need!
This puzzle cache will take you to some great Tiger baseball players and owners.
Ready? Let's start!!!
Go to the posted coord's to find the masoleum of WALTER OWEN BRIGGS.
Birth: Feb. 27, 1877 Death: Jan. 17, 1952
Major League Baseball Team Owner. He began his career working in the Michigan railroad yards in the late 1800s, became wealthy, obtained a controlling interest in the Everitt Carriage auto manufacturer works in 1907 and changed the name to Briggs Manufacturing Detroit in 1909. With a longstanding interest in baseball, Briggs purchased shares from John Kelsey giving him half ownership of the Detroit Tigers in 1927. Under his ownership, the Tigers won the American League Pennant in 1934 and were World Series Champions in 1935. Under Briggs' management, the Tigers won the American League pennant in 1940, won the league championship and the World Series in 1945. He continued to own the Tigers until his death and Tiger's Stadium was named Briggs Stadium in his honor.
PUZZLE TIME: How many shields with crosses on them are located on the masoleum? This answer will be "B".
Now go to N42 28.943 W083 18.140 to find the headstone of HARRY HEILMANN
Birth: Aug. 3, 1894 Death: Jul. 9, 1951
Harry Edwin Heilmann (August 3, 1894 – July 9, 1951), nicknamed "Slug," was a Major League Baseball player who played 17 seasons with the Detroit Tigers (1914, 1916–1929) and Cincinnati Reds (1930, 1932). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1952.
Heilmann was a line drive hitter who won four American League batting crowns, in 1921, 1923, 1925 & 1927. He and Ted Williams are the last two American League players to hit .400, Heilmann having accomplished the feat in 1923 at .403. His career batting average of .342 is currently 12th-highest in major league history.
He was also a premier slugger, ranking among the American League leaders in both slugging percentage and RBIs in 12 seasons. He is among the all-time major league leaders in doubles with 542, triples with 151 and RBIs with 1,539. He played in 2,148 major league games, 1,327 in right field and 448 at first base, and was also the first to hit at least one home run in every major league ballpark in use during his career.
Born in San Francisco, California, Heilmann attended Sacred Heart High School as did Joe Cronin. In 1913, while the 19-year-old Heilmann was working as a bookkeeper for a biscuit-maker, a former teammate from Sacred Heart asked him to fill in for the Hanford, California, team in the San Joaquin Valley League. After a scout saw him hit an 11th-inning game-winning double, he was signed to a professional contract by the Portland Beavers of the Northwest League. He later recalled that his signing bonus for Portland was a spaghetti dinner. After he hit .305 for the Beavers, the Detroit Tigers purchased his contract for $1,500.
Heilmann debuted with the Tigers on May 16, 1914, and played in 69 games that year, batting .225 and committing six errors in 31 games in the outfield (29 in center field) for a .870 fielding percentage. For the 1915 season, the Tigers sent Heilmann to the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. In 1915, he and fellow San Francisco native Ping Bodie (later a star with the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees) led the Seals to their second Pacific Coast League title, with Heilmann hitting .364.
Heilmann returned to the Tigers in 1916, playing in 136 games, including 30 games at first base and 66 games as a backup right fielder for Sam Crawford. Although his .282 batting average was low by the standards he would set later, he ranked among the American League leaders with 30 doubles (seventh best), 73 RBIs (seventh again) and 43 extra-base hits (eighth). He also became a favorite in Detroit for his actions off the field. On July 25, 1916, he spotted a woman in danger of drowning in the Detroit River, dived into the river and saved her life. His heroic act was reported in the local press, and he was loudly applauded at the next day's game. He continued to improve at the plate in 1917, once again ranking among the American League leaders with 86 RBIs (fourth), five home runs (seventh) and 11 triples (eighth); but he was called "Slug" due to his notoriously slow running and difficulties in the field. In 1917, the Tigers tried playing him in right field (95 games), center field (28) and first base (27), but he was not particularly good at any of those positions.
In 1918, with the United States entered World War I, Heilmann joined the U.S. Navy and served on a submarine, causing him to miss half of the 1918 season. He played in only 79 games in 1918, either in right field (40) or at first base (37).
He returned in 1919 and had his best season to date, ranking among the American League leaders with a .320 batting average (10th best), .477 slugging percentage (seventh), 93 RBIs (fourth), 53 extra base hits (fourth again), 15 triples (second), 256 total bases (fifth), 172 hits (sixth) and eight home runs (eighth). 1920 was another strong year for him at the plate, with a .309 average, 41 extra-base hits and 89 RBIs, but he continued to fall short in the field in those two years. Detroit manager Hughie Jennings made him the Tigers' starting first baseman, and he led the league in errors at that position both years, including 31 in 1919 for a .979 fielding percentage.
Heilmann was a good hitter in his first six years (averaging .291), but became a great hitter in 1921. The "live-ball era" that started in 1920 certainly played a part in this. As the lively ball forced outfielders to spread out and play deeper, more of Heilmann's line drives found the wider gaps.
In addition to the lively ball, Heilmann's ascent to star status in the 1920s was likely due to his teammate, all-time lifetime average leader Ty Cobb, who became the Tigers' playing manager in 1921 and worked closely with him to improve his mechanics at the plate. Cobb taught him to crouch more, use his wrists to drive the ball and shift his weight to his front foot. Whether due to the lively ball, Cobb's teaching or both, Heilmann's batting average rose by 85 points in 1921 to .394, which gained him the first of his four American League batting crowns albeit narrowly, edging out Cobb by five points.
Though primarily a line-drive hitter, Heilmann could also hit for power. He was among the American League leaders in home runs 11 times. On July 8, 1921, Heilmann hit a home run in Detroit reported by the New York Tribune at a gargantuan 610 feet – one of the longest ever recorded. In addition to winning the batting crown, Heilmann also led the league with 237 hits and was among the league leaders with a .444 on-base percentage (third best), .606 slugging percentage (second), 365 total bases (second again), 43 doubles (third), 139 RBIs (second) and 76 extra-base hits (third). The entire Tiger lineup hit remarkably well that season. In addition to Heilmann and Cobb's 1-2 finish for the batting title, Detroit's third outfielder, Bobby Veach, was also among the league's best at .338. The 1921 Tigers finished the season with a team batting average of .316, highest in American League history. But true to the baseball adage that good pitching beats good hitting, the 1921 Tigers lacked good pitching and finished in sixth place, 27 games behind the pennant-winning Yankees.
Heilmann broke his collarbone in 1922, but still managed to hit .356 (fourth in the AL) with a .432 on-base percentage (fifth best) and a .598 slugging percentage (fourth). And despite missing more than a month with the collarbone fracture, he hit a career-high 21 home runs (fourth again).
Heilmann strung together 12 consecutive seasons of hitting at least .300, and was in the top 10 in batting average 10 times. In 1923 he won his second batting title, hitting .403 for the season, edging out Babe Ruth's .393. It was the second time a Detroit batsman had denied Ruth a triple crown. Ruth led the league in home runs and RBIs in both 1921 & 1923, but was edged out averagewise in both years by Cobb and/or Heilmann. In 1926 another Tiger hitter, Heinie Manush, won the batting title to deny Ruth the triple crown a third time, to the delight of manager Cobb.
In addition to winning the 1923 batting crown, Heilmann had one of his best seasons as a slugger. He finished second to Ruth in on-base percentage (.481) and slugging percentage (.632). He was also among the top five with 121 runs (fourth), 211 hits (third), 331 total bases (fourth), 44 doubles (fourth again), 18 home runs (third), 115 RBIs (third) and 73 extra-base hits (fourth). Despite hitting over .400, however, he finished third in the 1923 American League Most Valuable Player voting behind slugger Babe Ruth and speedster Eddie Collins.
Heilmann worked as a life insurance agent during the off-season in the 1920s. On October 16, 1923, after Babe Ruth had received his World Series winner's share‚ Heilmann‚ who was friends with Ruth despite having beaten him for the batting title‚ sold Ruth a $50‚000 life insurance policy.
In 1924 Heilmann "slumped" (by his standards) to a "mere" .346 (sixth best in the AL), but his .445 on-base percentage was second best. He also led the league with 41 doubles, and had another 100+-RBI season. He had his best defensive season in 1924, leading the league in outfield assists with 31; he never had more than 18 in any other season.
In 1925 Heilmann won his third batting title, this time in a close race with Tris Speaker. On the first of September he trailed Speaker by 17 points, but beat him in the closing weeks. With a few games to go he refused to come out of the lineup, and won the title .393 to .389. He was again among the leaders in most offensive categories, with 134 RBIs (second best), a .457 on-base percentage (fourth), .569 slugging percentage (fifth), 225 hits (third) and 326 total bases (fourth). Despite that third batting title the American League MVP award went to Roger Peckinpaugh, who hit almost 100 points below Heilmann and had 70 fewer RBIs and 40 fewer extra-base hits than Heilmann but whose Senators repeated as pennant winners.
In 1926, Tiger outfielders took three of the top four spots in the batting race. Center fielder Heinie Manush's .378 won the batting crown, while Heilmann and left fielder Bob Fothergill both hit .367. Heilmann's .445 on-base percentage was second best in the American League, he once again had more than 100 RBIs and he finished fifth in AL MVP voting.
In 1927 Heilmann won his fourth batting crown with .398 in another close race pitting him against Al Simmons. Heilmann trailed Simmons by one point going into the last day of the season. In a doubleheader at Cleveland he had four hits in the first game and three in the second, finishing six points above Simmons. He was also near the top in most offensive categories with a .475 on-base percentage (second best), 120 RBIs (third), 201 hits (third as well), 50 doubles (third again), 73 extra-base hits (third once more), .616 slugging percentage (fourth), 311 total bases (fourth again) and 106 runs scored (fifth). Despite winning that fourth batting title he still finished second in the MVP voting, this time behind Lou Gehrig of the 110-44, Series-sweeping world champion Yankees.
Through the 1920s, Heilmann led the entire AL in hitting at .364 average. His .558 slugging percentage was topped only by Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Al Simmons. For the decade he averaged 220 hits, 110 runs, 45 doubles, 12 triples, 16 homers and 130 RBI in 154-game seasons.
When a reporter reminded him that he had won batting titles every other year from 1921 to 1927, Heilmann replied: (Tiger owner) "Mr. [Frank] Navin gives me contracts on a two-year basis. I always bear down real hard when a new contract is coming up."
Heilmann's batting average dropped off somewhat in 1928 (.328) and 1929 (.344) although he was still among the league leaders in hitting both years. Even when bothered by arthritis in both wrists in 1929, he still managed 63 extra-base hits and 120 RBIs along with his .344 average.
In October 1929, the Tigers sold Heilmann to the Cincinnati Reds. Despite continuing difficulty with arthritis in his wrists, he hit .333 for the Reds in 1930 with 68 extra-base hits, 19 home runs and 91 RBIs. While not previously known for his fielding, his range factor was 2.78 in 1930, second highest in history for a right fielder. In his time with the Reds, he also became the first player to hit a home run in every major league park used during his career. The arthritis kept him out of action in 1931. He attempted a brief comeback in 1932, but played in only 15 games for the Reds.
Heilmann retired for good in 1932 with career totals of 2,660 hits, 542 doubles, 151 triples, 1,539 RBI and 876 extra-base hits. His .342 batting average is still second only to Rogers Hornsbyamong right-handed hitters. In 1994, Hall of Fame slugger Ted Williams rated Heilmann as one of the top five right-handed hitters, and the 17th best overall hitter, of all time.
From 1934 to 1950, Heilmann did radio play-by-play for Tiger games on WXYZ. For the first eight years, he was part of an unusual broadcasting arrangement. While Heilmann's broadcasts anchored a radio network that stretched across Michigan, Ty Tyson did play-by-play separately on WWJ for metropolitan Detroit. The competing broadcasts merged in 1942. He was popular for his humor, story-telling skills and knowledge of the game, and his broadcasts were heard throughout Michigan as the Tigers won pennants in 1934, 1935, 1940 & 1945 and world championships (over the Chicago Cubs) in 1935 & 1945. Stricken with lung cancer in March 1950, he managed to return to the broadcast booth at Briggs Stadium for a few innings later that year. That summer, former teammate and manager Ty Cobb launched a campaign to elect Heilmann to the Baseball Hall of Fame while he was still alive, which fell short in the 1951 balloting at 67.7%.
Heilmann died on July 9, 1951, two days before the All-Star Game in Detroit. Shortly after his death, Time magazine published an article on Cobb's campaign for his former teammate. "Recently, hearing that Heilmann was seriously ill, Cobb wrote to several of his baseball-writer friends, urging them not to bypass Harry in this year's selections. Last week, New York Times Columnist Arthur Daley printed part of Cobb's letter, agree[ing] that Heilmann's election was long overdue. The appeal came too late. At last week's All-Star game in Detroit, 50,000 fans stood and observed a moment of silence. The day before, Harry Heilmann, 56, had died of cancer in Detroit." He was elected to the Hall of Fame, along with Pirate slugger "Big Poison" Paul Waner, six months later in January 1952 on 87% of the ballots.
In 1999, Heilmann was ranked 54th on The Sporting News list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
PUZZLE TIME: Find the headstone just to the right that says MOTHER on it and answer the following question. How many letters are in the woman's first name. Take this answer and minus 1 from it to get "A".
Now got to N42 28.751 W083 18.290 to get to the masoleum of FRANK NAVIN.
Birth: Apr. 22, 1871 Death: Nov. 13, 1935, USA
Francis Joseph Navin (April 18, 1871 – November 13, 1935) was the principal owner of the Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball for 27 years, from 1908 to 1935. He also served as vice president and acting president of the American League.
Born in Adrian, Michigan, Navin was one of nine children of Irish immigrants. He attended the Detroit College of Law and worked as both a lawyer and accountant.
In 1902, Navin was a bookkeeper at the insurance offices of Samuel F. Angus when Angus led a syndicate that purchased the Detroit Tigers. Angus brought the 31-year-old Navin with him as the team's bookkeeper. He also served as "secretary, treasurer, business manager, farm director, chief ticket seller, advertising manager, and any other position that demanded immediate attention." In 1903, Navin bought $5000 in stock in the team, reportedly with money won in a card game.
Navin had an eye for talent, and he built a team that won three straight pennants from 1907-1909. His signing of Ty Cobb and Hughie Jennings was instrumental in the development of the Tigers championship teams. But Angus soon tired of the Tigers' massive monetary losses, and told Navin to find a buyer. Navin quickly cut a deal with the richest man in Michigan, lumber baron William Clyman Yawkey. However, Yawkey died before the deal closed, and Navin persuaded his son, Bill Yawkey, to complete the deal.
Yawkey had little involvement in the Tigers' day-to-day operations, largely leaving those in the hands of Navin. In January 1908, Yawkey sold Navin almost half the club, making him for all intents and purposes a full partner. Navin then became team president in name as well as in fact.
In 1911, Navin tore down the Tigers' longtime home, Bennett Park, and built a new concrete-and-steel facility on the same site with a seating capacity of 23,000. The new park, named "Navin Field," opened on April 20, 1912. Renamed Briggs Stadium in 1938, and then Tiger Stadium in 1961, the park built by Navin remained the Tigers' home until 2000. In 1924, as Detroit grew, Navin built a second deck on his stadium, increasing the seating capacity to 30,000.
In 1931, Navin was nearly ruined by the Great Depression and by his losses betting on horse racing. Navin had a lifelong love of gambling on horse races.
By 1933, the Great Depression (and a losing team) had cut attendance at Navin Field to a third of what it had been a decade earlier. Navin contemplated selling the franchise and even entertained an offer from Ty Cobb. But Navin decided not to sell and tried to sign Babe Ruth, hoping to revive interest in the team. Instead, he ended up buying Mickey Cochrane from Connie Mack for $100,000. Cochrane proved to the sparkplug that helped the Tigers win two consecutive pennants in 1934 and 1935.
After the Tigers lost the 1934 World Series to the Gashouse Gang from St. Louis, the 64-year-old Navin was reportedly heartbroken, having seen his teams win four American League pennants, only to lose four World Series.
In October 1935, the Tigers finally won their World Series championship, and six weeks later, on November 13, 1935, Navin died. Navin had been riding one of his horses at the Detroit Riding and Hunt Club when he suffered a heart attack and fell from the horse. The Navin family mausoleum was decorated by Corrado Parducci and is guarded by two tigers by American animalier Frederick Roth.
PUZZLE TIME: Even though the tiger statues were sculpted by Frederick Roth, look at either of them and find out how he signed his name on them. Count the total number of letters of his first and last names (will be an even number). This answer will be "G".
Now go to N42 28.731 W083 18.330 to find the gravesite of VICTOR "VIC" WERTZ.
Birth: Feb. 9, 1925 Death: Jul. 7, 1983
Victor Woodrow Wertz (February 9, 1925 – July 7, 1983) was a Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder. He had a seventeen-year career from 1947 to 1963. He was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Tigers in 1942 and played for the Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox andMinnesota Twins, all of the American League.
Wertz finished in the Top 15 in MVP voting five times: 1949 (10th), 1950 (10th), 1956 (9th), 1957 (6th), and 1960 (14th).
Wertz was among the Top 10 in the American League in home runs in 1949 (20), 1950 (27), 1951 (27), 1952 (23), 1953 (19), 1956 (32), and 1957 (28). His 1956 total of 32 home runs was 2nd best in the AL. For his career, he hit 266 home runs and 1,178 RBIs with a .469 career slugging average and a .364 career on-base percentage. He hit for the cycle on September 14, 1947 while in his rookie season with Detroit.
He was elected to the American League All-Star team four times (1949, 1951, 1952 and 1957). He missed part of the 1955 season when stricken with a nonparalytic form of polio but returned in 1956.
Wertz hit the long fly ball that Willie Mays caught in the 1954 World Series (see The Catch). It went over 450 feet to dead center of the Polo Grounds in New York, and a sportswriter said, "It would have been a home run in any other park, including Yellowstone."
He was a World War II veteran, worked in the Detroit area beer distribution business during and after his baseball career, was known for his baldness, and was very well liked by fans because of his winning personality.
When he retired to Mt. Clemens, Michigan, he formed "Wertz Warriors," a group of sportsmen who raised millions for the Special Olympics Winter Games. Wertz also was a major contributor to the Easter Seals, March of Dimes, and Boys and Girls Clubs, to name just a few. He was the founder of the Macomb to Mackinac, 900 Mile snowmobile endurance test, run each year to benefit the Special Olympics.
Wertz died during heart surgery at Detroit's Harper Hospital on the morning of July 7, 1983. Surgeons were performing a coronary bypass and replacing a valve in his heart after he had suffered a heart attack the previous day.
PUZZLE TIME: To the right of Vic find the headstone of Robert Pauz M.D. There is a phrase on his headstone that begans " HE WHO WOULD BE GREAT..... Count the total number of words in this phrase and add 5 to it to get "J".
Now go to N42 28.977 W083 18.390 to find the headstone of STEVE GROMEK.
Birth: Jan. 15, 1920 Death: Mar. 12, 2002
Major League Baseball Player. He played Major League baseball as a pitcher for seventeen seasons with the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers. A right-hander, he relied on a fastball, change, and knuckle-curve to win 123 games. Used mostly as a reliever in 1948, going 9-3 with a 2.84 ERA, he started the pivotal fourth game of the 1948 World Series against the Boston Braves and threw a 2-1 complete-game victory. The Indians went on to win their 2nd Worlds Series Championship. A picture him hugging teammate Larry Doby, the American League's first black ballplayer, who had homered in that game, was, according to "The Cleveland Indians Encyclopedia" a landmark in the annals of baseball's battle to integrate successfully. Doby said he would "always cherish that photograph and the memory of Gromek hugging me and me hugging him, because it proved that emotions can be put into a form not based on skin color." Steve Gromek started his baseball career as a shortstop, but an injury to his left shoulder led to his switch to the mound. He joined the Indians in 1941 after going 14-2 in the Michigan State League. His career high in wins came in 1945, when he was 19-9. A native of Hamtramck, Michigan, he went 45-41 over five seasons with the hometown Tigers,(1953-1957) including 18-16 in 1954. He retired in 1957. In a career that spanned 17 seasons and 447 games, he accrued a 123-108 won-loss record with 23 saves, 904 strikeouts, a 3.41 ERA with 2064.2 innings pitched.
PUZZLE TIME: Just above and to the right of Gromek find the headstone of Wilfred Staley, Add the 1st and 3rd numbers together of his death year to get "D".
Now go to N42 29.028 W083 18.362 to find the headstone of DICK RADATZ.
Birth: Apr. 2, 1937 Death: Mar. 16, 2005
Richard Raymond Radatz (April 2, 1937 – March 16, 2005) was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Nicknamed "The Monster," the 6'6", 230 lb. right-hander had a scorching but short-lived period of dominance for the Boston Red Sox in the early sixties. He got his nickname by striking out several New York Yankees in a row at a game in Fenway Park in 1963. Mickey Mantle, who had a tough time facing Radatz, was heard to call him “that monster,” and the name stuck.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Radatz attended Berkley High School. He was a star basketball and baseball player at Michigan State University before signing with the Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 1959. Originally a starting pitcher when he began his professional career, Radatz compiled a 16-10 record and 3.48 earned run average in his first two seasons in the Red Sox farm system.
A sore arm led Seattle Rainiers manager Johnny Pesky to convert him into a reliever in 1961 against Radatz's will. The experiment worked, as Radatz earned a job out of spring training the following season as a non-roster invitee.
Sportswriter Jim Murray wrote that "Dick Radatz brings one weapon - a fastball. It's like saying all a country brings to a war is an atom bomb." But Radatz's one-pitch arsenal was a worry for Boston, and Ted Williams encouraged him to develop a sinker.
Radatz complied, but in changing his mechanics to incorporate the new pitch he lost the edge on his fastball. He got off to a horrible start to the 1965 season, blowing three save opportunities and posting a 7.54 ERA through May 14. He settled down, bringing his ERA down to a far more respectable 3.91 and earning 22 saves by season's end, but his 9-11 mark was the first losing record he had posted in his major league career.
Radatz was mentioned in trade rumors with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Braves and Minnesota Twins during the off-season, but eventually returned to the Bosox in spring training of 1966. Hoping for a bounce-back season, he went a miserable 0-2 with a 4.74 ERA before being dealt to the Cleveland Indians on June 2 for Don McMahon and Lee Stange.
Overall with Boston, Radatz saved 104 games (a team record later broken by Bob Stanley) with a 49-34 record and 646 strikeouts in 576.1 innings pitched. With the other four teams, he went only 6-20 with 26 saves in 117.2 innings.
A change of scenery did little to improve Radatz's fortunes, as he went 0-3 with a 4.61 ERA in Cleveland. He earned a combined fourteen saves between his two teams in 1966, marking the first time in his career he failed to reach twenty. He also failed to win a game as he ended the season with an 0-5 record.
Nine games into the 1967 season, Radatz was dealt to the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later. On June 9, Radatz pitched a scoreless ninth inning against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field to earn his first career win since September 14, 1965. But in 21.2 innings pitched with the Cubs through July 7, Radatz surrendered twelve hits, 23 walks and hit five batters. He was sent down to the minors to work on his control, but was unable to regain it. In 34 innings pitched in the minors, Radatz surrendered 25 hits and forty walks and hit eight batters.
The Cubs released Radatz during spring training of 1968. He signed with his hometown Detroit Tigers shortly afterwards, and spent the 1968 season with their Triple A affiliate Toledo Mud Hens. He earned a spot on the major league roster out of spring training 1969, and was 2-2 with a 3.32 ERA in eleven appearances when his contract was sold to the Montreal Expos at the June 15 trade deadline. He went 0-4 with a 5.71 ERA for the Expos before he was released in August.
He died in March 2005 after falling down a flight of stairs at his home in Easton, Massachusetts. He left behind a wife and three children.
PUZZLE TIME: Once there find the headstone just to the left of his and answer the following question. How many letters are in the last name of the person buried there? Add 3 to that answer to get "E".
Now go to N42 28.556 W083 18.126 to get to the front entrance of the MASOLEUM.
Enter through the front doors and as you come to the middle you will head west to the last corridor on your left. (ACENSION)
It is in here in section 118W that you will find CHARLIE GEHRINGER.
Birth: May 11, 1903 Death: Jan. 21, 1993
Charles Leonard Gehringer (May 11, 1903 – January 21, 1993), nicknamed "The Mechanical Man," was a German-American Major League Baseball second baseman who played 19 seasons (1924–42) for the Detroit Tigers. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest second basemen of all time, during his career Gehringer, who batted left-handed and threw with his right, compiled a .320 batting average and had seven seasons with more than 200 hits – a hit total never reached in a season by Ted Williams or Mickey Mantle and reached only once by Willie Mays. He was the American League batting champion in 1937 with a .371 average and was also named the American League's Most Valuable Player. He was among the Top 10 vote recipients in the Most Valuable Player voting for seven straight years from 1932 to 1938. He was the starting second baseman and played every inning of the first six All Star Games.
Gehringer's career totals of 2,839 hits and 574 doubles both rank 19th in Major League history. Gehringer also led the Tigers to three American League pennants (1934, 1935, and 1940) and one World Series Championship (1935). Gehringer hit .379 in the 1934 World Series, and .375 in the 1935 Series.
Gehringer was also one of the best-fielding second basemen in history, having led all American League second basemen in fielding percentage and assists seven times. His 7,068 assists is the second highest total in major league history for a second baseman. He also collected 5,369 putouts as a second basemen (the 6th highest total for a second baseman) and 1,444 double plays (the 7th highest total for a second baseman).
Known for his consistency as a hitter and fielder, Gehringer was given the nickname "The Mechanical Man" by Yankee pitcher Lefty Gomez. Teammate Doc Cramerquipped: "You wind him up Opening Day and forget him." A durable player, Gehringer had two consecutive game streaks of more than 500 games—one from 1927 to 1931 and the other from 1931 to 1935.
Gehringer was born on May 11, 1903 on a rented farm in Fowlerville, MI, in southwestern Livingston County, Michigan. He was the second son of Leonard Gehringer and Theresa (Hahn) (Eisele) Gehringer, both German Catholic immigrants. Both of his parents had been married previously, and Charlie had eight half-siblings from Leonard's first marriage, and a half-sister from his mother's first marriage. As a young boy the family moved to a different rented farm just south of Fowlerville, Michigan in Handy Township, Michigan. In 1922 after graduating from Fowlerville High School, he enrolled at the University of Michigan, about 30 miles from the family farm. Gehringer took physical education classes and played basketball and baseball. Gehringer later recalled that he lettered in basketball but not baseball.
In the fall of 1923, after his first year at the University of Michigan, Gehringer was discovered by Detroit Tigers left fielder Bobby Veach. Veach heard about Gehringer, and brought him down to Navin Field to work out for a week and show the Tigers what he could do. Player-manager Ty Cobb was reportedly so impressed with Gehringer that he asked club owner Frank Navin to sign Gehringer to a contract on the spot. "I knew Charlie would hit and I was so anxious to sign him that I didn't even take the time to change out of my uniform before rushing him into the front office to sign a contract."
In 1924, Gehringer played with London Tecumsehs in the Class B Michigan Ontario League. He was called up briefly at the end of September and played five games for the Tigers, batting .462 in 13 at-bats. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old Gehringer returned to the minor leagues where he played in 1925 for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League, and 8 games with the Tigers.
Gehringer's first full season in the big leagues was 1926, which was also Ty Cobb's last season as the Tigers' player-manager. At first, Gehringer recalled that Cobb "was like a father to me." Gehringer's father had died in 1924. Cobb even made Gehringer use his own bat. According to Gehringer, Cobb's bat was "a thin little thing," and though Gehringer would have preferred a bigger bat, "I didn't dare use another one." Gehringer hit .277 in his first full season, and collected 17 triples (2nd best in the American League). Cobb and Gehringer subsequently had a falling out, and Gehringer later described Cobb as "a real hateful guy."
In 1927, the Tigers had a new manager in George Moriarty and a lineup full of great hitters, including Heinie Manush, Harry Heilmann, Lu Blue, and Bob Fothergill. The 1927 season was also the beginning of Gehringer's many seasons as a reliable .300 hitter. In 1927, he hit .317 and scored 110 runs – 4th best in the American League. He also led American League second basemen with 438 assists and 84 double plays.
In 1928, he played in all 154 games for the Tigers, hit .320, collected 193 hits (5th best in the league), scored 108 runs (5th best in the league), and had 507 assists (best in the league for a 2nd baseman). At the end of the 1928 season, Gehringer placed 19th in the voting for the American League's Most Valuable Player.
Gehringer's steady improvement as a hitter continued in 1929, as he hit .339 with an on-base percentage of .405, a slugging percentage of .532, and 106 RBIs. He also led the American League in many offensive categories, including hits (215), doubles (45), triples (19, including 3 in one game), runs (131), and stolen bases (27). He also led the league in putouts (404) and fielding percentage (.975) by a second basemen.
In 1934, Gehringer had his best year to date, playing all 154 games and leading the Tigers to their first American League pennant in 25 years. His .356 batting average and .450 on-base percentage were both 2nd best in the league. He led the league in runs scored with 134 and hits with 214. He was also among the league leaders in doubles with 42 (2nd best in the league) and RBIs with a career-high 127 (5th best in the league). Gehringer finished 2nd in the American League MVP voting, just 2 points behind Detroit's player-manager, Mickey Cochrane.
The Detroit infield in the mid-1930s was one of the best-hitting combinations in major league history. With Hank Greenberg at first, Gehringer at second, Billy Rogell at shortstop, and Marv Owen at third, the 1934 Tigers infield collected 769 hits (214 by Gehringer, 201 by Greenberg, 179 by Owen and 175 by Rogell), 462 RBIs (139 by Greenberg, 127 by Gehringer, 100 by Rogell, and 96 by Owen), and 179 doubles (63 by Greenberg, 50 by Gehringer, 34 by Owen and 32 by Rogell). Three members of the 1934 Tigers infield (Gehringer, Owen and Rogell) played in all 154 games, and the fourth (Greenberg) played in 153.
Gehringer's 127 RBIs in 1934 is all the more remarkable given the fact that he played in the same lineup with one of the greatest RBI men of all time, Hank Greenberg. Gehringer later recalled that Greenberg would tell him: "Just get the runner over to third," so Hank could drive them in. Gehringer noted that "Hank loved those RBIs," to the point that Gehringer once kidded Greenberg: "You'd trip a runner coming around third base just so you could knock him in yourself."
The 1934 World Series was a match-up between St. Louis's "Gashouse Gang" and Detroit's' "G-Men" (so named because of stars Gehringer, Hank Greenberg, and Goose Goslin). Even 50 years later, Gehringer (interviewed in 1982) felt the Tigers were robbed of the 1934 championship by umpire Brick Owens. Detroit was ahead 3 games to 2, and in Gehringer's view "we should've won the sixth game." Late in the game, Brick Owens called Mickey Cochrane out on a play at third base "even though all of the photographs show that he was safe by a mile." Gehringer insisted that, if Cochrane had been called safe, "we would've had the bases loaded with nobody out and we could've had a big inning." The Tigers wound up losing Game 6 by one run. They then lost Game 7 in an 11–0 shutout thrown by Dizzy Dean, despite a 2-for-4 game from Gehringer. Gehringer can't be faulted for the World Series loss, as he played all seven games, batting .379 with an on-base percentage of .438 and a .517 slugging percentage.
In 1935, Gehringer and the Tigers won a World Series, beating the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 2. It was the Tigers' first-ever World Series win, after failing in the fall classic in four previous appearances. For the year, Gehringer hit .330 with a .409 on-base percentage and a .502 slugging percentage, collecting 201 hits, 123 runs, 108 RBIs, and 19 home runs. Once again, Gehringer was among the top vote getters in the MVP race, again losing to one of his own teammates, Hank Greenberg.
Gehringer also continued his consistent hitting into the 1935 World Series, where he played all six games, and hit .375 with a .423 on-base percentage, a .500 slugging percentage and 4 RBIs.
Gehringer played over 1,000 games with Billy Rogell as his double play partner at shortstop, making them one of the longest-tenured double-play combinations in the history of the game. The two twice led the league in double plays. (Another Tiger duo, Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell, holds the major league record with 1,918 games played as a double-play combination.)
Rogell's fiery demeanor was a stark contrast to the calm, quiet demeanor of Gehringer. On one occasion, after both failed to cover second on a steal attempt, player-manager Mickey Cochrane charged out from behind the plate shouting at Rogell and Gehringer. As reported in The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract: "Rogell, astonished, looked at Gehringer to see if he was going to say anything. Gehringer, of course, had nothing to say. 'Goddamn you,' yelled Rogell. 'Don't you come charging out here telling me how to play shortstop. You go back there and do the catching, and I'll play shortstop. If I'm not good enough, you can find someone else.' Cochrane went back to his own position."
During his Major League career, Gehringer lived with his mother in Detroit. Gehringer's father died in 1924, and Gehringer moved her from the family farm outside Fowlerville, Michigan, to Detroit. Gehringer recalled that she was a diabetic and "needed someone to look after her."
Gehringer speculated that he might have married earlier (he didn't marry until he was 42) "but I couldn't see bringing a wife into that kind of situation." Gehringer noted that his mother was a "great fan" who would either come out to the ballpark to watch her son play or listen to Harry Heilmann's radio broadcasts on the porch.
Gehringer did not marry until after his mother died, and when he did get married in 1949, he did not let anything stand in the way—not even his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Gehringer missed his Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 13, 1949, because he did not want it to interfere with his wedding, which was to take place five days later.
In 1950, Tigers owner, Walter Briggs asked Gehringer to be the Tigers general manager, and he agreed to do so. Gehringer later said that the job was a "nightmare." As he put it: "We had a lousy ball club, and I'd been away from baseball at that time for ten years. I didn't know who was and who wasn't." After serving as the Tigers general manager from 1951 to 1953, Gehringer was given the title of Tigers vice president in the mid-1950s. He went back to his business selling fabric to the automobile companies, continuing with the company until 1974 when he sold his interest in the business.
At a 1983 ceremony in Tiger Stadium, the Tigers retired uniform numbers 2 and 5 worn for many years by teammates Gehringer and Hank Greenberg.
Gehringer died from a stroke in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, at age 89.
PUZZLE TIME: To the left of Charlie find Harry B. Stillman. Using his birth year, the 4th digit will be "C".
Now head from this location back to the east-west main corridor and start walking to the east. As you come to the first corridor on your left head north to the second corridor on your right (GETHSEMANE) to find in section 145W CLYDE MANION.
Birth: Oct. 30, 1896 Death: Sep. 4, 1967
He played Major League baseball as a catcher for 13 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the St. Louis Browns, and the Cincinnati Reds. He was nicknamed "Pete" and was mostly a backup catcher during his career. Manion made his Major League debut on May 5, 1920 with the Tigers when he was 23 years old and was the backup to Johnny Bassler through 1927. He then signed on to play with St. Louis from 1928 to 1930. In 1931 he played in the minor leagues with Milwaukee of the American Association and at the end of the season, he was selected by Cincinnati in the 1931 Rule 5 draft. Manion was the backup catcher to Ernie Lombardi through 1934 before retiring from the game. During his career, he played in 477 games and had a .218 batting average. He died at his residence in Detroit, Michigan in 1967 when he was 70 years old.
PUZZLE TIME: Find Armond Nardi to the left and using his death year, subtract the 3rd digit from the 2nd digit to get "F".
Now head out of the second corridor and go to the third corridor on your right (Entry Into Jerusalem) to find in section 148W WILLIAM G. "BILLY" ROGELL.
Birth: Nov. 24, 1904 Death: Aug. 9, 2003
William George "Billy" Rogell (November 24, 1904 – August 9, 2003) was an American baseball player who played 14 years in Major League Baseball, primarily as ashortstop for the Detroit Tigers. He made his major league debut on April 14, 1925 and played his last game August 25, 1940. After his playing career, he spent 36 years as a member of the Detroit City Council.
Born in Springfield, Illinois, Rogell was originally signed by the Boston Red Sox prior to the 1925 campaign after two seasons in the Southwestern League. The Red Sox quickly tried to convert the switch-hitting Rogell into solely a right-handed batter, thinking that he would benefit from more appearances from the right side, hence more chances to drive balls off the Green Monster. “They just screwed me up for a couple years,” Rogell would say later.
He appeared in 58 games for the last-place Red Sox—49 at second base—while hitting .195 in 169 at-bats. He was sent back to the minors for more grooming during the1926 season before being recalled by Boston for 1927.
Rogell played in 82 games, hitting .266 while splitting time between third and second. The Red Sox again finished in the cellar, losing 100 games for the third year in a row.
During the 1928 season he appeared in games at short, third, second, as well as all three outfield positions, and the Red Sox released him at the conclusion of the season.
Rogell played 1929 for the St. Paul Saints of the American Association, batting .336 and driving in 90 runs. Following the season, amid offers from a handful of teams, Rogell signed with the Detroit Tigers, where he would spend the next ten seasons.
Rogell struggled out of the gate and the club acquired shortstop Mark Koenig from the Yankees mid-season and plugged him into the lineup. Koenig, the same age as Rogell but already a household name, had been an integral part of the Yankees’ famed Murderers' Row lineup in 1927 and was still considered by many as one of the premier shortstops in the American League. Rogell finished the year with a .167 average in 54 games, splitting his time between short and third.
Though his start in Detroit was unimpressive, by the time the 1931 season had ended it was clear to the Tigers that they had found their shortstop of the future. Rogell unseated Koenig late in the year and finished the year hitting .303 in 48 games, all at shortstop. Koenig was released after the season ended.
Rogell was the Tigers’ Opening Day shortstop for the 1932 season, a position he would hold for the next eight years. A sure-handed fielder, he and Hall of Fame double-play partner Charlie Gehringer would give the Tigers one of the best keystone-combinations in baseball history. Marv Owen, who would man the left side of the Detroit infield with Rogell for five years, said of Rogell’s fielding prowess, “He’s the only player I ever knew who could catch a bad hop… I don’t know how he did it.”
Rogell’s offense continued to show the promise it had with the St. Paul club. He hit .271 with 29 doubles and 88 runs scored during the ’32 campaign, and improved the following year to .295, 44 doubles, 11 triples, and drew 79 walks to post a .381 on-base percentage while playing in every game. The 1933 season also marked the first time Rogell, Gehringer, Owen, and first baseman Hank Greenberg appeared in the same lineup.
Rogell spent the bulk of his “retirement” as a member of the Detroit City Council. After a brief stint in the minors as a player and coach, he returned to Detroit and began his civil service career in 1942. He would serve on the council, with a two-year break in the late forties, until 1980, playing a key role on the city’s planning commissions. “I think I did a lot for that city,” he would say after leaving his post. “I was chairman of the committee that built the big airport there. Also the roads and bridges committee.” The road entering Detroit's Metropolitan Airport from the north, Merriman Road, changes its name to William G. Rogell Drive as it enters the airport.
Rogell also used his position to help old ballplayers in the Detroit area. Former Tiger teammate Tommy Bridges (who came to the Tigers the same year as Rogell), a sober man throughout his career, started to drink while serving in World War II. After trying to restart his career with Tigers following the war Bridges moved on to the Pacific Coast League. His drinking became more and more prevalent until he finally collapsed drunk on the mound during a game. He divorced his wife, married a waitress from a bar he often visited, moved back to Detroit, and caught up with some of his old teammates.
Rogell, upset with the condition his former mate was in, lined up for Bridges a sales job in Detroit. Bridges never came to work, but Rogell did not hold any kind of resentment toward Bridges. “It was terrible to see that,” he said. “But nice guys go, too, you know.”
Numerous other former players also turned to Rogell when they had run out of options, and he always worked hard to try to provide them with whatever assistance he could.
Rogell, after leaving the council, spent the rest of his retirement in Detroit. At age 94 he threw out the first pitch at the final game at Tiger Stadium on September 27, 1999, nearly 70 years after he had debuted for the Tigers in the same park.
Billy Rogell died of pneumonia at the age of 98 in the Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights.
PUZZLE TIME: Find Robert D. Rogell just to the right of Billy. Using the birth year, subtract 1 from the 3rd digit to get "H".
You now have all the answers to get to the final.
To get to the final N 42 AB.CDE and W 83 FG.HJ which is outside of the cemetery!
GOOD LUCK AND DON'T STRIKE OUT ON THIS CACHE!!!