You’ve probably never heard of Traders Point’s Jack White. I came across his name years ago and thought it curious that his career was so short — but I recently learned his short career gave him a bit of national historical significance. Born June 19, 1878 in Traders Point, Indiana, his first and last game in the majors was on June 26, 1904 for the Boston Beaneaters. His one at bat placed him in a unique club. That club has now been wonderfully profiled in The Cup of Coffee Club: The Ballplayers Who Got Only One Game by Rick Paulas. Here’s an excerpt: Of the 17,808 players (and counting) who’ve run up the dugout steps and onto a Major League field, only 974 have had one-game careers. In baseball parlance, these single-gamers are known as “Cup of Coffee” players. The number fluctuates slightly throughout each season as new prospects get called up to fill in for injured veterans, or when roster size expands in September. (Last year, for example, Braves rookie Julio Teheran was a Cup of Coffee player for the eleven days between his MLB debut and a spot start.) But staying on the list for an extended period of time is generally not a good sign. It’s an ominous one, an indication that something’s gone horribly wrong, that however long a person has worked to attain his dreams, all he was allowed was a brief glimpse before the curtain was yanked shut in front of him. The Cup of Coffee club is filled exclusively with people who do not want to be members. Full article
Historic Baseball Player from Traders Point: Jack White
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