On Feb. 1, 1959, Zack Wheat was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Before they were the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wheat was an anchor for the Brooklyn Superbas, Trolley Dodgers and Robins.
His career spanned 19 seasons, playing all but one year in the National League and posting a .317/.366/.452 slash in his 18 years in Brooklyn before his final seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1927.
Wheat was known for his guidance on a baseball field, and his ability to adapt as Major League Baseball transitioned from the Dead Ball Era to the more lively baseball in the 1920s.
The all-time Dodgers franchise leader in hits, doubles, triples, and total bases was also highly regarded in the field, where he garnered a reputation as one of the more graceful defensive players in all of baseball at the time.
He captured the 1918 batting title with a .335 batting average, and finished his career with 2,884 hits, along with a 60.5 WAR.
Dodgers reliever Mike Marshall arrested on Michigan State campus
Also on this day in 1976, former Dodgers pitcher Mike Marshall was arrested on the campus of Michigan State University for disobeying orders from campus police prohibiting him from taking batting practice.
The university feared he would hit baseballs too far, which could become a hazard for students on campus because of the field’s proximity to some adjacent tennis courts.
Marshall would later file a lawsuit against the school, protesting that his rights were infringed upon which resulted in his arrest.
1976 would be his final of three seasons with the Dodgers, compiling a 3.01 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 114 ERA+ in 194 games. His 1974 season was the crown jewel of his career, where he posted a 2.42 ERA with 21 saves, winning the NL Cy Young Award, and finishing third in voting for the league’s Most Valuable Player Award.
Marshall set MLB records for most appearances, innings as a reliever (208.1), and consecutive games with a pitching appearance (13).
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