Grab some peanuts and Cracker Jacks–it’s baseball season! The next time you and your buddies are watching a Guardians game at Muddy's or The Olde Jaol Tavern, blow their minds with some local baseball trivia. While it’s been a while since a Wooster resident has been to the majors, Wooster is the birthplace of four MLB players, including a Cy Young winner!

Ginger Clark

A “one-game wonder,” pitcher Harvey Daniel “Ginger” Clark, born in Wooster in 1879, had the shortest career of the players on our list. He played a single game for the Cleveland Bronchos, on August 11, 1902, and earned a win by pitching the final six innings against the Baltimore Orioles. He went on to spend nine years in the minor leagues.

Kaiser Wilhelm

Born in Wooster in 1874, Irvin "Kaiser" Wilhelm graduated from Wooster High School and attended The College of Wooster. His MLB pitching career began with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1903. He spent the following two seasons with the Boston Beaneaters, then was sent down to the minors. He returned to the majors with the Brooklyn Superbas from 1908-1910. After another stint in the minors, Wilhelm was signed to the Federal League Baltimore Terrapins, before returning to the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies for the 1921 season as a manager. Not one to enjoy the sidelines, he took to the mound a few times that season as well.

Though he often struggled in the majors–in 1904 and 1905, he led the league in earned runs–Wilhelm shone as a minor league player. Despite many contemporary sources recognizing Brad Thompson’s 57 consecutive scoreless innings as a minor league pitching record, this is because several of Wilhelm’s scoreless innings in 1907 had been overlooked. In the 1907 season alone, Wilhelm pitched 59 scoreless innings. Further, he was called up to the majors before giving up a run, so when he returned to the minors in 1911, his streak was ongoing. He pitched a further 13 scoreless innings, extending his own record.

Roger Peckinpaugh

Born in Wooster in 1891, Roger Peckingpaugh had a long MLB career as a shortstop for several teams, and, later, as a manager for Cleveland. He made his MLB debut with the Cleveland Naps in September of 1910, before being sent to the minors for the 1911 season. He was back with the Naps in the 1912 and 1913 seasons, after which he was traded to the Yankees, with whom he played for the next eight seasons. In his first season with the Yankees, he was named team captain, and for the last three weeks of the season, he served in a dual role as player-manager. In 1921, his final season with the Yankees, they went to the World Series, ultimately losing to the New York Giants. He was traded twice before the 1922 season, ultimately ending up with the Washington Senators. He went to the World Series twice more with the Senators, winning against the New York Giants in 1924 and losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates the following year. He was named AL MVP in 1925. After the 1926 season, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox, where he played his final season. He served as Cleveland’s manager from 1928-1933, and returned for the 1941 season before working in the franchise’s front office.

Dean Chance

Dean Chance, a Cy Young Award-winning right-handed pitcher, was born in Wooster in 1941. He grew up on his family’s dairy farm and attended Northwestern High School, where he played baseball and was an all-state basketball player. He made a late-season MLB debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 1961, for whom he played until 1966. In 1964, with the Angels, he became the then-youngest person to win the Cy Young Award at age 23. Of his pitching that year, Mickey Mantle stated, “Every time I see his name on a lineup card, I feel like throwing up.” Following his time in Los Angeles, Chance was traded to the Minnesota Twins. After the 1969 season, he was traded to Cleveland in 1970, then to the New York Mets later in the season. He finished his career in 1971 as a member of the Detroit Tigers bullpen. He retired with a 2.92 ERA.

Baseball in Wooster

While it’s been several decades since Wooster has seen one of our own play in the MLB, we still love America’s pastime. Main Street Wooster’s partners, Bowman Beverage and Wooster Glass, provide a valuable opportunity to the kids in our community by sponsoring Wooster Youth Baseball. Thank you to Wooster Glass, Bowman Beverage, and many other local businesses for giving our young people a shot at pursuing their own MLB dreams.