John Augustus Zeller (September 11, 1883[2] – February 18, 1969) was an American baseball executive and minor league player. He served as General Manager (GM) of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball from 1938 through 1945.

Career

Zeller was born in St. Louis, Missouri,[1] to German emigrants.[3] He only began his baseball career in 1901 playing at Forest Park in St. Louis. A pitcher, he joined the semi-pro Trolley League and then in 1903 the Missouri Valley League, playing for the Joplin Miners in Joplin and Sedalia Gold Bugs in Sedalia. After playing in Colorado and New York, in 1905, he moved up to the minor league, playing for Haverhill in the New England League. After an arm injury, he was quickly released by the team and went back to New York, where he played first base and managed Bath Beach, an independent team in Brooklyn that played on Sunday.[1]

After three years there, he purchased half of the Springfield Ponies in the Connecticut League. As manager, he led the team to the league pennant in 1911.[1] As the league had three teams from Massachusetts, he led the charge to have the league renamed.[4]

In 1912, he sold his interest in Springfield and bought the Pittsfield Electrics of the same league. He served as president, secretary and manager until 1915, when play was suspended during World War I. He sold his interest in the club to the league in 1916, which merged with the Connecticut League to form the Eastern League.[1][5] He attempted to develop a new league in Massachusetts in 1916.[6]

After the U.S. entered the war in 1917, Zeller enlisted in the Army as a private. After attending the Officers Training Camp, he was promoted to sergeant and then commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in 1918. He did not see action but served as a bayonet instructor before being discharged in 1919, when he moved to Texas to work in the oil fields.[1]

Zeller joined the Detroit Tigers of the American League in 1925 as a scout.[7] Zeller served as a scout and supervisor in the Tigers organization from 1938 through 1941. He was appointed GM of the Tigers in 1938, succeeding Mickey Cochrane.[8] He is credited with developing the Tigers' minor league baseball organization.[7] Following an investigation,[9] the Tigers were found to be in violation of the minor league working agreement in 1940, resulting in 91 players being declared free agents by Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Zeller took full responsibility.[10] Zeller then began to sell off the Tigers' farm teams.[11] He began to believe that the farm system needed to be completely overhauled.[12] In 1944, he proposed a new draft that would end the minor league system,[13] replacing it with "baseball schools".[14]

Zeller stepped down as Tigers' GM in 1945.[15] He was succeeded by George Trautman.[16] Upon leaving the Tigers, he moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where he served as a scout for the East Texas League and Evangeline Baseball League.[15] In 1947, he joined the Boston Braves as their chief scout.[7]

Personal

Zeller died of a heart condition in 1969 at the age of 85.[17][18]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Jack Zeller, Detroit Scout, Once Defeated Ed Reulbach". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. St. Louis, Missouri. December 23, 1928. p. 10.
  2. ^ "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-85H5-7?cc=1861144&wc=SPSZ-FMS%3A199086001 : 8 April 2016), 004672957 > image 89 of 3090. Citing NARA microfilm publications M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). (registration required)
  3. ^ 1930 United States Federal Census
  4. ^ "Jack Zeller Wants Name of Connecticut League Changed". Bridgeport Herald. Bridgeport, Conn. January 16, 1910. p. 8. Retrieved November 6, 2019 – via Google News Archive Search.
  5. ^ "Jack Zeller Sees but the Doughnut". Everything That's Going on in Sportsland. The Day. New London, Conn. December 22, 1915 [afternoon edition]. p. 14. Retrieved November 6, 2019 – via Google News Archive Search.
  6. ^ "That New Circuit of Jack Zeller". The Day. New London, Conn. March 8, 2019 [afternoon edition]. p. 14. Retrieved November 6, 2019 – via Google News Archive Search.
  7. ^ a b c "Jack Zeller Signs As Braves' Chief Scout". Reading Eagle. International News Service. February 16, 1947. p. 13, 2nd section. Retrieved March 23, 2025 – via Google News Archive.
  8. ^ "Name Jack Zeller General Manager Of Detroit Tigers". Hartford Courant. Associated Press. August 16, 1938. p. 12. Retrieved March 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Landis Touring Detroit's Farms". The Miami News. Associated Press. May 16, 1939. p. 18. Retrieved March 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Jack Zeller Takes Full Blame for Detroit's Minor Loop Woe". The Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. January 16, 1940. p. II-9. Retrieved March 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Detroit Abandons Baseball Farming". The Evening Independent. Associated Press. December 10, 1942. p. 17. Retrieved March 23, 2025 – via Google News Archive.
  12. ^ Cuddy, Jack (March 23, 2025). "Baseball Has Reached Crossroads". Youngstown Vindicator. United Press. p. D-5. Retrieved March 23, 2025 – via Google News Archive.
  13. ^ "Major League Baseball Draft Creates Little Stir This Year". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. October 24, 1944. p. 30. Retrieved March 23, 2025 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  14. ^ "Zeller Suggesting Baseball Schools Combat 'Farms'". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. February 26, 1944. p. 10. Retrieved March 23, 2025 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  15. ^ a b "Jack Zeller Says 'Goodbye' to Detroit". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. December 21, 1945. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013 – via Google News Archive.
  16. ^ "Detroit Post to Trautman". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. November 1, 1945. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012 – via Google News Archive.
  17. ^ "Jack Zeller of the Tigers; Ex-General Manager, 85". New York Times. February 19, 1969. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
  18. ^ "Jack Zeller, Veteran Baseball Man, Dies". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. February 19, 1969. p. 63. Retrieved March 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Zeller
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