Milt Bocek
| Milt Bocek | |
|---|---|
| Left fielder | |
| Born: July 16, 1912 Chicago, Illinois | |
| Died: April 29, 2007 (aged 94) Brookfield, Illinois | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 3, 1933, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 2, 1934, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .267 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| RBI | 6 |
| Teams | |
Milton F. Bocek (July 16, 1912 – April 29, 2007) was a Major League Baseball outfielder. He played professionally for the Chicago White Sox.
Early life
Bocek was born in Chicago, Illinois and was popularly known as "Beltin' Bo from Cicero".[1] He graduated from Crane High School (Chicago) in Chicago and played college baseball at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[2]
Professional career
While Bocek was a student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he became a fairly prominent summer amateur and semipro player in baseball and softball.[1] Chicago White Sox manager Lew Fonseca noticed him and arranged a tryout at Comiskey Park, during which Bocek hit several balls into the upper deck.[1] He signed with the White Sox in the second half of 1933, becoming the fifth-youngest player in Major League Baseball that season, and then spent the first part of the 1934 season with the team as well. Subsequently, he played several years in the minor league systems of the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees.
During his playing career, he had an official heights of 6'1", and an official weight of 185 pounds.[3]
After MLB
After the end of Bocek's playing career, he worked as a draftsman for Danly Machine Company and later at a family owned business, also serving in the United States Army during World War II.[1] He was married to his wife Victoria for 58 years before her death in 2006, and they had three children and eight grandchildren.[1] Until Bocek's death on April 29, 2007, he held the distinction of being the oldest living White Sox player.[1]
Death
He died on April 29, 2007 in Brookfield, Illinois after a brief illness. He is buried next to his wife at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, IL.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Former Chicago White Sox outfielder Milton Bocek dead at 94", the Associated Press, published April 30, 2007, accessed April 30, 2007.
- ^ "Milt Bocek Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
- ^ "Milt Bocek". Historic Baseball. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
- ^ "Milt Bocek". Baseball-Reference.Com. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
External links
