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William Sloan (baseball)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Sloan
Outfielder/Pitcher
Born: (1886-09-27)September 27, 1886
Dayton, Ohio
Died: June 3, 1931(1931-06-03) (aged 44)
Dayton, Ohio
Threw: Left
Negro league baseball debut
1908, for the Cleveland Giants
Last appearance
1914, for the Dayton Marcos
Teams

William George Sloan (September 27, 1886 – June 3, 1931) was an American Negro league outfielder and pitcher in the 1900s.

Sloan was a native of Dayton, Ohio.

Negro league career

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In 1908, Sloan was on the pitching staff of the semi-pro Cleveland Giants. In 1909, Sloan played for at least 4 teams: the Cuban Stars of Havana,[1] Illinois Giants, Kansas City Giants, and Leland Giants in 1909. In five recorded games, he posted six hits in 20 plate appearances.

Dayton Marcos

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In 1910, Sloan returned to his hometown and served as team captain of the Dayton Marcos.[2]In 1912, Sloan and owner/manager John Matthews had a brief dispute and he was briefly benched, returning in August and remaining on the pitching staff through 1914.[3]

Dayton flood of 1913

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During the Great Dayton Flood of 1913, Sloan, also an employee at the Kuhns Brothers Foundry in the offseason, walked to the nearby Dayton D Handle Company and asked for permission to use their small boat to rescue residents trapped in the flood waters. When the owner refused, Sloan produced a handgun and commandeered the boat with two other men.[4]Over 3 days, Sloan rescued at least 317 people including his own 1 year old son James[5]and Leroy Crandall, the owner of the boat.[4]For his efforts, Sloan was recommended for the Carnegie Medal.[6]

Injury and retirement

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In 1914, Sloan was injured in a work accident when he was stuck under an elevator on a construction site. He was hospitalized with a bruised stomach and hips.[7]Sloan never returned to the Marcos.

Death and legacy

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Sloan died in Dayton, Ohio in 1931 at age 44 and buried in an unmarked grave at Woodland Cemetery in Dayton.[8][9]In 1997, he was depicted in the play "1913-The Great Dayton Flood" at Wright State University. The play was revived in 2013.[10]A historic marker detailing Sloan's role in the 1913 flood was erected on the banks of the Great Miami River in Dayton.[11] In 2013, an anonymous Good Samaritan donated and placed a headstone on Sloan's grave.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Other Games". The New York Age. 1909-07-29. p. 6. Retrieved 2022-09-15 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Colored Teams to Battle Thursday". The Dayton Herald. 1910-11-23. p. 6. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  3. ^ "Marcos Fans Have Faith In Sloan". Dayton Daily News. 1912-08-02. p. 17. Retrieved 2022-09-15 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b Huey, Lois Miner (2016). Floodwaters and Flames : the 1913 Disaster in Dayton, Ohio. Minneapolis. ISBN 978-1-4677-9432-9. OCLC 916593558.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ "Dayton Hero – Bill G. Sloan". Dayton Unknown. 2016-07-08. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  6. ^ "Many Daytonians Recommended for Carnegie Medals". The Dayton Herald. 1913-05-13. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-09-15 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Star Twirler of Marco Baseball Team Hurt by Elevator at Work". Dayton Daily News. 1914-08-26. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-09-15 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "William Sloan". seamheads.com. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  9. ^ "William Sloan". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Archdeacon, Tom. "Flood hero, former Negro League player honored by Good Samaritan". dayton-daily-news. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  11. ^ "The Great Dayton Flood of 1913 / And The Rivers Flowed Through The City Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
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