Interview with Andrew Seminick, March 2, 1989

Partial Transcript: Okay. Mr. Seminick, how did you get started in professional baseball?

Segment Synopsis: Seminick relates how he began as a coal miner playing summer ball, which led to his move to professional baseball.

Keywords: Appalachian League; Coal miners; Eddie Lukon; Leo Mackey; baseball during World War II

Subjects: Baseball managers; Baseball players; Baseball players--1940-1950; Detroit Tigers (Baseball Team); Harris, Stanley Raymond, 1896-1977; Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh Pirates (Baseball Team); Veeck, Bill; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: When did you start catching? What, what was...

Segment Synopsis: Seminick explains how he became a catcher and shares his feelings on the position.

Keywords: Bob Finley; Freedie Lindstrom; Herb Pennock; Mayo Smith; Otto Denning

Subjects: Baseball players; Catchers (Baseball)

Partial Transcript: Well, your first full year with the Phillies was '45.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick reflects on the quality of the players during World War II.

Keywords: World War II

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball players; DiMaggio, Joe, 1914-1999; Major League Baseball (Organization); Musial, Stan, 1920-2013; Williams, Ted, 1918-2002; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Let me, let me just get you to comment on a couple of the ball players that you played with during the '45 year. Um, because you know...

Segment Synopsis: Seminick comments on some of the players whom he had the opportunity to play baseball with during the war era.

Keywords: Andy Karl; Benny Bengough; Bitsy Mott; Charley Schanz; Coaker Triplett; Cy Perkins; Dick Barret; Fred Daniels; Freddie Fitzsimmons; Gus Mancuso; Jimmie Foxx; Jimmy Wasdell; John Antonelli; Rollie Hemsley; Vance Dinges; Vince Dimaggio; World War II

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball coaches; Baseball players--1940-1950; Baseball players--United States; Major League Baseball (Organization); Pittsburgh Pirates (Baseball Team); World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: A great knuckleball.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick gives his thoughts on how to catch a knuckleball.

Keywords: Andy Karl; Dutch Leonard; Knuckleballs; Pitches; Pitching

Subjects: Baseball players; Major League Baseball (Organization); Pitchers (Baseball)

Partial Transcript: When, uh, when you took-- when you came first to the Phillies, they were owned by a man named, um Cox. Bill Cox.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick talks about his day-to-day life while playing for the Phillies.

Keywords: Routine; William Cox

Subjects: Baseball commissioners; Baseball players; Baseball players--Salaries, etc.--United States; Baseball team owners; Landis, Kenesaw Mountain, 1866-1944; Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team); baseball

Partial Transcript: The Carpenters acquired the, the Phillies and they hired Herb Pennock.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick shares his thoughts on the owners and managers of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Keywords: Bob Carpenter; Herb Pennock; Rulie Carpenter; Schoolboy Rowe

Subjects: Baseball managers; Baseball team owners; Chapman, Ben, 1908-1993; Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: Well, in Spring Training in '46, you had a number of veterans coming back, and you had probably more ball players in spring training that you'd had the year before.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick talks about what the first spring training after World War II was like, and how he felt about the sudden influx of players.

Keywords: Emil Verban; Frank McCormick; Ken Raffensberger; Lou Novikoff; Post-war era; Rollie Hemsley; Ron Northey; Schoolboy Rowe; Skeeter Newsome; Spring training

Subjects: Chapman, Ben, 1908-1993; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: 1946 was also the year that some of the ballplayers went to Mexico and... now your club still was not...

Segment Synopsis: Seminick mentions the Mexican League and talks about how Robert Murphy's trying to get the players to strike helped his spring training.

Keywords: Baseball strikes; Mexican League; Robert Murphy

Subjects: Baseball players; Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Profesional; Major League Baseball (Organization); Pasquel, Jorge--1907-1955; Strikes and lockouts

Partial Transcript: Well in '46, you did a little bit better. You finished 69 and 85. You're starting to go up.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick reflects on how the Philadelphia Phillies improved in the two years directly following World War II.

Keywords: Dutch Leonard; Herb Pennock; Ken Heintzelman; Post-war era; Ron Northey

Subjects: Baseball players--1940-1950; Major League Baseball (Organization); Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team); Walker, Harry William, 1916-1999

Partial Transcript: Well switching to, to 1948 that's probably most memorable to you because your you hurt your thumb. Remember that?

Segment Synopsis: Seminick discusses the circumstances surrounding Kurt Simmons' being brought in as a "bonus baby".

Keywords: Herb Pennock; Kurt Simmons

Subjects: Baseball players; Baseball players--Salaries, etc.--United States; Major League Baseball (Organization); Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team); Pitchers (Baseball)

Partial Transcript: Also that year you had, you know, uh, '48 you had Granny Hamner come up.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick talks about Granville "Granny" Hamner's joining the Phillies.

Keywords: Granny Hamner; Granville Hamner

Subjects: Baseball players; Major League Baseball (Organization); Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team); Pitchers (Baseball)

Partial Transcript: Now Robin Roberts...

Segment Synopsis: Seminick discussed Robin Roberts' abilities, especially his pitching ability.

Keywords: Cy Perkins; Pitching; Ray Fisher; Robin Roberts

Subjects: Major League Baseball (Organization); Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team); Pitchers (Baseball)

Partial Transcript: Um, another great ballplayer you got that year was Richie Ashburn.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick talks about Richie Ashburn's becoming the center fielder for the Phillies.

Keywords: Richie Ashburn

Subjects: Baseball players; Center fielders (Baseball); Major League Baseball (Organization); Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team); Walker, Harry William, 1916-1999

Partial Transcript: This is the year also that Eddie Sawyer replaced Ben Chapman.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick talks about Eddie Sawyer and his effectiveness as a manager.

Keywords: Managers

Subjects: Baseball managers; Baseball--Management; Major League Baseball (Organization); Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: Well, let me switch to, to '49. We're moving up.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick recounts stories about several fellow players, including the shooting of Eddie Waitkus.

Keywords: Eddie Waitkus; Shootings; Willie "Puddin Head" Jones

Subjects: Baseball players; Baseball players--1940-1950; Chapman, Ben, 1908-1993; Major League Baseball (Organization); Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team); Stalking victims

Partial Transcript: I think that, uh, '49 is also when you you probably had the biggest day of your career hitting.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick talks about his making two home runs in one inning. He also discusses understanding players, as well as the importance of playing ability, and how he himself played the game.

Keywords: Charlie Gehringer; Eddie Miller; Willie Jones

Subjects: Catchers (Baseball); Kell, George; Major League Baseball (Organization); Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: You had, uh, on the second when you hit those three home runs, a week later you had another game that was kind of odd.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick talks about some of his more memorable games, including a forfeit and a fight that broke out on the field.

Keywords: Billy Rigney; Fights; Forfeits; Hank Thompson; Jim Konstanty; Murray Dickson; Richie Ashburn; Schoolboy Rowe

Subjects: Baseball players; Durocher, Leo, 1906-1991.; Maglie, Sal, 1917-; Major League Baseball (Organization); New York Giants (Baseball Team); Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team); Stanky, Eddie, 1916-1999

Partial Transcript: Let's talk about the 1950 season.

Segment Synopsis: Seminick discusses the 1950 Phillies team, who won the World Series that year, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers. He discusses Jim Konstanty's pitching in-depth, as well as the injury that he himself suffered near the end of the season.

Keywords: "Whiz kids"; Bubba Church; Curt Simmons; Del Ennis; Dick Sisler; Eddie Sawyer; Eddie Waitkus; Injuries; Jim Konstanty; Ken Heintzelman; Mike Goliat; Richie Ashburn; Robin Roberts; Russ Meyer; Willie Jones; World Series; World Series (1950)

Subjects: Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball Team); DiMaggio, Joe, 1914-1999; Irvin, Monte, 1919-; Major League Baseball (Organization); Miller, Bob; Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team); Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972

Partial Transcript: Well, let me just ask you one last question. Um, how would you summarize, you know these last five or six years I've been talking about in your own career...

Segment Synopsis: Seminick summarizes his feelings on the years he spent playing for the Phillies. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Phillies

Subjects: Baseball players; Baseball players--Salaries, etc.--United States; Major League Baseball (Organization); Philadelphia Phillies (Baseball Team)