Archie Yelle

Archie Joseph Yelle

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10½", Weight 170 lb.

• Debut May 12, 1917
• Final Game July 20, 1919
• Born June 11, 1892 in Saginaw, MI USA
• Died May 2, 1983 in Woodland, CA USA

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Biographical Information

Archie Yelle was a weak-hitting catcher who nevertheless became the player used most at the position by the Detroit Tigers in 1918. The Tigers that year were managed by Hughie Jennings, and while the team as a whole hit .249, Ty Cobb hit .382 and was the only player who hit better than .280. Yelle wasn't the only player under .200 as second baseman Ralph Young hit .188.

Yelle was in 52 games at catcher in 1918, while Tubby Spencer was in 48 and Oscar Stanage in 47. In the previous year, Stanage had been the regular while Spencer was the # 2 catcher and Yelle the rookie as the # 3 catcher. In 1919, Eddie Ainsmith became the regular catcher while Stanage was # 2 and Yelle appeared in a few games.

He hit .254 for the 1922 San Francisco Seals, a team which won the Pacific Coast League title and featured Willie Kamm hitting .342. Archie shared catching duties with Sam Agnew, with whom he was a teammate from 1920 to 1926. In 1925, the San Francisco Seals again won the PCL title, and Yelle made the league All-Star team. He hit .267 that year, a year in which Paul Waner hit .401 for the team with 75 doubles.

When Agnew died, Yelle was a pall-bearer.

One source: 1925 San Francisco Seals.

Related Sites

• Scroll down here to see a picture of Archie Yelle: Saginaw players.