Harry Ostdiek

Henry Girard Ostdiek

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 185 lb.

• Debut September 10, 1904
• Final Game October 7, 1908
• Born April 12, 1881 in Ottumwa, IA USA
• Died May 6, 1956 in Minneapolis, MN USA

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Biographical Information

Harry Ostdiek played in the majors in 1904, with the Cleveland Naps and 1908, with the Boston Red Sox.

Harry was born in Ottumwa, IA in 1881. The only other major leaguer born in Iowa that year was Buster Brown.

Harry played for the Fort Wayne Railroaders in 1903 and 1904, and made his major league debut in September 1904. He was in 7 games for the Naps, a team which finished 86-65. The other catchers on the team were all around 30: Harry Bemis, Fred Abbott and Fritz Buelow. Ostdiek had about the same batting average as Abbott and Buelow did that year.

Harry went back to Fort Wayne in 1905, and then played for other minor league teams through 1913. He was with the Spokane Indians from 1909 to 1913, and was the team's player-manager in 1912 and 1913. He won the pennant with Spokane in 1910. Source: Spokane Indians.

In 1908 he came back to the majors with the Red Sox for one game on October 7th.

Related Sites

• Harry Ostdiek at the SABR Bio Project
• Ostdiek baseball card, 1910, Spokane.