Lee Fohl
Leo Alexander Fohl
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 5' 10", Weight 175 lb.
- Debut August 29, 1902
- Final Game September 27, 1903
- Born November 28, 1876 in Lowell, OH USA
- Died October 30, 1965 in Cleveland, OH USA
Biographical Information[edit]
While Lee Fohl was born in Ohio, his family moved to Pittsburgh when he was young and he learned to play baseball on the sandlots of the Steel City. He made his major league debut with the Pirates in 1902, catching Harvey Cushman in a 9-3 loss. He was then sold to the Des Moines Midgets of the Western League, who in turn peddled him to the Cincinnati Reds. He played his last four games in the majors that year, catching three of his five big-league appearances in a row from September 20 through September 22. After the season, he was sold to the Detroit Tigers for $1,000.
Detroit sent him back to the Western League, with Des Moines (now the Des Moines Underwriters). From there he went to Binghamton, NY and back towards home for an independent team in Homestead, PA, just south of Pittsburgh. In 1906 Fohl went to the Youngstown Ohio Works, who won the Ohio-Pennsylvania League. Fohl then played three years for the Columbus Senators, belonging a long association with that team. In 1909 he was sent to manage Columbus's Lima Cigarmakers club in his managerial debut and he led the squad to the Ohio State League pennant. In 1910, he was assigned to the Akron Champs, of the Ohio-Penn League, and led them to a pennant as well. After a brief stay in the Cleveland Indians organization, he was sold back to Columbus, who again assigned him to Akron. In 1911 and 1912 he led the team to two more pennants, giving him four in his first four seasons as a manager. He managed the 1913 Columbus Cubs.
After being player-manager of Waterbury in 1914, Fohl became a coach for the Indians. On May 5, 1915 he became the team's temporary manager but did a fine job and was given the job for good on September 22. He was succeeded by Tris Speaker on July 19, 1919. During his managerial career (up through September 10, 1922) he was evicted just once, on July 20, 1917.
Fohl was back in the big leagues in 1920 when the St. Louis Browns hired him as a coach. On January 3, 1921 they gave Fohl the managerial job, replacing Jimmy Burke. In 1922 Fohl led the Browns to their best season ever.
He piloted the 1927 Toronto Maple Leafs and the Des Moines Demons for the end of 1928 and beginning of 1929.
Source: September 10, 1922 Pittsburgh Post article by John Gruber, official scorer at Forbes Field
| Preceded by Joe Birmingham |
Cleveland Indians Manager 1915-1919 |
Succeeded by Tris Speaker |
| Preceded by Jimmy Burke |
St. Louis Browns Manager 1921-1923 |
Succeeded by Jimmy Austin |
| Preceded by Frank Chance |
Boston Red Sox Manager 1924-1926 |
Succeeded by Bill Carrigan |
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