Ollie Bejma

Alojzy Frank Bejma
also went by Aloysius

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 165 lb.

• Debut April 24, 1934
• Final Game October 1, 1939
• Born September 12, 1907 in South Bend, IN USA
• Died January 3, 1995 in South Bend, IN USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Ollie Bejma played four years in the majors, getting nearly 1,000 at-bats. He was the regular second basemen for the Chicago White Sox in 1939, forming a double play combination with Hall of Famer Luke Appling. He is one of the last active players to have been pressed into duty as an umpire, working a game at first base on July 28, 1935.

Bejma started on a factory team in 1926, and then played minor league ball. While in the minors he met Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, and Schulz put him in the comic strip many years later. Bejma was a big minor league star in the late 1930s, winning a co-MVP award in 1938 while with the St. Paul Saints. After baseball, he worked for Studebaker, AM General, and the University of Notre Dame security department. Bejma, who was sometimes called "The Polish Falcon", was interviewed for the book Breaking the Slump.

Ollie was also an avid bowler and won several city and state bowling championships. He passed away at his home in South Bend, IN, on January 3, 1995 at the age of 88.

Notable Achievements

• 1938 MVP American Association St. Paul Saints