Ted Tappe

Theodore Nash Tappe

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 185 lb.
• School Olympic College, Washington State University
• High School Bremerton High School
• Debut September 14, 1950
• Final Game May 1, 1955
• Born February 2, 1931 in Seattle, WA USA
• Died February 13, 2004 in Wenatchee, WA USA

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Biographical Information

Ted Tappe, who was up in the majors in 1950, 1951 and 1955, slugged .540 in 50 at-bats for the Chicago Cubs in 1955 when he was 24 years old. A right fielder, he competed against rookie Jim King for playing time on the Cubs that year.

Tappe, who had come up at age 19 with the Cincinnati Reds in 1950, was traded in 1954 from the now renamed Redlegs to the Cubs. Another player in the trade was Jim Bolger, who had come up at age 18 with the Reds the same year as Ted. Bolger played center field for the Cubs in 1955, competing with Eddie Miksis, who had been moved out of the infield. Ted is one of only three teenagers to homer in their first major league at bat.

Also on the Cubs in 1955 (briefly) was El Tappe, not listed as a relative of Ted.

Tappe is remembered in "The Legend of Ted Tappe" [1]. He was a legendary player in Bremerton, WA, where he grew up, and was also a football star in high school and college and a basketball star in college. He went to the 1950 College World Series and was signed by the Reds on the last day of the Series. He had an injury in 1955 that operations couldn't properly fix.