John Ludwig Welaj (May 27, 1914 – September 13, 2003), pronounced "Weli," according to newspapers of the 1930s,[1] was an American professional baseball outfielder and executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four seasons between 1939 and 1943 for the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Athletics. Welaj (pronounced WELL-eye, according to a twenty-first-century source[2]) was a native of Barr Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, who threw and batted right-handed and was listed as 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 164 pounds (74 kg).[3][4][5]
| Johnny Welaj | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: May 27, 1914 Moss Creek, Pennsylvania, US | |
| Died: September 13, 2003 (aged 89) Arlington, Texas, US | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 2, 1939, for the Washington Senators | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 27, 1943, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .250 |
| Home runs | 4 |
| Runs batted in | 74 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Playing career
editIn 200 games played for Washington (1939–1941) and 93 for Philadelphia (1943), Welaj collected 198 hits, with 40 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 74 runs batted in. He batted .250 lifetime in 793 at bats.[6][7][8][9]
Welaj also had an extensive minor league career, spanning 21 seasons from 1936 to 1956.[10][11] In 1955, he served as manager of the Hagerstown Packets in the Senators' organization. He was a player-manager of the Erie Senators in 1956,[12][13] then returned to full-time managing with the Midland/Lamesa Indians in 1957.
Executive career
editAfter 1957, Welaj served in the front offices of both of Washington's 20th century American League franchises. He worked in sales and promotions for the 1901–1960 Senators, until they left the U.S. capital to become the Minnesota Twins. Welaj then performed similar duties for the expansion Senators of 1961–1971.[14] But when that franchise ended in Washington and relocated to Dallas–Fort Worth, as the Texas Rangers in 1972, Welaj went with them. From 1973 until 1984, he served as the Rangers' director of stadium operations, after which he retired as a full-time employee at age 70. However, he continued to serve as the Rangers' spring training director until 1999.[15][16]
Death and interment
editWelaj died at the age of eighty-nine in Arlington, Texas on September 14, 2003.[17]
References
edit- ^ "Fan-Fare." York, Pennsylvania: The York Dispatch, April 30, 1936, Sports Section, p. 20 (subscription required).
- ^ Skelton, David E., Johnny Welaj, Society for American Baseball Research Biography Project
- ^ "Yanks Grab Two from Washington." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 11, 1939, Sports Section, p. 27 (subscription required).
- ^ "Walker's Double Wins for Senators." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 15, 1940, Sports Section, p. 30 (subscription required).
- ^ Baumbartner, Stan. "Mack Ponders Over Lineup, A's, Phils Halted by Weather." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 15, 1943, Sports Section, p. 27 (subscription required).
- ^ "Yanks Pound Out Four Homers To Sweep Sunday's Twin Bill." Hazleton, Pennsylvania: Standard-Speaker, September 11, 1939, Sports Section, p. 13 (subscription required).
- ^ "Paul Derringer Pitches Reds to One-Hitter." Pottsville, Pennsylvania: Republican and Herald, May 27, 1940, Sports Section, p. 10 (subscription required).
- ^ Baumgartner, Stan. "3-Run Rally in 4th Wins Camp Contest." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 29, 1943, Sports Section, p. 22 (subscription required).
- ^ "Browns Blank A's 3-0." Uniontown, Pennsylvania: The Morning Herald, August 20, 1943, p. 16 (subscription required).
- ^ "Roses Blast Leaders to End Losing Ways." York, Pennsylvania: The York Dispatch, May 13, 1936, Sports Section, p. 9 (subscription required).
- ^ "Red Roses, Cards Top Piedmont Foes." Sunbury, Pennsylvania: The Daily Item, July 29, 1955, Sports Section, p. 18 (subscription required).
- ^ "Haynes to Conduct European Clinics." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 22, 1956, Sports Section, p. 77 (subscription required).
- ^ "Erie Rookie Knew He Had a Perfect Game Going from the Start." Kane, Pennsylvania: The Kane Republican, July 26, 1956, Sports Section, p. 5 (subscription required).
- ^ "Boosters to Stage Open Meeting at Tremont Site." York, Pennsylvania: The York Dispatch, April 13, 1965, Sports Section, p. 19 (subscription required).
- ^ Johnny Welaj at Historic Baseball
- ^ "Noteworthy" (Texas Rangers' announcement of Welaj's death). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 14, 2003, p. D2 (subscription required).
- ^ "Obituary." Allentown, Pennsylvania: The Morning Call, September 14, 2003, p. C13 (subscription required).
Sources
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)