Merkle, Fred

Fred Merkle, byname of Frederick Charles Merkle, (born Dec. 20, 1888, Watertown, Wis., U.S.—died March 2, 1956, Daytona Beach, Fla.), American baseball player whose 16-year career (1,637 games) was overshadowed by his classic bonehead play in 1908.

In a pennant-deciding game, Merkle, first baseman for the National League New York Giants, had scored a single, but failed to touch second base and ran off the field as he saw the apparent winning run cross home plate. Chicago Cubs second baseman Johnnie Evers, a rule book fanatic, called for a ball from the home plate umpire and retired Merkle as a force out at second base. The game was declared a tie and the Giants lost the following game and the pennant. Merkle was subject to the derision of fans and sports writers thereafter.

After playing for the Giants (1907–16), the Brooklyn Dodgers (1916–17), and the Chicago Cubs (1917–20), Merkle was a coach and pinch hitter for the American League New York Yankees (1925–26). He batted and threw right-handed. After his retirement from baseball, Merkle was partner in an artificial bait manufacturing firm.