Starting this year, unique contributors to baseball in the city of Rochester- before the team became known as the Red Wings in 1928- will be considered for induction into the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame. And the first of the so-called "old-timers" deemed worthy to join the honored group is Fred Merkle. The native of Watertown, Wisconsin was born December 20, 1888. Merkle was the youngest player in the major leagues, both as an 18-year-old in 1907 and at age19 the following year, primarily as a first baseman for the New York Giants. It was during the 1908 season when he was involved in one of the game's most controversial plays. With the Giants and the Cubs battling for first place, Merkle started the September 23rd game at first base for the only time that year. In the bottom of the ninth there were two outs with the score tied at one, when Merkle sent a teammate to third with a single. The next batter singled to center and the crowd swarmed the field as New York plated the go-ahead run. Following the tradition of the times, Merkle failed to touch second base, and instead started toward the clubhouse. It was a situation rarely paid attention to in those days. But this time, the Cubs convinced one of the umpires that the force play could still be completed at second base. And even though a baseball other than the game ball was probably tossed to the bag, Merkle was called out. With the fans on the field and darkness falling, the game was declared a tie. The National League president later ruled that the game would be re-played at the end of the regular season, if it had a bearing on the pennant. The newspapers, local and otherwise, were more than unkind to Merkle- calling it a "bonehead" play, costing the Giants a critical victory. But the Cubs simply played better, under pressure, after the "Merkle Game," winning 8 of their final 10, with all but one game on the road. The Giants went 11-5 despite playing at home in a dozen of their final 16 games. Sure enough, the Cubs and Giants were then tied for first place and in a one-game playoff the Cubs beat the Giants in New York 4-2, to earn a trip to the World Series.. To this day Merkle is unfairly blamed for costing New York the pennant, but never by his Giants teammates nor manager John McGraw. Fred played another eight years in New York, then was traded to Brooklyn and later to the Chicago Cubs, hitting .273 through 14 years. He routinely placed among the leaders in several offensive and defensive categories. A big man in baseball at the time at 6'1", he still managed to steal 271 bases and swiped home 14 times. In the MVP voting of 1911, Fred finished in 8th place. In January of 1921, maintaining his major league salary, the 32-year old Merkle was signed to play for the team known then as the Rochester Tribe. The eldest on the squad, Fred was named team captain and went on to perhaps the greatest hitting career ever posted in Rochester. Rarely missing a game from 1921 into a portion of 1925, Merkle averaged .343 at the bat through 699 games, placing him third all-time in the Rochester record book in both categories. Merkle was the International League RBI champion in 1922 & 1923 and was later inducted into the IL Hall of Fame. Fred is the unconfirmed RBI leader in Rochester history, knocking in 471 in four years, with one season unrecorded for that statistic. Merkle fielded at a .986 clip for Rochester at first base and owns the city record for smashing 54 doubles in 1923. His 105 career steals trails only Specs Toporcer's 113 thefts. Mike Cameron is the author of the latest book on Merkle, Public Bonehead, Private Hero, The Real Legacy of Baseball's Fred Merkle. His research revealed sportswriters citing Merkle as the hardest-working on the Rochester team, setting a positive example for the younger players. Cameron says hustle and run production were always Fred's priorities with the Tribe. "Even while playing in his mid-30s, Merkle scored a total of 585 runs (2nd all-time in Rochester history) in 699 games played. That's 123 runs scored per 150 games, a better percentage than Rickey Henderson at his best.. Merkle averaged 212 hits his first four seasons in Rochester, comparable to Wade Boggs in his prime." Fred Merkle and his wife Ethel had three daughters. Their youngest, Marianne, says the family is grateful in hearing that Fred is to be inducted into the Red Wings Hall of Fame. "I know he would have been proud and especially pleased that recognition came from the town where he and his family were welcomed and made to feel at home. The friendly atmosphere made those years ones to be enjoyed, not endured. Dad and his family never forgot them." Just a few months into the 1925 season, the New York Yankees came calling for Fred. At first, Rochester proposed an even-up player swap: the 36-year old Merkle, for the 21- year old rising star in the Yanks system, Lou Gehrig. Rochester eventually settled for $6,000, without Gehrig. Merkle played sparingly for the next two years in New York where he also served as a coach. He played and managed for Reading of the IL in 1927 and finished his baseball career two years later managing in Florida. Merkle passed away in Daytona Beach in 1956 at the age of 67. -------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Flynn is a member of the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame Committee.