Bill Whaley

 

Bill Whaley was an outfielder for the 1923 St. Louis Browns.

William Carl Whaley was born February 10, 1896, in Indianapolis, to Frank and Anna Whaley. He seems to have had an unstable childhood. Frank first appears in the Indianapolis city directory in 1890, listed as a clerk living at 32 N Mississippi; he then moves almost every year:

1890 clerk, 32 N Mississippi

1891 clerk, 372 S Tennessee

1892 clerk, 115 W Vermont

1893 clerk, 48 N West

1894 clerk, 23 N West

1895 clerk, 48 N West

1896 clerk, 398 W New York

From 1897 through 1900 Frank is not listed in the directory, but the 1900 census shows him as a machinist living in a rented house at 512 Illinois Street, with Anna. They are listed as husband and wife, but under years married it says zero, while Anna is shown as having given birth to one child, who is living, and is presumably William, but no children are said to be living with them. Who is William living with, and is Frank really his father, given that he has been married to Anna less than a year?

Frank returns to the Indianapolis directory in 1901:

1901 machinist, 611 Russell Ave

1902 machinist, 308 W McCarty

1903 machinist, 709 S West

1904 machinist, 906 Church

1905 machinist, 1109 S Capitol Ave

1906 foreman, 1021 S Capitol Ave

1907 machinist, 1021 S Capitol Ave

1908 foreman, 528 E Ohio

1909 machinist, 620 N New Jersey

In 1910 Frank disappears from the directory, then in 1911 Anna has her own listing, as the widow of Frank, and she continues Frank’s penchant for moving:

1911 320 N Adelaide

1912 527 E Miami

1913 514 E Wabash

1914 137 Spring

1915 137 Spring

In 1916 William, now twenty years old, gets his own listing, with Anna parenthetically living with him, as a ball player at 624 E Michigan. He had actually first played professional baseball in 1914 at age 18, for the Streator Boosters of the Class D Illinois-Missouri League, pitching 101 innings in 15 games with a 7-5 record. In 1915 he returned to Streator, now in the Bi-State League, then moved to the Waterloo Jays of the Central Association, still Class D, when the Bi-State League folded. For the Jays he played 42 games but only 16 as a pitcher, hitting .263.

In 1916 William returned to Waterloo but suffered from a sore arm. He went home to recuperate in early June, rejoined the team on June 23, and was released on July 10. He got into 26 games and hit .279, but only pitched four times.

In 1917 William and Anna moved to 531 E Miami. On May 9 it was reported that he had joined the Indiana National Guard; later in the month he signed with the Cedar Rapids Bunnies, back in the Central Association. In his first mound appearance with the Bunnies, on May 27, he pitched a 16-inning shutout, with 12 strikeouts and no walks. He was going great, with a 1.42 ERA, when on July 9 he was removed from a game with a sore arm, then on the 17^th he was released. From the July 18 Cedar Rapids Gazette:

BILL WHALEY IS GIVEN RELEASE

BAD ARM IS CAUSE

Ryan Charges He Refused to Work; Player Says No.

Bill Whaley, star hurler of the Bunnies, is fired. He was given his unconditional release by Manager Ray Ryan yesterday following the team’s return from La Crosse.

News of Whaley’s release is the greatest surprise fans have experienced this season. With a record of more than ten games won and only four lost, Bill was easily the favorite of the local club. He was a pitcher who always attracted fans to the park on his day to work.

In cutting Whaley adrift, Manager Ryan explains that his arm is bad, that Whaley refused to take his regular turn on the mound and that with baseball finances in such critical shape it was impossible to carry him longer.

Whaley on the other hand declares his wing is perfect, that he declined to work only when he was ill and that he will land a job with another club in the Central association or perhaps the American association, in a few days.

Two days later it was reported that Bill had returned to Indianapolis and had been signed by the American Association team there. I didn’t find anything more about him until in August he joined an independent team in Frankfort, Indiana, replacing a pitcher who had been dropped for throwing an emery ball despite having been warned by his manager not to. On August 23 the Kokomo Daily Tribune reprinted a story from the Frankfort Times on the incident, which said:

Bill Whaley is strictly a first class pitcher. He was with the local aggregation in the early part of the season and pitched a few innings against the Danville, Ill., team. When the management considered giving him a steady berth it was too late as he had signed with Cedar Rapids of the Central Association. He remained with the team until the association disbanded because of lack of patronage. Since then he has been at Indianapolis where he is a member of the national guard.

Suffice to say that Whaley will be able to take care of Kokomo Sunday.

Two days later the Daily Tribune added that Bill “is a clean pitcher who does not resort to the use of emery.” Also in 1917 Bill filled out his undated draft registration card; it also shows the 531 E Miami address, gives his occupation as professional baseball player, employed by C.R. Base Ball Association, Cedar Rapids, shows his military experience as five weeks as a private in the infantry [I don’t know when that happened], his appearance as medium height and medium build, and claims a draft exemption due to his mother being a dependent.

In 1918 Bill and Anna moved to 112 N Noble; I don’t know where he played baseball that year. The pair’s 1919 address was 330 N Davidson, and Bill played for the Bay City Wolves of the Class B Michigan-Ontario League, often referred to as the Mint League. A classified ad in the June 18 Bay City Times read: “LOST-Keyring and keys between Forest City House and interurban station, or on Interurban, Bill Whaley, Forest City House.” He played mainly in left field, pitching only occasionally. From the July 16 Bay City Times:

Whaley sure made a beautiful catch in the ninth with Stewart on first. The ball came within a few inches of touching the ground for a safe hit, when the dependable Bill put his scoops under it. Hand it to Whaley, he is some outfielder, and about the classiest in his line in the league.

Same paper, August 15:

Bill Whaley, who fractured an ankle in the first game of a double header here with Flint, on July 30, left to join the team in Kitchener today and will also probably work in the box. Bill is still wearing an ankle brace and probably won’t be able to show his usual speed in the outfield, but will be used whenever possible.

Bill played in 96 of Bay City’s 110 games, hitting .300/.365/.450 with 29 doubles, 11 triples and no home runs in 340 at-bats, stealing 20 bases. He pitched 37 innings in five games, and had a 3-0 record.

Bill and Anna’s 1920 address was 133 N Noble, and Bill returned to the Bay City Wolves. He did more pitching this year, having an 8-5 record and 1.78 ERA in 101 innings in 15 games. He also played 20 games at second and 12 at shortstop in addition to his usual left field duties; he hit .305/.373/.381 in 413 at-bats in 118 games (out of 122).

(This is as good a place as any for an aside on Anna’s method of making some extra money—endorsing patent medicines in newspaper ads. In an Indianapolis Times ad in 1906 she said that two bottles of “Cooper’s New Discovery” cured her stomach trouble; in 1920 she said she had gained 13 pounds as a result of taking “Pepgen” to cure her stomach trouble; and in 1926 she said that “Husky” relieved her dizzy spells, sick headaches, constipation and kidney trouble.)

For 1921 Bill and Anna lived at 708 E New York. Bill was with Bay City again; the Flint Journal reported on April 9:

The local directors look for Whaley to be a world-beater, and confidently predict that he will show the speed and dash that characterized his playing in 1919 before fracturing his ankle. And Bill’s contract calls for him to pitch at least one game per week, so the Wolves are certain to win a few contests, judging from the ability he displayed last season.

Bill actually only pitched in eight games that year, with a 3-0 record and 0.96 ERA in 28 innings. Otherwise he was the left fielder again, this season playing next to Kiki Cuyler in center. Bill hit .328/.412/.471 with 28 doubles, 14 triples and two homers, and 21 stolen bases, in 433 at-bats in 116 games. From the October 15 Bay City Times:

BILL WHALEY TAKES UP LOCAL BUSINESS

While baseball as a reality has sunk into oblivion, members of the hot-stove league will be gratified to know that a year round rendezvous has been established in the city where baseball games and talk will be run over at any time of the day or evening. The place is none other than the billiard hall in the rear of Tommy’s messenger store and is operated by none other than William (Bill) Whaley, dependable Wolf left fielder and pitching artist de luxe.

Bill has decided that Bay City is the place for him not only when chasing flies in the left pasture of Clarkson park, when the warm rays of Old Sol are beaming but also when the blustery winds of old Jack Frost hold sway in the local city. Taken as a whole the announcement ought to please local baseball fans who can get first hand news of all late national past-time and revel in the warmth of a stove as they re-hash all baseball games of the past season and plan for those of the coming year.

It looks like Bill didn’t bring his mother to Bay City, as the 1922 Indianapolis directory has Anna with her own listing, still at 708 E New York, while Bill does not appear. He played left field for the Wolves again, generally batting fourth, and didn’t pitch enough to appear in the official stats. It seems odd for him to have spent four years at the same level when he was doing so well. But on June 23 the Bay City Times reported:

Bill is probably the most dependable player of the team, a timely hitter and a mighty good pitcher when called upon to work in the box. He stands a great chance of going up this year and the fans will be mighty glad to see Bill get a chance in higher company of such is his lot.

And from the Indianapolis Times, August 23:

Another graduate of the Indianapolis sandlots is headed for the big leagues. He is Outfielder Bill Whaley, bought by the St. Louis Browns from the Bay City (Michigan-Ontario League) club. He has been crushing the ball hard and last averages show him hitting .360. In a recent game he got a triple, two doubles and a single.

Whaley is rated a high-class fielder, strong thrower and also possesses the ability to take the mound and pitch effectively. He started as a pitcher, but turned to the outfield because of his slugging prowess.

Whaley will join the Browns at the close of the Mint League season along with Sylvester Simon, Evansville boy with Bay City, who goes to the majors in the same deal with Whaley.

Whaley makes his home with his mother, Mrs. Anna Whaley, 708 E. New York St.

As it turned out, though, Bill did not report to St. Louis after the Mint League season ended, but went back to Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Times reported on September 14 that “Bill Whaley, outfielder and pitcher, has returned from the Bay City club of the Mint League and is ready to fill engagements with semi-pro and State teams” and instructed “Teams desiring his services address 708 E New York St., or call Circle 0617.” He hit .341/.413/.472 for the Wolves, with 32 doubles, 14 triples and one home run in 131 games, and stole 43 bases.

The 1923 Indianapolis directory again lists Anna on her own, still at 708 E New York, for an amazing three-year run of stability. From the St. Louis report in the Sporting News, January 25:

…Possibly most interesting of all was the statement [from Browns general manager Bob Quinn] that Whaley, the youngster secured from Bay City and listed as an outfielder, also has qualities as a first baseman. The significance of this is that if anything should happen to George Sisler, there is a capable substitute in prospect. Whaley in his minor league experience has played first, outfield and pitched; his record shows he can hit, throw and run. Few men available for purchase or draft last year made as good a showing as this aspirant for the job of being Sisler’s understudy.

Indianapolis Times, March 1:

WHALEY MAKES SHOWING

St. Louis Sport Scribes Give Bill a Few Boosts.

Reports from St. Louis are that Bill Whaley, the Indianapolis ball player who is getting a tryout with the Browns, is making a good impression. Whaley was purchased from Bay City in Mint League by the Browns after he had enjoyed a good season last year. The Mound City scribes are impressed with Bill’s ability to play most any position. In the first days at camp Whaley played first base and handled himself well. He has been hitting well, also.

Bill made the Browns as a spare outfielder. He made his major league debut on opening day, at home against the Tigers, pinch-hitting in the eighth for Cedric Durst and flying out to right field. He then sat until May 5, when he drew a walk pinch-hitting for Hub Pruett.

After that Bill didn’t get into a game for two months. The Browns’ outfield of Ken Williams, Baby Doll Jacobson and Jack Tobin was extremely stable, and even though George Sisler missed the entire season due to a severe sinus infection Bill didn’t play an inning at first base—that job was mainly filled by the immortal Dutch Schliebner. Bill got into both games of a doubleheader on July 15, going 0-for-3, and got his first start on the 18^th, playing left field in place of Williams, batting sixth in the order, and having another 0-for-3 day. He then sat on the bench until August 2 in Washington, when he batted leadoff and played right field in Tobin’s place and got his first hit, a single leading off the game against George Mogridge. He played more the rest of the season, including a stretch of eight games in five days in September where he filled in for Jacobson as the center fielder. On September 17 in Washington, in the second game of a doubleheader, he got his lone major league triple, off Walter Johnson. In what would be his only major league season, Bill hit .240/.309/.320 in 50 at-bats in 23 games, mostly as a center fielder and pinch-hitter.

On January 26, 1924, having just signed a new contract with the Browns, Bill was traded along with Charlie Root, Cedric Durst and two other players to the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League for George Lyons and Tony Rego. The Indianapolis Times reported on the 28^th:

WHALEY GOES TO ANGELS

Local Player Displeased With Deal Arranged by Browns

Outfielder Bill Whaley of this city, a member of the St. Louis Americans last season, is not pleased with the deal made by the Browns Sunday in which he is slated to go to the Los Angeles team of the Pacific Coast League…

Whaley said today he prefers to play in the middle west or east. He doesn’t like to go to the coast.

Bill was expected to be a backup outfielder for the Angels, but he played in 179 of the team’s 200+ games. On April 19 the Bay City Times quoted an unnamed Los Angeles paper’s story on the opening game of the season:

Fielding thrills of the day were provided by Whaley of the Angels who played center field when Durst was jerked away from Seattle’s left handed pitching. He came tearing in on Bowman’s short fly to center in the first, timed his lunge perfectly and dived at the ball, turning a somersault as handily as Walter Carlisle in his palmiest days. He came up with the ball.

On June 9 an item appeared in several newspaper that “Outfielder Bill Whaley and Pitcher Johnny Walters of Los Angeles were fined $10 each and suspended a day for arguing with an umpire.” The Sporting News reported on June 12:

LOS ANGELES BRACES UP WITH ADDITIONAL HITTING

Walton Cruise Has Served to Bring Team Out of Lethargy; Bill Whaley Fine Lead-Off Man

…But the big sensation of the Angels’ play has been the work of Bill Whaley. The former St. Louis outfielder has proven the best lead-off man the Seraphs have had in years. Out of 24 trips to the plate against Salt Lake he reached first 19 times. In each of the eight games he was on base the first time up. Manager Marty Krug was so satisfied with the work of Whaley, who has been playing right field that when “Babe” Twombly, the regular man for that position who had been out because of injuries, was able to get into the game, he switched Whaley to third base.

Bill, who also played some second base, hit .328 with a .432 slugging percentage in 704 at-bats, with 61 doubles, three triples and two homers. A short item in the November 24 Richmond Times Dispatch read:

Whaley Quits Basketball.

Believing that his slow start last season was due to his activities on the basketball floor, Outfielder Bill Whaley, of the Los Angeles Club, has decided to give up the tossing game. He is a crack player and recently turned down a nice offer from an Eastern professional five.

He found other things to occupy his time, though. From the January 2, 1925, Indianapolis Times:

Roller Skate Team

The Y.W.C.A. skating rink has a team composed of young men playing basketball and roller polo on skates. The team has a series of three games scheduled with the Riverside rink team. The squad is made up of Nels, Toy, Kurtz, Monroe, Carmin, Justice and Keifer. Managers of the Cumberland, Newcastle and Franklin rinks address Bill Whaley, 818 Christian Pl., or call Circle 6607.

They seem not to have had much time to call him, though, as on January 20 Bill was reported to be playing baseball for Vernon in the California Winter League. On February 7 the San Francisco Chronicle got to the story of Bill giving up basketball, calling him a “dark-skinned lad,” the first reference I found to his skin tone, but not the last. He returned to the Angels and started the season at third base; from a description of opening day in the Sporting News’ Los Angeles report in the April 16 issue:

Billy Whaley, at third base for Los Angeles, provided the fans with some real thrills. Whaley played the outfield last season but the Angels needed a third sacker this year, so Manager Marty Krug decided to shift him to that bag.

Whaley is a bit crude around third base but he gets everything that comes his way. One ball hit in his direction took a bad hop and Whaley stopped it with his chest. He put his foot in the way of another one.

By the end of April, though, Krug had inserted himself back in the lineup at third and Bill, who hadn’t been hitting, spent some time on the bench. On June 25 the Sporting News reported that the Angels had asked waivers on Bill, but he stayed on the team, and played quite a bit in the outfield, and some more at third, despite never getting going at the plate. He hit just .257 with a .339 slugging percentage in 404 at-bats in 135 games.

On November 3 Bill married Jessie Graves, formerly of Louisville, Kentucky, in Los Angeles. I don’t know where they lived; Bill did not appear in the Indianapolis directory between 1921 and 1932, though his mother did, moving most years. In January 1926 the Angels sold his contract to the Little Rock Travelers of the Class A (one lower than the PCL) Southern Association.

In March Bill reported to the Travelers for spring training, and on the 14^th a picture of him with his new car appeared in the Arkansas Gazette, with the caption:

Bill wasn’t smiling at the photographer when this picture was snapped at Kavanaugh Field between training spells last week—it was his new Nash. Whaley says he isn’t up on the expressions one uses when enthusiastic over a motor car, but he’s willing to say this new model Nash sedan is a whiz. Power, beauty and performance—all at your finger tips…

From a report on Cleveland Indians spring training by Eddie Ash in the April 1 Indianapolis Times:

Joe Comello, rookie from Cincinnati, and his uncle, Tony Comello, who accompanied Joe to Hot Springs, got along very well while they were here with the exception of one thing—they missed their spaghetti, especially Tony, who fairly pours it in. Bill Whaley, Indianapolis boy with Little Rock, has a bronze complexion and was mistaken for a spaghetti eater by Tony. And everybody had a laugh on Bill.

It was reported that Bill would be playing second base for Little Rock, but when the season began he was in the outfield. He was hitting .273 when, on June 29, the Travelers sold him to the New Orleans Pelicans, of the same league. As a result he moved from the last place team to the first place one; Little Rock was having financial difficulties and needed the money, while New Orleans could afford to sign Bill as a utility man. He ended up playing most of the time, at a variety of positions, and the Pelicans won the pennant. He hit .290 and slugged .392 in 452 at-bats, with 17 doubles, seven triples, and five home runs.

After the season Bill was sent to Omaha of the Western League, also Class A, as the player to be named later in a previous trade. A January 15, 1927, article in the Bay City Times called him a “rusty-skinned outfielder.” At the end of spring training he was acquired by the Lincoln Links, also of the Western League, where he played in just 17 games, hitting .241, before being sent to the Terre Haute Tots of the Class B Three-I League in early July. On July 24 the Bay City Times reported:

One of the sluggers of the Three-I league this year is Bill Whaley, sun-browned outfielder who has been jumping about the country, playing in many leagues, since he left Bay City a few years back…He is hitting in cleanup position almost daily.

Two days later the Decatur Review reported that Bill had been suspended ten days without pay, though it didn’t say why. On August 5 it was reported that he had been released; a few days later he was snapped up by Terre Haute rivals the Decatur Commodores. Between the two teams he hit .270/.353/.384 in 419 at-bats in 111 games.

Bill’s 1928 is a little murky. He started the season with Erie of the Class B Central League, where he played until mid-May and hit .296 in 81 at-bats. From there he moved to Spartanburg of the Sally League, also Class B. He hit .302/.365/.374 in 54 games there, but, as the Knoxville News-Sentinel reported on July 31:

Whaley Fired By Spartans For Drinking

Special to The News-Sentinel

SPARTANBURG, S.C., July 31.—“Bill” Whaley, Spartanburg right fielder, was unconditionally released Monday afternoon [30^th]. The action, by J. Wirron Willson, president of the local club, was the result of Whaley’s being arrested Sunday night at a prominent corner of the business section of the city on charges of being drunk and disorderly. He was alleged to have used profanity in profusion before and after the arrest. He was fined $50 in police court Monday…

From there Bill returned to the Central League, catching on with Fort Wayne, where he finished the season. He hit less than .200 there, giving him final Central League stats for the year of .248/.276/.395 in 40 games.

For 1929 Bill somehow made his way to Lynn of the Class B New England League, where he had a comeback season at age 33. He hit .333/.414/.412 with 19 doubles, nine triples, no homers and 19 stolen bases in 466 at-bats in 126 games, playing mostly in the outfield. After the season he went back to Indianapolis, where he played some more baseball for local teams and then played basketball over the winter. In 1930 he hit .278 in 11 games for Augusta of the Sally League, but I didn’t find anything about what he was doing the rest of the season.

For 1931 Bill caught on with the High Point Pointers of the Class C Piedmont League. The High Point Enterprise reported on March 18:

Bill Whaley, outfielder, reported and does not look to be his twenty-seven [35] years old, but he should know how old he is. Bill has had five [at least 16] years pro experience, is said to be fast and to know the game. We believe he must be good or the St. Louis Browns would not have taken him to the majors in 1923. Whaley is five feet ten and one half inches in height and weighs 170 pounds. In addition to being a good man on the defense he is to be reckoned with on the offense since he has never hit under .300 in pro ball [except for ten times].

From the same newspaper’s report on opening day, from April 30:

Bill Whaley, who has been looking pretty good in spring training, looked nothing short of sensational yesterday, as he went all over the outfield to grab fly balls. In the second frame he made a headfirst dive, landed on his head, and came up holding Packard’s line drive over second, in his glove. It was one of those famous circus catches you hear so much about. Another time he chased way over into rightfield and snagged a hard hit ball with one hand, for another pretty catch. Nice work, Bill.

Bill was with High Point through June 16, then the next day he was playing for Winston-Salem in the same league, with no explanation. After five games there he disappeared until July 11, when the “Semi-Pro and Amateur Baseball Gossip” column in the Indianapolis Times mentioned that he is playing for Memorial in the Sunday School League. That gap in between there is probably when he found time to play 12 games for Clarksburg in the Class C Mid-Atlantic League. In his time in the Piedmont League he played 43 games, hitting .288 with a .406 slugging percentage.

In 1932 Bill returns to the Indianapolis city directory, living with his mother at 511 E Walnut, where she had moved the year before. Apparently Jessie, whom he married in 1925 but I found no mention of afterward, is out of the picture by now. In the March 31 Sporting News it was reported that he had signed a contract with the Durham Bulls of the Piedmont League, now Class B. The April 26 Greensboro Record predicted that Bill would be in the outfield for Durham in the next day’s opener, but the next day it was reported that he had been released. This ended his professional baseball career.

Bill next appeared on June 14 in the Indianapolis Times:

After losing the first two games of the season, the Indianapolis Postoffice nine won four tilts in a row. A game is wanted for next Sunday. For dates get in touch with Bill Whaley, 734 Congress avenue, or call Ta. 5610.

In the June 22 Times Bill got a mention for hitting a triple in the Postoffice team’s fifth straight win, and another for his hitting in the Postoffice kittenball team’s victory—kittenball was an early kind of softball.

In the 1933 Indianapolis directory Bill is listed as a messenger for the Post Office, living at 421 E 9^th, apartment 1, with Anna. On April 28 the Times reported that “Bob Monroe, holder of the city two-mile roller skate speed record, will defend his title Saturday night at the Riverside rink” and named Bill as one of the four challengers who had entered the race so far.  On August 14 he was again named as the contact person for “the local postoffice nine” who “would like to schedule an out-of-town game for Sunday.”

In the 1934 directory Bill is now a special messenger for the Post Office, and he and Anna have of course moved again, to 222 E 10^th, apartment 3. On March 21 he was mentioned in the Times as one of the players asked to attend a meeting of the Indianapolis Reserves, who “will play in a fast Saturday afternoon league and on the road on Sundays.” Also in the Times, he was named on December 6 as the leading scorer for the Brinks Inc. basketball team in their 31-20 loss in the Co-operative League.

In 1935 a miracle happened, as Bill and Anna stayed at the 10^th Street address. It was a noteworthy year for another reason, as on June 25 Bill got married again, to Ann Daly. The 1936 directory showed Bill, Ann, and Anna still at the same address, but on Christmas Anna died of hypostatic pneumonia.

With Anna gone, Bill and Ann settled in, for a little while, at 222 E 10^th. In 1938 his occupation became “lab,” and Ann got her own listing as a saleswoman for L.S. Ayres & Company. In the 1940 directory Bill is listed as a clerk, and they have moved two houses down to 228 E 10^th, no longer with an apartment number. The 1940 census, taken on April 6, also shows the 228 address, and says that they were paying $30 a month rent. Ann, 34, born in Massachusetts, has three years of college, worked 40 hours the previous week as a saleslady in a department store, and worked 52 weeks in 1939 for $1352. Bill, 44, worked 14 hours the previous week as a caretaker for their lodgers’ rooms, and is categorized as an unpaid family worker. They have four lodgers, all men between 19 and 22 years old.

In the 1942 directory they’re still at 228 E 10^th, Ann is still a saleswoman for L.S. Ayres, while Bill has no occupation listed. Then, on March 3, 1943, after a hospital stay of a week, Bill died of cirrhosis of the liver, at age 47. The AP item on his death ran as follows:

INDIANAPOLIS, March 3—William “Bill” Whaley, 47, a retired baseball player who played with the St. Louis Browns and in the Pacific Coast League, died today after a year’s illness.

The widow survives.

The Sporting News went into a little more detail in their March 11 issue:

William Carl (Bill) Whaley, a former outfielder, who was with the St. Louis Browns in 1923, died at Indianapolis, Ind., March 3, after a year’s illness. The widow survives.

Whaley was born in Indianapolis, February 19, 1899 [sic], and signed with Cedar Rapids in 1919, to be sent to Bay City, where he remained four seasons, being sold to the St. Louis club late in 1922. After playing 23 games with the Browns in 1923, he was released to Los Angeles in 1924. The Angels sold Whaley to Little Rock in 1926, and he finished that season with New Orleans. Subsequently, he was with Lincoln, Terre Haute, Decatur, Erie, Spartanburg, Fort Wayne, Lynn, Augusta, High Point, Winston-Salem, Clarksburg and Durham, winding up his career with the latter club early in 1932.

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/W/Pwhalb102.htm

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/whalebi01.shtml