Looking Back: Poffenberger A Controversial Pitcher

Cletus "Boots" Poffenberger was a character.

   "Boots" was one of the most popular players with the Nashville Vols fans in its long historic baseball history.

   Poffenberger was the ace of the 1940 Vols club that won the Southern Association pennant season with a remarkable record of 101-47. They became only the fifth team in the league's history to win 100 games. Poffenberger was 26-9, and won the most games that year in the league. His nearest rival won 18 games.

   Poffenberger was born in Williamsport, MD and was 21 years old when he made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers in 1937. That year, Poffenberger was 10-5 (137.1 innings) appearing in 29 games with a 4.65 ERA. Poffenberger slipped to 6-7 (125.0 innings) the following year as a Tiger where he appeared in 25 games. That year his ERA was 4.82.

   In 1939, he appeared in only three games for the Brooklyn Dodgers with a 5.40 ERA in only five innings pitched. He recorded a 0-0 record and was in constant discipline trouble with manager Leo Durocer. Poffenberger was fined countless times for curfew violations and other team rules. Then he was on to Larry Gilbert's Nashville club the next year.

   But on a "Ladies Night" at Nashville's Sulphur Dell ballpark, Poffenberger gave a performance that shocked and amazed the crowd that night. The incident that destroyed his baseball career occurred on June 24, 1941.

   Raymond Johnson of the Nashville Tennessean reported on the incident, which made the newspaper's front page:

   Boots Poffenberger, a 29-game winner for the Nashville Vols last year, pitched himself out of baseball last night at least for the remainder of 1941, if not longer, as Larry Gilbert's club dropped a 9-2 decision to the New Orleans Pels in Sulphur Dell.

   In a fit of temper, Poffenberger apparently deliberately threw a ball at Umpire Dutch Hoffman in the fifth inning after Hoffman had put him out of the game for profanity that could easily be heard throughout the ballpark. A 'Ladies' night crowd of approximately 3,500 was shocked by Poffenberger's childish antics.

   From the start of the game, Poffenberger didn't act natural on the mound. He started popping off when Pat Ankenman, Pel lead off man, walked toward the plate in the first inning. He fused and fumed on every pitch that Hoffman called a ball regardless of where it was.

   Twice, while he was maneuvering around on the mound, Poffenberger nearly fell down. Once he started his windup and the ball flopped out of his hand toward second base. On several occasions he let the return throw from catcher Hank Helf hit his glove and drop to the ground.

   In the fifth inning, Hoffman sent Pels batter Tom Winsett to first base on a four-ball walk. It was reported that Poffenberger then "wobbled" towards the plate and began shouting at Hoffman. Hoffman threw Poffenberger out of the game at that point due to his name-calling and profanity.

   Helf was pleading with his pitcher to keep his mouth shut. Poffenberger, now standing on the mound, noticed that the umpire was waving his arms indicating he was out of the game. Poffenberger reacted by throwing the baseball at Hoffman. Hoffman was fortunately wearing a chest protector while the ball hit in front of his stomach and fell to the ground.

   Poffenberger tossed his glove at the screen and walked towards the Vols dugout with Gilbert following behind. The rules stated that hitting an umpire would result in a minimum 90 days suspension to permanent expulsion. Gilbert said that his star pitcher's behavior would not be tolerated and no matter what, Poffenberger was no longer a Nashville Vol. Poffenberger was suspended from all of organized baseball for 90 days.

   Two days later the Tennessean reported on Poffenberger's issues and talked to the disgraced pitcher with a remarkably candid interview:

   Clowning, chubby Cletus Elwood (Boots Poffenberger, late of the Nashville Vol pitching staff, shook off a bad hangover yesterday and pondered what the future holds for the rookie sensation of the Detroit Tigers of four short years ago.

   Poffenberger, an exceptionally brainy pitcher who off the diamond acted at times like a kindergarten tyke, was a sorrowful figure as he talked of his mistakes. One could not help from having a little sympathy for him despite the frivolous act, which was committed when he was three sheets in the wind from the effects of gin.

   "I feel like a terrible heel for letting Larry and the fellows down," began Boots in an apologetic voice. "Larry has been a friend to me in many ways. He has had a lot of worries this year and now I have to cause him more. I just didn't think. I'm plenty sorry, but that doesn't help me now. I know I owe the fans an apology, too and I would appreciate you telling them how sorry I am. I don't guess I'll ever pitch again in Nashville, but I don't want to go away with everybody thinking I'm a no-good so-and-so.

   "I have been drinking too much all year. I knew it, but I'd done pretty good in my last three starts. Nobody knew I was drinking when I pitched those games. I'd had a few Tom Collins before I went out and they seemed to help me. I thought I'd do the same thing this time. I don't know what happened but they just "snuck" up on me. I didn't think anybody'd know it the way I carry on foolishness out there on the mound. But instead of wearing off, as they had always had before, they just knocked the daylights out of me this time."

   At the time of the incident Poffenberger had comprised a 7-2 record in 16 games (14 starts) and a 4.42 ERA. Poffenberger took the loss in the umpire ball-throwing game. Poffenberger said it wasn't his night to start, but Gilbert was shorthanded and he agreed to pitch. He was afraid to tell his manager he wasn't ready to pitch that evening.

   "Yes, I was in debt over my head," Boots continued. "I was always owing the club and it didn't look like I'd ever get square. I couldn't live on the money I was making. I put my name on an insurance blank when I was with Detroit and I never got the policy, still they kept hounding me for the money. It was nearly $500. I got terribly in debt in 1939 when I was out of baseball. It seemed like the more I tried to pay, the more bills I got.

   "You know it's tough to have to go home and live with your people every time because you don't make enough to carry you over."

   Poffenberger said he was frustrated that he wasn't called up to the major leagues due to his outstanding season the year before. He said he wanted to quit baseball after spring training camp when he learned he'd start the 1941 season in Nashville. Poffenberger credited his wife for his not leaving the team.

   "When I'd get to thinking about those things and wondering if I'd ever get a chance at big money again, I'd get mad at myself and go to drinking. I know that's a lousy way to look at things but I did.

   "I've wanted to get out of Nashville all this year. I felt I could do better some other place, I like to play for Larry, He was grand to me, better than I was to him. The people here were good to me. But, I don't know, I just wanted to get away. I thought I could do better myself.

   "I'm not through with baseball. I may be through with organized ball. I know I am this year, but I might get reinstated. I'm going up to Washington and pitch for a brewery team. I'll get in shape, too. I'm in the lousiest shape now I've been since I've been in baseball. We're going home Thursday."

   Raymond Johnson wrote:

   We hate to see Poffenberger leave, especially under such cloudy conditions. He was one of the most colorful characters the Southern League has had in years and he was a drawing card at the gate. Boots was good copy for the baseball writers.

   The eccentric curver appeared to be most appreciative of the late Fay Murray and Larry Gilbert for giving him a chance last year. He was in dire financial straits when he joined the Vols in their camp at Sanford, Fla, Larry personally advanced him money to replenish his wardrobe, to bring his wife to Nashville, and get a home for them. Boots told me how grateful he was for Larry for this assistance.

   Poffenberger joined the Marines in 1942 during World War II. He was a member of a marine's service baseball team in the Pacific theatre. His last attempt at professional baseball came with the Hagerstown Owls in 1949. Poffenberger died in 1999 of cancer at age 84.

 

Traughber's Tidbit: In all of Major League Baseball history there has been only one game where a team's entire line-up had the same batting average at the end of the game as it did before the game. On April 16, 1940, Cleveland pitcher Bob Feller tossed the only opening day no-hitter in MLB history against the Chicago White Sox in Comiskey Park. The Indians won, 1-0 as Feller walked five batters. All Chicago batters had the same batting average of .000 before and after the game. Catching that day for Feller was Rollie Hemsley the manager of the 1949 Nashville Vols that won the Southern Association pennant.

 

   If you have any comments or suggestions contact Bill Traughber via email [email protected].