Julie Wera

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Julian Wera
Third baseman
Born: (1902-02-09)February 9, 1902
Winona, Minnesota, US
Died: December 12, 1975(1975-12-12) (aged 73)
Rochester, Minnesota, US
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 14, 1927, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
October 6, 1929, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Batting average.278
Home runs1
Runs batted in10
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Julian Valentine Wera (born Julian Valentine Werra; February 9, 1902 – December 12, 1975) was an American professional baseball third baseman who played for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball in 1927 and 1929.

Early life

Julian Valentine Werra on February 9, 1902, to John and Anna Werra, who immigrated to the United States from Prussia in the Kashubian diaspora in 1893 and settled in Winona, Minnesota. He was the sixth of their nine surviving children, and dropped out of school to work in a meatpacking plant. Wera changed the spelling of his name when he began his professional career.[1]

Career

Wera began playing sandlot baseball, and joined Winona's top amateur team in 1921, when he was 19 years old.[1][2] He moved to Wausau, Wisconsin, in May 1924, to play semi-professional baseball.[1] Wera made his professional baseball debut for the St. Paul Saints of the American Assocation in September.[3] St. Paul optioned Wera to the Peoria Tractors of the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League in 1925,[4] and he played for the Saints in 1926.[2]

The New York Yankees had a working agreement with the Saints,[2] and they purchased Wera from the Saints for Leo Durocher, $25,000 ($430,263 in current dollar terms), and two players to be named later after the 1926 season.[5] He made the Yankees in 1927 as a reserve third baseman behind Joe Dugan.[1][6] He hit his only major league home run on July 4 off of Bobby Burke of the Washington Senators.[1] The Yankees won the 1927 World Series. Wera played for the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) in 1928, and the Jersey City Skeeters of the International League in 1929.[7] After the International League's 1929 season ended, the Yankees recalled Wera,[8] and he played in five games for the Yankees in 1929.[1]

Before the 1930 season, the Yankees sold Wera outright to Jersey City.[9] After the 1930 season, the Yankees purchased Wera from Jersey City,[10] so that they could send him to the San Francisco Seals of the PCL as part of the payment for Frankie Crosetti.[11] He played for the Seals into the 1933 season, when he struggled and was sold to the Oakland Oaks of the PCL.[1][12]

In January 1934, Oakland traded Wera to the Portland Beavers of the PCL for Eddie Mulligan.[13] However, he refused to report to Portland,[1] and in February, Portland sold Wera to the Fort Worth Panthers of the Texas League.[14] Wera refused to report there as well, and spent the 1934 season as a player-manager for a semi-professional team in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.[1] He returned to organized baseball in 1935, signing with the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League.[15] Syracuse released him during the season, and he finished the year with the Buffalo Bisons of the International League.[16] Wera played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League in 1936.[1] Toronto released him before the 1937 season,[17] and he served as player-manager of the Crookston Pirates of the Northern League that year.[18]

Later life

Wera married Dorothy Fischer, an elementary school teacher in Winona, on November 18, 1931.[1] They had two sons and one daughter.[19]

After Wera retired from baseball, he became a butcher for a Piggly Wiggly in Rochester, Minnesota.[1] He was the manager of the meat department for 27 years before he retired.[20]

Wera died of a heart attack in his home in Rochester on December 12, 1975.[20]

Imposter

In 1948, somebody portraying himself to be Wera became the business manager of the Oroville Red Sox of the Far West League.[21] The imposter told stories ran the team well, and they won the pennant. He also told storie about his time with Babe Ruth.[22] On September 11, 1948, he died by suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills, while leaving behind a suicide note to his estranged wife. Newspapers ran the story that Wera had died from suicide at the age of 38.[23] The next day, a friend of Wera's in Rochester saw the story and alerted him,[24][25] and Wera announced to the press that he was still alive.[26]

The imposter was identified as William J. Wera through his fingerprints from his attempt to gain employment in a casino in Reno, Nevada, in July 1947.[27] Though it was initially believed that Wera was a cousin,[26] they were not related.[24] The impostor had convinced Specs Toporcer, the director of Boston's farm system and a former teammate of Wera's, to hire him for Oroville. Jerry Donovan, a former teammate of Wera's with San Francisco who was president of the Far West League, said that the imposter told him that he had plastic surgery to repair his face after a mine detonated near him during World War II.[28] However, Wera had been classified as 4-F by the Selective Service System, ruling him ineligible for military service,.[29] His widow, Ruth, said that she "was as much surprised as anyone else" when she found out that her husband was an imposter.[30]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Preston, J.G. "Julie Wera". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "19 Nov 1955, 316 - The Winona Daily News at". Newspapers.com. November 19, 1955. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  3. ^ "4 Sep 1924, 9 - Wausau Daily Herald at". Newspapers.com. September 4, 1924. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  4. ^ "2 Sep 1925, 10 - The Winona Daily News at". Newspapers.com. September 2, 1925. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  5. ^ "21 Dec 1926, Page 24 - Star Tribune at". Newspapers.com. December 21, 1926. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  6. ^ "1 Apr 1927, 19 - The Lima Morning Star and Republican-Gazette at". Newspapers.com. April 1, 1927. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  7. ^ "8 Jan 1929, Page 32 - Oakland Tribune at". Newspapers.com. January 8, 1929. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  8. ^ "9 Sep 1929, 66 - Daily News at". Newspapers.com. September 9, 1929. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  9. ^ "16 Mar 1930, 83 - The Los Angeles Times at". Newspapers.com. March 16, 1930. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  10. ^ "YANKS BUY THREE PLAYERS.; Purchase Wera, Infielder, and Two Pitchers From Jersey City. - The New York Times". Nytimes.com. November 26, 1930. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  11. ^ "27 Nov 1930, 10 - The La Crosse Tribune at". Newspapers.com. November 27, 1930. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  12. ^ "29 Apr 1933, 9 - The Winona Daily News at". Newspapers.com. April 29, 1933. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  13. ^ "10 Jan 1934, 31 - The Los Angeles Times at". Newspapers.com. January 10, 1934. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  14. ^ "24 Feb 1934, 12 - The Winona Daily News at". Newspapers.com. February 24, 1934. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  15. ^ "13 Mar 1935, 11 - The Winona Daily News at". Newspapers.com. March 13, 1935. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  16. ^ "21 Jun 1935, Page 27 - Reading Times at". Newspapers.com. June 21, 1935. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  17. ^ [1]
  18. ^ "29 Mar 1937, 10 - The Winona Daily News at". Newspapers.com. March 29, 1937. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  19. ^ "15 Sep 1948, Page 29 - Democrat and Chronicle at". Newspapers.com. September 15, 1948. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  20. ^ a b "13 Dec 1975, Page 36 - Democrat and Chronicle at". Newspapers.com. December 13, 1975. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  21. ^ "13 Jan 1948, 8 - Oroville Mercury Register at". Newspapers.com. January 13, 1948. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  22. ^ "4 Feb 1948, 2 - Oroville Mercury Register at". Newspapers.com. February 4, 1948. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  23. ^ "14 Sep 1948, Page 10 - The Times Herald at". Newspapers.com. September 14, 1948. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  24. ^ a b "21 Jan 1964, 12 - The Winona Daily News at". Newspapers.com. January 21, 1964. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  25. ^ "14 Sep 1948, 8 - Oroville Mercury Register at". Newspapers.com. September 14, 1948. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  26. ^ a b "14 Sep 1948, 8 - Siskiyou Daily News at". Newspapers.com. September 14, 1948. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  27. ^ "24 Sep 1948, 1 - Oroville Mercury Register at". Newspapers.com. September 24, 1948. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  28. ^ "25 Sep 1948, Page 6 - The Daily Tribune at". Newspapers.com. September 25, 1948. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  29. ^ Preston, J.G. "Julian Wera's impostor". Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  30. ^ "15 Sep 1948, 1 - Oroville Mercury Register at". Newspapers.com. September 15, 1948. Retrieved July 7, 2021.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Julie_Wera&oldid=1032479967"