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Name This Player! (No. 1)
Let’s Have Some Fun!
Each week, I’ll post an old-time ballplayer and you can test your knowledge of “the old days” of baseball. Some of them will be easier than others, so it’s time to put your thinking caps on!
As always on Baseball History Comes Alive, we can have some fun while enhancing our baseball history learning experience. Each entry will include a short description of the player and highlights from his career.
Congratulations to Terry Farmer as the first to correctly identify this player as Ferpo Marberry.
Hint: He was given an unusual nickname because he resembled a prominent wrestler from the 1920s and ’30s! [Correction: It was a boxer Marbery resembled, not a wrestler.]
Firpo Marberry
Definitely Firpo Marberry
Fred “Firpo” Marberry; Firpo was from Argentina.
Firpo the wrestler was born in Argentina. Firpo Marberry was born and lived in Texas.
I’m a little confused about the tie-in with the wrestler as Marberry retired in 1936 and the wrestler was born in 1930 and made his debut in the early 50’s.
[Update: It was the boxer Marberry resembled, not the wrestler. -Gary]
I don’t know why they call it autocorrect when Firpo is changed to Fir police…
Haha! They should call it auto-“incorrect!” No problem, your friendly editor came through and did a real “auto-correct.” Or should I say, “manual-correct!”
It is I.
It is me.
It is Pampero Firpo, the wild bull of the Pampas.
Woah-yeah!
Hmm…that’s interesting. I remember reading somewhere over the years about him resembling Firpo the wrestler. I’ll look into it and see if I can find where I got that.
Are you sure you don’t have your “Firpo’s” mixed up or something? Here’s what I found in his SABR biography by Mark Armour:
“Early on in Washington, Marberry acquired the nickname Firpo because of his size and facial resemblance to Argentine boxer Luis Firpo. The fighter, dubbed “The Wild Bull of the Pampas,” knocked Jack Dempsey out of the ring in a 1923 title bout before losing in the second round. Marberry never liked the nickname, especially as Luis Firpo’s career fizzled out, but he would be Firpo Marberry for the remainder of his baseball years.”
Update: It was a boxer nanmed Firpo, not a wrestler that Marbery resembled. -Gary
Ok—you said wrestler and there was a wrestler named Firpo in the 50’s…. Boxer is as different from wrestler as baseball is to badminton…😁
You’re right..I guess it was the boxer not the wrestler. I’ll correct.
Walter Big Train Johnson
Fred “Firpo” Marberry. Good challenge! I had to think about it for a little bit.