Jack Lohrke
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 12:34 pm
We are 'lucky' in so many ways. Getting to play fantasy baseball with a bunch of fellas 'I know' in the NFBC is one of the many ways I feel 'lucky'.
There are and have been many people with the nickname 'Lucky'.
There is a baseball player who also had the nickname 'Lucky'.
Here is his story and how he got the nickname.
Jack Lohrke was an ok baseball player. He's not a fellow you've probably heard of. He played in the major leagues from 1947 to 1953. The 11 home runs that he hit his rookie year accounted for half the homers he would hit during his career.
Lohrke was a utility infielder, playing all the positions at one time or another.
As with most utility players that don't handle a bat particularly well, Lohrke received less and less playing time until retiring from the game in 1953.
For most of us, we would consider ourselves lucky to have made it to the Big Leagues for seven years.
For Lohrke, luck had EVERYTHING to do with both his career and his life.
Lohrke began his minor league career in 1942. World War II was raging.
He put his baseball career on hold to join the war effort.
Riding on a troop train through California, Lohrke's railroad car went off the tracks. Three men were killed and many were burned by hot scalding water rushing through the cars from the steam engines.
Lohrke walked away unharmed.
A year later, Lohrke survived the battle of Normandy. Then he fought in the deadliest battle of World War II, the Battle of the Bulge. 19,000 serviceman lost their lives in that battle. On four different occasions during skirmishes and battles, the man to the immediate left or right of Lohrke were shot and killed.
Lohrke, never hurt.
The war ended in 1945 and Lohrke boarded a plane to go home. A flight from New Jersey to California.
Just as the plane was about to take off, a Colonel marched onto the plane and demanded a seat. Lohrke, the low ranking soldier, was ordered to take the next flight so that the Colonel could make this flight.
The plane crashed in Ohio.
No survivors.
Lohrke resumed his baseball career upon getting back home. He was playing in the minors and like every minor league player, was waiting for 'the call'.
He was playing for the Spokane Indians in Washington.
On a rainy day in June, the team bus was navigating a tough pass, Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains.
On their way to a weekend series with Seattle.
It was decided to stop in Ellensburg, a little town, for dinner.
The team had dinner and were preparing to get back on the bus.
Lohrke was told he had a phone call. This was quite odd. There were no cell phones, of course.
The first thought that ran through Lohrke's mind was, "How in the world does somebody know I am here?"
Somehow, through local police and other means, the team owner had tracked Lohrke and the Spokane team.
Lohrke had been hitting the ball well over the last few weeks and the owner wanted to promote him from AA ball to AAA ball.
He was going from Spokane to San Diego.
Now, Lohrke was faced with a decision. Continue with the team north to Washington or try to reach San Diego as fast as possible.
Lohrke decided to hitchhike back south.
His teammates shook hands with Lohrke as they boarded the bus for Seattle.
With the bus out of view, Lohrke put up his thumb to start his own trek.
While Lohrke did hitch a ride out of Ellensburg, the team bus never made it to Seattle.
A half hour after shaking hands with Lohrke, the bus skidded, plunged over a guard rail, and went crashing into a ravine.
The gas tank exploded.
Nine players were killed.
In 1951, 'Lucky' Lohrke played for the New York Giants. On August 11, 1951, 65 years from tomorrow, the Giants were 13 games out of first place.
Lohrke stated that he had a feeling that this wasn't the end of the line for the Giants.
His words were met with rolling eyes from those outside of the team.
The Giants rattled off 16 straight Wins. They would only lose seven times the rest of that year.
They tied the Dodgers for the pennant and won entry into the World Series with Bobby Thompson's 'Shot heard 'round the World'.
Jack Lohrke was called 'Lucky' Lohrke most of his adult life.
He never liked the name.
Each time somebody mentioned the name, it reminded him, not of his own good fortune in avoiding death at an early age.
It reminded him of the good acquaintances and friends lost.
Lohrke went on to have a rich and full life.
He worked for Lockheed of California and retired as head of security.
Jack Lohrke passed away at the age of 85.
There are and have been many people with the nickname 'Lucky'.
There is a baseball player who also had the nickname 'Lucky'.
Here is his story and how he got the nickname.
Jack Lohrke was an ok baseball player. He's not a fellow you've probably heard of. He played in the major leagues from 1947 to 1953. The 11 home runs that he hit his rookie year accounted for half the homers he would hit during his career.
Lohrke was a utility infielder, playing all the positions at one time or another.
As with most utility players that don't handle a bat particularly well, Lohrke received less and less playing time until retiring from the game in 1953.
For most of us, we would consider ourselves lucky to have made it to the Big Leagues for seven years.
For Lohrke, luck had EVERYTHING to do with both his career and his life.
Lohrke began his minor league career in 1942. World War II was raging.
He put his baseball career on hold to join the war effort.
Riding on a troop train through California, Lohrke's railroad car went off the tracks. Three men were killed and many were burned by hot scalding water rushing through the cars from the steam engines.
Lohrke walked away unharmed.
A year later, Lohrke survived the battle of Normandy. Then he fought in the deadliest battle of World War II, the Battle of the Bulge. 19,000 serviceman lost their lives in that battle. On four different occasions during skirmishes and battles, the man to the immediate left or right of Lohrke were shot and killed.
Lohrke, never hurt.
The war ended in 1945 and Lohrke boarded a plane to go home. A flight from New Jersey to California.
Just as the plane was about to take off, a Colonel marched onto the plane and demanded a seat. Lohrke, the low ranking soldier, was ordered to take the next flight so that the Colonel could make this flight.
The plane crashed in Ohio.
No survivors.
Lohrke resumed his baseball career upon getting back home. He was playing in the minors and like every minor league player, was waiting for 'the call'.
He was playing for the Spokane Indians in Washington.
On a rainy day in June, the team bus was navigating a tough pass, Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains.
On their way to a weekend series with Seattle.
It was decided to stop in Ellensburg, a little town, for dinner.
The team had dinner and were preparing to get back on the bus.
Lohrke was told he had a phone call. This was quite odd. There were no cell phones, of course.
The first thought that ran through Lohrke's mind was, "How in the world does somebody know I am here?"
Somehow, through local police and other means, the team owner had tracked Lohrke and the Spokane team.
Lohrke had been hitting the ball well over the last few weeks and the owner wanted to promote him from AA ball to AAA ball.
He was going from Spokane to San Diego.
Now, Lohrke was faced with a decision. Continue with the team north to Washington or try to reach San Diego as fast as possible.
Lohrke decided to hitchhike back south.
His teammates shook hands with Lohrke as they boarded the bus for Seattle.
With the bus out of view, Lohrke put up his thumb to start his own trek.
While Lohrke did hitch a ride out of Ellensburg, the team bus never made it to Seattle.
A half hour after shaking hands with Lohrke, the bus skidded, plunged over a guard rail, and went crashing into a ravine.
The gas tank exploded.
Nine players were killed.
In 1951, 'Lucky' Lohrke played for the New York Giants. On August 11, 1951, 65 years from tomorrow, the Giants were 13 games out of first place.
Lohrke stated that he had a feeling that this wasn't the end of the line for the Giants.
His words were met with rolling eyes from those outside of the team.
The Giants rattled off 16 straight Wins. They would only lose seven times the rest of that year.
They tied the Dodgers for the pennant and won entry into the World Series with Bobby Thompson's 'Shot heard 'round the World'.
Jack Lohrke was called 'Lucky' Lohrke most of his adult life.
He never liked the name.
Each time somebody mentioned the name, it reminded him, not of his own good fortune in avoiding death at an early age.
It reminded him of the good acquaintances and friends lost.
Lohrke went on to have a rich and full life.
He worked for Lockheed of California and retired as head of security.
Jack Lohrke passed away at the age of 85.
