They say you never forget your first. However, in sports there are so many firsts that one or two are bound to be forgotten over time. Today, we celebrate the birthday of a man who owns one of the most unique firsts in Yankees history. That man is Elmer Miller, the first New York Yankee to bat in a World Series and the first to record a World Series hit.
Elmer Miller
Born: July 28, 1890 (Sandusky, OH)
Died: November 28, 1944 (Beloit, WI)
Yankees Tenure: 1915-18, 1921-22
In all fairness, we say today
is his birthday and that it would have been his 136th. Even that is up for debate; not the day, but the year. Some sources list Miller as being born in 1888 in Wisconsin instead of 1890 in Ohio. Semantics aside, Miller grew up in Sandusky before beginning a professional baseball career.
A right-handed hitting outfielder, Miller’s journey to the big leagues began in 1911 with the Duluth White Sox. Following that season, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds. After just one season with Cincinnati, Miller was released and claimed by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals gave Miller his first taste of the major leagues in 1912. That season, he bounced between St. Louis and two minor league affiliates. In the majors, he appeared in 12 games, collecting seven hits in 37 at-bats. Miller never made it back to the big leagues with the Cardinals, instead spending the next three seasons primarily in the Southern League.
On July 23, 1915, the Yankees purchased Miller from the Cardinals. Much like his first stint in St. Louis, he struggled to stick in the majors and bounced between New York and the minor leagues. From 1915 through 1918, Miller appeared in 250 games for the Yankees, collecting 190 hits while slashing .233/.308/.298. He was exempted from World War I service due to his dependents, but he spent much of the next three years with the St. Paul Saints.
After that first run with the club, Miller would not appear in another game for the Yankees until August 1921. That season proved to be the best of his career. Miller hit .298 across 242 at-bats, caught fire during the final month of the season, and became the Yankees’ regular leadoff hitter as they charged to the American League pennant, the first the club had ever captured.
The Yankees met the Giants in the 1921 World Series. Batting first as the visiting club in Game 1, Miller led off the series with a single before eventually scoring on a Babe Ruth hit later in the inning.
Just like that, Miller became the first Yankee to bat in the World Series, the first to record a World Series hit, and the first to score a World Series run in franchise history. The Giants would ultimately win the series five games to three, but Miller’s name was forever inked in the history book pages.
Coming off the best season of his career, Miller quickly returned to earth in 1922. That July, the Yankees packaged him with Chick Fewster, Johnny Mitchell, Lefty O’Doul, and $50,000 in a trade with the Red Sox that brought Joe Dugan and Elmer Smith to New York. Dugan would go on to help the Yankees blossom into the dynasty fans came to know and love. Fate would not be nearly as kind to Miller.
In addition to missing out on the Yankees’ run of championships, Miller struggled with Boston and was out of the major leagues after the 1922 season. He continued playing for several semiprofessional clubs before eventually moving into coaching in Wisconsin and passing away due to heart issues at age 54. Miller’s career has largely been forgotten, but every Yankee who has dug into the batter’s box in the World Series since has done so in Miller’s footsteps.
Happy birthday, Elmer!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
