Hal Carlson Harold Gust Carlson Bats Right Throws Right Height 6' Weight 180 Born May 17, 1892 Rockford, IL Died May 28, 1930 Chicago, IL (Hemorrhage)

Pitching  

 Year Ag Tm    W   L  PCT.  SV   G  GS  CG SHO    IP     H    R   ER   BB   SO  HR  ERA  lgERA ERA+
+-----------+---+---+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+----+----+----+----+----+---+-----+-----+----+
 1929 37 MIS   0   0  .000   2   5   0   0   0    6.2              2    2    1      2.70  3.64  135  
 1930 38 MIS   0   0  .000   1   3   0   0   0    5.2              2    0    0      3.18  4.27  134  
+-----------+---+---+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+----+----+----+----+----+---+-----+-----+----+
  2 Seasons    0   0  .000   3   8   0   0   0   12.1         4    4    2    1      2.92  3.88  133 
+-----------+---+---+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+----+----+----+----+----+---+-----+-----+----+
 Year Ag Tm    W   L  PCT.  SV   G  GS  CG SHO    IP     H    R   ER   BB   SO  HR  ERA  lgERA ERA+

Shaded Text indicates partial season results.

Transactions January 1, 1928: Drafted 21th round (167th overall) by Mississippi.

Biography While he was on an away game, a baseball struck him in the stomach. He knew he was hurting but thought that he would be OK so he went back to the hotel room to lay down. He never got up again. What they didn't know is that he was bleeding to death internally. Unfortunately, my grandmother, his wife, wasn't with him as she was at home expecting their second child (The first being almost 3). I've seen pictures of the funeral (wow, so many Cubs fans! Hundreds came!). My mother was born two months later. It's a sad story I know, but still it was interesting to talk to my grandmother and look through the photo albums. There are such interesting pictures of time spent in Cuba for spring training, publicity shots of the team digging a ditch (why? I have no clue) and lots of other things. My grandmother loved to talk about him. She never remarried and until the day she died she missed him dreadfully. The above narrative was e-mailed to me by Kristine Pratt, Carlson's granddaughter. I would like to thank her for taking time to share this. The following information was found in 1985's “The Golden Era Cubs” by Eddie Gold and Art Ahrens. Hal Carlson is the only Cub to die while an active player during the season. The right-hander broke in with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1917 and played until his untimely death of a stomach hemorrhage on May 28, 1930. Various illnesses prevented Carlson from bettering his career record of 114-120. Most of his problems stemmed from being gassed in combat in France during World War I. Carlson came to the Cubs from the Philadelphia Phillies in 1927. He served as a fifth starter behind Charlie Root, Pat Malone, Guy Bush, and Sheriff Blake. He would often complain of a sore elbow. One time, Cub trainer Andy Lotshaw took a Coke, poured it into a brown bottle, and told Carlson it was a secret potion. Lotshaw rubbed it on Carlson's elbow, and Hal went out and pitched a complete game victory. From then on Carlson was hooked on the secret potion. On the evening of May 27, Carlson was chatting with teammate Kiki Cuyler in the lobby of Chicago's Carlos Hotel. He told Cuyler he wasn't feeling well and went to his room. A few hours later Carlson summoned assistant trainer Eddie Froehlich, saying he was bleeding from the mouth and was in great pain. Teammates Cuyler, Riggs Stephenson, and Cliff Heathcote also rushed to his room, but Carlson passed away before the ambulance arrived. Carlson had a 30-17 record as a Cub pitcher.