Adam DeBus

Adam Joseph DeBus Jr. (October 7, 1892 – May 13, 1977) was a German American professional baseball player whose career spanned three seasons, one of which was spent with the Major League Baseball (MLB) Pittsburgh Pirates. Over his MLB career, DeBus, an infielder, compiled a .229 batting average with nine runs scored, 30 hits, five doubles, four triples, seven runs batted in (RBIs) and two stolen bases in 38 games played. Originally, Debus signed with the MLB St. Louis Cardinals out of the Northern League, but his contract was waived after never making an appearance. He then signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates and made his MLB debut on July 14, 1917, against the Brooklyn Robins. During his career, DeBus weighed and stood at . He batted and threw right-handed.

Early life Adam Joseph DeBus Jr. was born on October 7, 1892, in Chicago to Josephine and Adam DeBus Sr., both of Germany. Josephine DeBus, who came to the United States in 1882, became a naturalized citizen in 1931. Adam DeBus Sr., who came to the United States in 1878 and was naturalized in 1887, worked as a cook in Chicago. Adam Joseph DeBus Jr. was his parents' only child. He was raised to speak German.

Baseball career Bob Unglaub (pictured) served as DeBus' manager during the 1916 season. DeBus' professional baseball career began in 1914 as a member of the minor league Green Bay Bays of the Class-C Wisconsin–Illinois League. Two of Debus' teammates on the Bays roster, Frank Scanlan and Joe Weiss, had experience in Major League Baseball (MLB) one time or another over their careers. All of his 108 games were played at shortstop. The Graingrowers represented Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota. On July 11, DeBus was waived after never making an appearance with the club. He was then signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates and reported to the team in Brooklyn, New York. He was sixth in the Pirates batting order. On July 20, The Pittsburgh Press wrote that DeBus was a "better than ordinary hitter" and that he could "field with the best of them". In August, it was reported that Pittsburgh manager Hugo Bezdek was pleased with the services of DeBus. The syndicated column "Diamond Dust" compared DeBus to former MLB player Art Devlin. His final MLB appearance came on September 1 against the St. Louis Cardinals. In two at-bats against St. Louis pitcher Oscar Horstmann, DeBus went hitless. Defensively, he played 21 games at shortstop and 18 games at third base.

Later life

At the end of the 1917 baseball season, DeBus joined the United States Military to fight in World War I. He served with the 86th "Blackhawk" Infantry Division, and played with the division's baseball team. At the 1919 Inter-Allied Games, held in Paris for servicemen, he captained the United States team to victory over the Canadian representatives.

After his baseball career was over, he was working for an electrical company based in Chicago. By 1930, he was living with his parents in Chicago working as an electrical auto mechanic. By 1942, DeBus was working for Stewart-Warner, a manufacturer of electrical automotive parts. DeBus died on May 13, 1977, in Chicago. He was buried at St. Boniface Cemetery in Chicago.