Doggie Miller

George Frederick "Foghorn" or "Calliope" Miller (August 15, 1864 – April 6, 1909) was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1884 through 1896 for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys / Pirates, St. Louis Browns, and Louisville Colonels. In 1894, he was a player-manager for the Browns.

Born in Brooklyn, Miller entered minor league baseball at the age of 18 and advanced to the major leagues the next season. Primarily a catcher, Miller shunned the protective equipment that was becoming standard for that position, and that made catching too physically demanding to do every day. As a result, on days when his team was resting him as a catcher, they used him almost anywhere else on the field. He became the first major league player to appear in 20 or more games at all eight non-pitching positions.

After his last major league appearance in 1896, he was a minor league player, manager and part-owner at various points through 1903. Not much is known about the few years that Miller spent in retirement from professional baseball. He died in Brooklyn of kidney disease in 1909.

Early career In 1883, an 18-year-old Miller debuted in professional baseball with the Harrisburg squad in the Interstate Association. A year later, he made the major leagues with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the American Association (AA). He spent ten seasons in Pittsburgh, staying with the team in 1887 when the team joined the National League (NL), ultimately becoming known as the Pirates. but Miller was sometimes also known as "Calliope" or "Foghorn" – references to his gruff voice and boisterous manner – especially early in his career. He became known for some characteristic mannerisms, including what sportswriter Hugh Fullerton described as "a funny little ballet girl kick" just before he swung the bat.

Miller could play almost any position on the field, but he was most comfortable as a catcher. While he could not catch every day, Miller's defense at any other position was often subpar. "[Miller] covered about as much ground as a woodshed, and threw to first like a drunkard with a cork leg," writer Len Washburn once said of a game in which Miller played shortstop for Pittsburgh. Still, he became the first major league player to spend 20 or more games at each non-pitching position. With Pittsburgh that year, Miller played in an extremely rare tripleheader; as of 2018, it is one of three times in baseball history that three games were played by the same teams on the same day. The hapless Pittsburgh team lost all three games to the Brooklyn squad; with Pittsburgh trailing by one run in the first game, Miller hit a triple and was thrown out trying to stretch the triple into a home run.

After the Players' League's lone season, players like Jake Beckley returned to the NL and Pittsburgh achieved a winning record within two seasons. In 1892, Miller's batting average was an unremarkable .254, but he was the hardest player in the league to strike out, batting 44.5 times for every time that he struck out. By 1893, he was struggling to hit well enough to stay in the major leagues. After 41 games that season, Miller had a .182 batting average when he was demoted to the minor leagues. Playing for the Harrisburg Hustlers of the Pennsylvania State League, Miller rebounded well, hitting .364 in 39 games. During one game that year, von der Ahe sent the team's official scorer down to the field to replace a hungover Miller as manager for the day.

Miller did implement a stark change for the Browns shortly after taking the job. He thought that rifle shooting would help with eye–hand coordination, so he took his players to a shooting range each morning. On defense, Miller began catching much less frequently; he played more often at third base and at a few other positions. His team finished 56–76–1. Miller came back as a player in 1895, but von der Ahe hired Al Buckenberger to step in as manager.

Later life In 1896, Miller spent the season with the Louisville Colonels, playing in 98 games that year. However, Miller played a full season for the Millers, hitting .338 and stealing 45 bases, and he never returned to the major leagues. His career statistics are mostly unremarkable, except that as of 2018 he ranks 12th all-time in career at-bat-to-strikeout ratio (33.7).

Miller finished his playing career with a two-year stint in Fort Wayne, Indiana with the Fort Wayne Railroaders. There, after he was ejected from a 1900 game, he accosted the umpire after the game and bloodied the umpire's face. Miller was arrested and was fined $100 by the team, and a newspaper report speculated that he might not be allowed to play professionally anymore. He was allowed to continue playing with the Fort Wayne team through the 1901 season.

Miller managed and played for the Dayton Veterans of the new Central League in 1903. This appears to have been his last appearance in professional baseball. He was buried at Lutheran All Faiths Cemetery in Brooklyn.