Ossie Bluege

Oswald Louis Bluege (; October 24, 1900 – October 14, 1985) was an American third baseman, manager, coach and front-office executive in Major League Baseball who spent his entire career with the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins franchise from 1922 through 1971. He was a member of the Senators' 1924 World Series championship team, the team's only world title before it relocated to Minnesota in 1961, and was the last surviving member of that 1924 squad. He threw and batted right-handed, stood tall and weighed .
Early life.
Bluege was born in Chicago and raised in the city's Goose Island area. A younger brother, Otto, an infielder, played in 109 games for the 1932–1933 Cincinnati Reds and had a 13-year playing career in professional baseball. Ossie Bluege apparently did not attend high school; despite his lack of formal education, he found a job as an accountant at International Harvester. He honed his baseball skills as a member of local sandlot teams. 
Playing career.
Bluege was discovered by baseball promoter [[Joe Engel]], who operated the [[Chattanooga Lookouts]] of the [[Southern Association]] and scouted for Washington owner [[Clark Griffith]]. He made his Major League debut on April 24, 1922, and played his final game on July 13, 1939, spending his 18-year, 1,867-game playing career with the Senators. In addition to the 1924 world champions, Bluege also was the team's starting third baseman for its [[pennant (sports)|pennant-winning]] and editions. Bluege was chiefly known for his defensive ability, leading [[American League]] third basemen in [[double play]]s in three different seasons. His moonlighting, off-season job earned him the nickname "The Accountant" from teammates. Bluege's only [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] appearance, in 1935, came in a year which saw him primarily play shortstop for Washington.
In his 18-year major league career, spanning 1,867 games, Bleuge posted a .272 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] (1,751-for-6,440) with 883 [[run (baseball)|runs]], 276 [[double (baseball)|doubles]], 67 [[triple (baseball)|triples]], 43 [[home runs]], 848 [[RBI]], 140 [[stolen bases]], 723 [[base on balls]], .352 [[on-base percentage]] and .356 [[slugging percentage]]. He finished his career with a .961 [[fielding percentage]]. In 17 games played during his three World Series, he hit .200 (12-for-60) with five runs scored and five runs batted in.
Coach, manager, executive.
After retiring in 1939, Bluege coached for Washington (1940–1942) before taking over as manager of the Senators from 1943 through 1947. He compiled a career managerial record of 379–394, with two second-place finishes (in [[1943 Washington Senators season|1943]] and [[1945 Washington Senators season|1945]]). In 1948, Bluege was named the club's [[farm system]] director, where his greatest scouting coup was a young [[Harmon Killebrew]]. In 1958 he became the Senators' [[comptroller]]—the team's chief accountant—shortly before the club's relocation to [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul]] as the [[Minnesota Twins]]. He remained the Twins' comptroller until his retirement in 1971, having served the organization for 50 years.
Bluege died of a stroke in 1985 in [[Edina, Minnesota]], ten days before his 85th birthday. The previous week, he had attended a ceremony in Washington, D.C., at halftime of a [[Washington Redskins]] football game, where Bluege was honored by being inducted in the Washington stadium's "Hall of Stars".
External links.
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1985 deaths]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Illinois]]
[[Category:Deaths from cerebrovascular disease]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball farm directors]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball third basemen]]
[[Category:Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Minnesota Twins executives]]
[[Category:Peoria Tractors players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Chicago]]
[[Category:Washington Senators (1901–1960) coaches]]
[[Category:Washington Senators (1901–1960) executives]]
[[Category:Washington Senators (1901–1960) managers]]
[[Category:Washington Senators (1901–1960) players]]