Thursday, July 24, 2003

Ten Million, the famous Victoria baseball player

While browsing for information on a book I'm currently reading, I learned about noted Victoria baseball player of the teens Ten Million.. Yes that was his real name!

Tom Hawthorn of the Globe and Mail writes:

In 1911, Victoria signed a fleet outfielder who was the son of prominent Washington State judge E. C. Million and his eccentric wife. She had dubbed the boy Ten, as in Ten Million. (In those days, that was a name, not a salary.) He had a sister named Decillion, which is 33 zeroes if you're keeping score at home. She called herself Dixie.

Ten Million hit .276 for the [Victoria] Bees and was signed by Cleveland of the American League. Injuries kept him from the big leagues. For a time, he played outfield for the Robin Hoods of Moose Jaw, Sask.