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Eddie Plank |
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On August 31st in Gettysburg, PA, a state historical marker for the great A’s left-hander, “Gettysburg Eddie” Plank was dedicated. Over 50 people assembled to observe the event, and it attracted extensive local media coverage. Representative Bill Goodling, who represents Gettysburg in the US Congress, offered remarks along with an official from the PA Historical & Museum Commission. The keynote speaker for the event was David Jordan, President of the A’s Society, who reviewed Plank’s exemplary career with the Philadelphia Athletics. Matt Kerr, a doctoral student at Ohio University who originally submitted the nomination for the historical marker, explained why Plank deserves such an honor and noted that “Gettysburg is not just three days in 1863.” In addition to numerous Gettysburg residents, Eddie Plank III and his family also attended the ceremony. The marker will be erected along Rt. 15 north of Gettysburg at the intersection with Keller Road—within sight of the farmhouse where Plank was born in 1875. The A’s Society sponsored the Plank marker. Born near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on 31 August 1875, Edward Stewart Plank was part of a new generation of early twentieth century small-town boys who began to find spots on the rosters of big league teams. As small-town America began to follow their local heroes, the popularity of major league baseball spread as well. This contributed to baseball's transformation from an East Coast club sport to a national pastime. For Gettysburg, Plank's success helped to place his hometown on the map for reasons other than its Civil War history.
Having played with the Gettysburg College team for two years, "Gettysburg Eddie" made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Athletics on 13 May 1901. With 326 victories from 1901 through 1917, "Gettysburg Eddie" currently ranks eleventh on baseball's list of all-time winningest pitchers. Among left-handed pitchers, only Warren Spahn and Steve Carlton have had more victories. His career total for shutouts (69) and complete games (410) are the most by any southpaw. As a member of the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901 to 1914, he helped the legendary owner-manager Connie Mack to win six American League pennants and three World Series championships. In the 1913 World Series versus the New York Giants, Plank won the clinching fifth game by besting Christy Matthewson.
In 1915, Plank left the Athletics to play for the St. Louis Terriers in the Federal League. When that league folded, Plank was sent to the St. Louis Americans, where he pitched for two seasons. He then retired following the 1917 season. Interestingly enough, he lost his final major league game, 1-0, to Walter Johnson. Plank retired to Gettysburg where he opened a car dealership. He died on 24 February 1926 after suffering a stroke. Plank was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946. The town of Gettysburg has largely ignored Eddie Plank, choosing - quite naturally - to encourage its Civil War-related tourist industry. Only two things in Gettysburg remind people of Plank's Gettysburg roots: The old gym at Gettysburg College, which bears his name, and a commemorative marker near the site of Plank's car dealership. This summer, the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, will erect a roadside historical marker bearing the following text:
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 Lutheran Theological Seminary located on Seminary Ridge in Historic Gettysburg. The Plank marker was dedicated in the building on August 31, 2000.
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