Notre Dame is about more than football. It's about more than sports, really, but that's getting into alumni-level fanaticism. Fighting Irish football history is well known, and the school's basketball accomplishments have provided some equally memorable moments and stars. But its baseball history, which stretches back into the 19th century, includes two Hall of Famers and a host of lesser-known but no less significant contributions to the greatest game ever invented. Cappy Gagnon's Notre Dame Baseball Greats: From Anson to Yaz explored that history through photographs. With that book as inspiration, I've taken it upon myself to present a more in-depth look at the players who have advanced from the playing fields in South Bend to the professional ranks, particularly the 78 men who played under the Dome and made it all the way to the Major Leagues.
The roster of those players is culled from two sources, with Gagnon's book providing some basic background. I started with the list on Baseball-Reference. But then it occurred to me that Louis Sockalexis wasn't included there, yet he's in Gagnon's book. So I went to the Notre Dame baseball media guide. On page 135, the media guide lists the 21 Irish baseball alumni active in affiliated ball (Major and minor leagues) in 2010, followed by their list of 76 Domers who, through the 2010 season, had reached the Majors. There are seven players listed in the media guide who aren't included in Baseball-Reference's list, and one on the B-R list not included in the media guide, so combining the two gives us the final tally of 78 players. Six of the seven B-R omits are late-19th or early-20th century players, so some omissions may simply be oversights, but others may stem from the fact that players moved around from school to school a bit in those days (as in the case of Sockalexis, who was more known for playing at Holy Cross).
So here, then, is the list. Alphabetically, it begins and ends with a Hall of Famer. Active players -- those currently in the Majors or in the minors with past Major League experience -- are in bold. Those already profiled are bulleted and linked to their respective posts.
Cap Anson (A's, Cubs; 1871-97)
John Axford (Brewers; 2009-present)
Al Bergman (Indians; 1916)
Bob Bescher (Reds, Giants, Cardinals, Indians; 1908-18)
Lou Bevil (Senators; 1942)
Joe Birmingham (Indians; 1906-14)
Jim Brady (Tigers; 1956)
Billy Burke (Braves; 1910-11)
Count Campau (Tigers, Browns, Senators; 1888-94)
Frank Carpin (Pirates, Astros; 1965-66)
Tom Carroll (Yankees, A's; 1955-59)
Paul Castner (White Sox, 1923)
Clem Clemens (Cubs; 1916. Also Chicago Whales, Federal League, 1914-15)
Craig Counsell (Rockies, Marlins, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Brewers; 1995-2011)
Harry Curtis (Giants, 1907)
George Cutshaw (Dodgers, Pirates, Tigers; 1912-23)
Bert Daniels (Yankees, Reds; 1910-14)
Jean Dubuc (Reds, Tigers, Red Sox, Giants; 1908-19)
Shaun Fitzmaurice (Mets; 1966)
Steamer Flanagan (Pirates; 1905)
Bill Froats (Tigers; 1955)
Norwood Gibson (Red Sox; 1903-06)
Jim Hannan (Senators, Tigers, Brewers; 1962-71)
Ed Hanyzewski (Cubs; 1942-46)
Aaron Heilman (Mets, Cubs, Diamondbacks; 2003-present)
Bert Inks (Dodgers, Senators, Orioles, Colonels, Phillies, Reds; 1891-96)
Burt Keeley (Senators; 1908-09)
Herb Kelly (Pirates; 1914-15)
Red Kelly (White Sox; 1910)
Ed Lagger (A's; 1934)
Bill Lathrop (White Sox; 1913-14)
Brad Lidge (Astros, Phillies, Nationals; 2002-present)
Adrian Lynch (Browns; 1920)
Earle Mack (A's; 1910-14)
Matt Macri (Twins; 2008)
Jeff Manship (Twins; 2009-present)
Jackie Mayo (Phillies; 1948-53)
Alex McCarthy (Pirates; Cubs; 1910-17)
Ed McDonough (Phillies; 1909-10)
Willie McGill (Indians, Browns, Reds, Cubs, Phillies; 1890-96)
Dan McGinn (Reds, Expos, Cubs; 1968-72)
John McHale (Tigers; 1943-48)
Chris Michalak (Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Rangers, Reds; 1998-06)
Rupert Mills (Newark Peppers, Federal League; 1915)
John Mohardt (Tigers; 1922)
Red Morgan (Red Sox; 1906)
Pat Murray (Phillies; 1919)
Red Murray (Cardinals, Giants, Cubs; 1906-17)
Lou Nagelsen (Indians; 1912)
Hank Olmsted (Red Sox; 1905)
Peaches O'Neill (Reds; 1904)
Christian Parker (Yankees; 2001)
Dan Peltier (Rangers, Giants; 1992-96)
Andy Pilney (Braves; 1936)
Doc Powers (Colonels, Senators, A's; 1898-1909)
Billy Reed (Braves; 1952)
Ron Reed (Braves, Cardinals, Phillies, White Sox; 1966-84)
Ed Reulbach (Cubs, Dodgers, Braves; 1905-14, 1916-17. Also Newark Peppers, Federal League, 1915)
Dick Rusteck (Mets; 1966)
Jeff Samardzija (Cubs; 2008-present)
Frank Scanlan (Phillies; 1909)
Paul Schramka (Cubs; 1953)
Tillie Shafer (Giants; 1909-13)
Shag Shaughnessy (Senators, A's; 1905-08)
Tommy Shields (Orioles, Cubs; 1992-93)
Duke Simpson (Cubs; 1953)
Red Smith (Giants; 1927)
Lou Sockalexis (Indians; 1897-99)
Billy Sullivan Jr. (White Sox, Reds, Indians, Browns, Tigers, Dodgers, Pirates; 1931-47)
Yank Terry (Red Sox; 1940-45)
Henry Thielman (Giants, Reds, Dodges; 1902-03)
Dick Thoenen (Phillies; 1967)
Ed Walsh Jr. (White Sox; 1928-32)
John Walsh (Phillies; 1903)
Kyle Weiland (Red Sox; 2011)
Tom Whelan (Braves; 1920)
Cy Williams (Cubs, Phillies; 1912-30)
Carl Yastrzemski (Red Sox; 1961-83)Labels: history, ND to MLB, Notre Dame