Clyde Milan

Born in 1887 in Tennessee, Jesse Clyde Milan went by his middle name.  The baseball community, though, called him “Deerfoot.”

Milan did not play much baseball while growing up and became frustrated in his early career.  He was considering leaving baseball when he landed in Wichita in 1906 to play for the Class C Wichita Jobbers.  Milan hit .211 but came into his own in 1907, hitting .304 with 38 stolen bases on what is considered one of the greatest minor league teams of all time.

Milan attracted the attention of the Washington Senators.  Injured catcher Cliff Blankenship was sent to Wichita to purchase Milan’s contract.  Blankenship then went to Idaho to sign another prospect, Walter Johnson.  With the Senators, Milan and Johnson became best friends.

Milan played in 48 games with the Senators in 1907, then became the team’s regular centerfielder in 1908.  In 1911, he hit .315 with 35 stolen bases.  In 1912, he hit .306 with a league-leading 88 steals.  In 1913, he hit .301 with 75 steals.

Milan played his entire 16-year major league career with Washington, retiring after the 1922 season.  Milan’s career average is .285, with 2,100 hits, 1,004 runs scored and 495 stolen bases.  He led the American League twice in steals and was in the top ten in MVP voting in 1911-13.  Milan died in 1953, at the age of 65.

Milan managed Washington in 1922 but did not enjoy the job. He coached for the Senators in 1928 and 1929 and managed in the minor leagues in Birmingham (1930-35) and Chattanooga (1935-37).  He returned to the Senators as a scout in 1937 and coached for the team through 1952.

Milan died of a heart attack in 1953 at the age of 65.

For more, read Clyde Milan’s Society for American Baseball Research bio.