Anyone who has ever attended a minor league baseball game expects surprises. Since the great players are not around long enough to draw the crowds, minor league fans come out for two reasons: hometown spirit and, of course, the gimmicks. More than anyone else in history, we have Joe Engel to thank for the latter. Dubbed “The Barnum of the Bushes,” Engel was legendary for his shenanigans while heading the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern Association. A great promoter, Engel twice gave away furnished houses, with new cars in the garage, to lucky fans. A true joker, he once traded a wisecracking shortstop for a twenty-five-pound turkey! Besides playing the clown, Engel was also one of the greatest scouts of his day. One notable discovery happened at the Baltimore Industrial School and Orphanage, where he spotted a young left-handed pitcher. In Engel’s own words, “I told Jack Dunn [of Baltimore] that he ought to sign the boy.” That boy was Babe Ruth. Engel also discovered National Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Joe Cronin. A player himself, Joe Engel pitched in the majors with the Senators, Indians, and Reds. But perhaps Engel’s greatest quality, beyond even his promotional and scouting skill, was his kindness and philanthropy. According to a friend, “He would be a millionaire if he invested the money he has spent on bats, balls, and uniforms for youngsters, as well as the cash he’s given down-and-out ballplayers who came to him.” Now that is a legacy of a true champion.
