Morrie Rath

Morris Charles "Morrie" Rath (December 25, 1886 – November 18, 1945) was an American baseball player who played second base for the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds in the 1910s. His name was often reported as Maurice Rath.

Born in Mobeetie, Texas, Rath moved with his family to Philadelphia where he grew up. Rath attended Swarthmore College, but did not play for the Garnet Tide, for the school had not yet established a baseball program, but did pledge Delta Upsilon Fraternity during his tenure. He played on teams in the Philadelphia area and moved to professional baseball in 1908, playing in Wilmington, North Carolina and Lynchburg, Virginia. After playing for the Reading Pretzels, Rath began his major league career as a bench player for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1909, appearing in seven games. He was traded in the middle of the 1910 season to the Cleveland Indians because the Athletics already had star second baseman Eddie Collins. He was sent to the Baltimore Orioles of the Eastern League before the end of the season.

In 1911, Rath was drafted by the Chicago White Sox. In 1912, he was the team's starting second baseman and had a breakthrough year, hitting .272 with 95 bases on balls and 30 stolen bases, in addition to outstanding defensive numbers. After a slow start in 1913, he was sent down to the Kansas City Blues of the American Association, remaining in the minor leagues until 1917. In 1915, he led the International League with a .332 batting...
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