Chesapeake, Ohio, Baseball Player and Pittsburgh Pirates Recruit

Wilbur McCullough Fisher (18 July 1894–24 October 1960), who lived in Chesapeake, Lawrence County, Ohio, played baseball for Marshall College before joining the Pittsburgh Pirates in June 1916. He appeared in one official major-league game on 13 June 1916. The newspaper accounts and family records below trace his brief major-league career and later life.

Major-league record: MLB player profile for Wilbur Fisher (one official game, 13 June 1916).

“Bucs Sign College Star” — 2 June 1916 Newspaper Account

Pittsburgh Post, Sporting Section, 2 June 1916, page 12

Wilbur McCullough Fisher was the son of Ella P. Brammer Fisher and Pembroke Somerset Fisher. The original research notes identify the Fisher family with Chesapeake, Ohio. The 1920 census is described as listing Wilbur with his wife Ruth, their daughter Marie, and his mother in the Chesapeake area. The account associates their home with the former Ella P. Fisher Subdivision near what is now the Robert C. Byrd Bridge approach; that precise location has not been independently confirmed.

Stepping right into the vacancy on the Pirates' 21-player-limit roster vacated yesterday by one O. Knabe of Beltzhoover, who was decorated with the Iron Cross for his superhuman exertions on the second-base sector, is one Wilbur Fisher, a college youth, who was captured while enjoying a state of comparative freedom in the outfield of the Marshall College nine of Huntington, W.Va.

As usual, Pittsburgh was apprised of the addition of a Pirate to the roster through a press dispatch from that vast domain generally known as "out-of-town." The wire was date-lined Huntington and contained the intelligence that Scout Chick Frasher of the Buccos had put the irons on Fisher after a desperate struggle there yesterday afternoon.

Also, it was noted that Fisher has been the mainstay in the outfield and at bat of the Marshall College nine, West Virginia state champions last season, and this: that he has been hitting .450 during the present season, and that he is ranked as the premier college outfielder in the state of West Virginia. Furthermore, he will report to Callahan in New York tomorrow morning.

Performing our obvious duty of "following up" on the above news items, we instructed our telephone operator to "page B. Dreyfuss" while we got something up on it for the second edition. When we got the owner of the Pirates on the phone and retailed our bit of information, he exclaimed:

"Is that so?"

Then, demonstrating that it’s werry, werry hard to disturb the mental equilibrium of a baseball magnate, he continued:

"Well, it doesn't surprise me at all. In fact, I believe Fraser has been trying to sign him up, but I don't know whether he put it over or not. For the last while, we've been having some of our news sources look him over, and I've been told that he's a pretty fair prospect."

Fisher a Big Fellow

Then the Colonel dived deeper into his memory, where the physical peculiarity of a mob of players is stored, and related that:

"Fisher is a big fellow. He stands 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs 185, is 23 years old, is rated as a fast man, throws, bats, and eats left-handed."

(As no story about a new Pirate conforms to standard unless the above measurements are given, we give them space simply to keep from setting a precedent.)

The colonel declared that Fisher has had more experience than that gained while covering center field for Marshall College. If Barney's "info" is correct, Fisher is a strict amateur in that he has never been caught but has dallied with professional ball. This was done, apparently, under an assumed name, and no blame attaches to Marshall College other than that its eligibility committee is easier to fool than the Boss Pirate.

For, as the colonel went on to relate, Fisher was playing ball in a little league when a Pirate scout got a look at him. But his name wasn't Fisher then. Then, the secret service men lost track of him for a space, only to discover that there was a lad in college ball who resembled Mr. Minor Leaguer in many respects. As the little league is some distance from Huntington, Fisher got away with it. Fisher is an Ohioan, by the way, and not to be blamed for sundry little idiosyncrasies.

He's An Ohioan

Anyhow, the Bucs got him, but whether they forced him under the yoke by threatening to expose his past or not, we don't know. Anyhow, between them, they knocked a crater in the Marshall College outfield, but not until it walloped the State University in a few games.

And the Pirates have gained a little weight on the far end of the bench, so everybody, apparently, should be satisfied but Fisher.

Pittsburgh Post, 19 June 1916, page 10
"Wilbur Fisher, the recruit outfielder, was tried out in the central portion of the pasture, and he made a very desirable impression. He had two clean hits and stole a base. The real feature for the fans, of course, was the appearance of Hans Wagner. Notwithstanding the bad weather, a good crowd turned out."

The Pittsburgh Post, 5 June 1916, page 11
"Move number 2 was the acquisition of Wilbur Fisher, the young outfielder from Marshall College, WV. Fisher is reported as being a real find, and indications are that he will be given a tryout at once in the Buccaneer outer garden."

Newspaper report attributed in the original article to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 27 June 1916, page 10 (citation needs verification)
Wilbur Fisher's Release Makes Room for New Pirate
Wilbur Fisher, the young Marshall (WV) College outfielder, who was signed by the Pirates recently, has been given his unconditional release. Manager Callahan decided the young man was not ripe for major league work, and was unable to place him advantageously in the minors, so he was given his unconditional freedom. He lives at Chesapeake, Ohio, and may catch on in the Ohio State League.

Historical context: the 19 June 1916 report describes a tryout with two hits, while the official major-league record lists one game and no hit. These are different records and should not be treated as the same statistical appearance.

Family, Work, and Later Baseball Activity

Following his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wilbur returned to Chesapeake, Ohio, and married Ruth U. Griffith, also of Chesapeake. The family later lived in McDowell County, West Virginia, where Wilbur worked as a foreman for the Pocahontas Coal Company, according to the original family account. Their four children are identified as Marie, Marjorie, Hope, and Wilbur Jr. A baseball-history source also reports that Fisher played briefly with the Louisville Colonels in 1919, so his June 1916 release did not necessarily mark the end of his professional baseball activity.

A report in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph dated 3 May 1931, page 12, is described in the original research as mentioning Fisher in connection with the N & W baseball team and the 1931 State Line team. The precise wording and the nature of his participation should be checked against the newspaper page.

Wilbur Fisher died on 24 October 1960. Baseball biographical records list Welch, West Virginia, as his place of death. The original family account places his burial at Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington, West Virginia, near his parents.

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Editor’s Notes

The 2 June 1916 newspaper material is presented as a historical transcription, not a newly written account. Two obvious transcription problems have been corrected for readability: a duplicated phrase about a press dispatch was removed, and “at bad” was changed to “at bat.” An extra period before “.450” and a stray closing quotation mark were also corrected. Unusual period language, including “werry, werry,” has been retained. Compare the text with the original newspaper image before treating it as a diplomatic, word-for-word transcription.

The modern biographical text consistently uses “Wilbur McCullough Fisher,” the spelling used in MLB records. Older research notes also use “Wilburn.” Both forms may be useful when searching genealogical records, but their relationship should be checked against original documents.

The original heading stated that Fisher was drafted for World War I and enlisted for World War II. The supplied image shows a World War I draft-registration record, which by itself is not proof of military service. No evidence of World War II enlistment was supplied; therefore that heading has not been retained.

Further verification needed: the marriage-register page (346 or 348); the exact newspaper title and page for the 27 June 1916 release report; the 3 May 1931 baseball reference; and the precise location of the Ella P. Fisher Subdivision. Contemporary newspaper accounts give physical details and baseball claims that may differ from modern statistical databases.

Research note: Baseball-Reference’s biographical history also describes a brief 1919 stint with the Louisville Colonels; this supplements, rather than changes, the original local-family narrative.

Related Resources

Further reading: Chesapeake, Ohio history; Wilbur Fisher’s Find a Grave memorial; MLB player profile; Baseball-Reference historical biography; Marshall College 1916 yearbook.