Johnny Dickshot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Oscar Dickshot commonly known as "Ugly" Johnny Dickshot (January 24, 1910–November 4, 1997) was a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1936-1938, the New York Giants in 1939, and the Chicago White Sox from 1944-1945. He won the nickname "Ugly" because of his self-proclaimed status as the "ugliest man in baseball". Born and raised in Waukegan, Illinois, Dickshot began his professional baseball career in the early 1930s playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, which was then a minor league team. He entered the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1935. In a time before baseball salaries took off, Dickshot worked at a North Chicago steel mill in the off-season.
He moved to the Hollywood Stars in the Pacific Coast League in 1941. In 1943, he hit .352 for the Stars and had a 33-game hitting streak.
He joined the White Sox in 1944 and had his best season in 1945, his last year in the major leagues, when he had a .302 batting average (3rd best in the American League) with 58 RBIs, 10 triples, and 18 stolen bases in 486 at bats.
He finished his career with a .276 batting average, with 7 home runs and 116 RBI.
Dickshot opened a tavern called the Dugout in Waukegan soon after his retirement. In his obituary, his granddaughter said he would often call his wife at home from the bar, demanding that she look in his encyclopedia to settle a dispute over baseball trivia. He threw out a first pitch in the new Comiskey Park in June 1994.
Johnny Dickshot died in 1997 in Waukegan. He had four daughters and one son, fourteen grandchildren (including the actor John Ducey), and four great-grandchildren.
