Jesuit priest played in the big leagues... for a day.

Who knows what was in the mind of young Joe Travers as he trotted out to the pitcher’s mound wearing a Detroit Tigers baseball uniform. The day was May 18, 1912, and the place was Shibe Park in Philadelphia, home of the Athletics, who were scheduled to play the Tigers. As the game was about to start, 19 Tigers walked off the field in protest of the recent suspension of star centerfielder Ty Cobb. If Detroit manager Hughie Jennings didn’t do something fast, the game would be forfeited and the team could even lose its franchise. He looked to the stands for volunteers. Among those chosen was former St. Joe’s Prep School pitching star Aloysius Joseph Travers. The makeshift team donned uniforms and faced the A’s. After allowing a record 24 runs, young Travers did manage to strike out one player, and the final score was 24 to 2. Travers actually got a few offers from big league teams after that, but he turned them down to attend college, enter the Jesuits and become a much-beloved teacher.