(UPDATE)
Carnett died on Nov. 4, 2016, two weeks after turning 100.)
RINGLING, OK. — The oldest living former Major League Baseball player Eddie Carnett and family is responding to fan mail
The 99-year-old Carnett, who will turn 100 on Oct. 21, is a former resident of my home town and wasted no time in responding to my request.
According to Ponca City News archives, Carnett was born on Oct. 21, 1916 in Springfield, Mo.
The family, his parents Jesse and Velma Carnett, a brother, Charles and a sister, Maxine, moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma where Eddie would become prominent in sports at Ponca City High School.
According to The News time line, Carnett pitched in Tulsa in 1937, in Los Angeles in 1938, with the Chicago Cubs in the National League and the Milwaukee Brewers in the American Association in 1939, with the Kansas City Blues in the American Association in 1940, with the Newark Bears of the International League in 1941, with the Seattle Raniers of the Pacific Coast League in 1942 and 1943, and then back to the Big Leagues with the White Sox in 1944 and the Cleveland Indians in 1945. And according to the time line, he went into the U. S. Navy in 1946. The time line missed two games that he played with the Boston Braves in 1941.
I sent a note and autograph request to Carnett on May 16.
On May 27 I received a letter from Carnett’s family, a reproduction of the 1941 War Years photo featuring 1941 Boston Bee rookie pitchers, George Barnicle, Bob Williams, Frank LaManna, Art Johnson, Carnett, and manager Casey Stengel; Carnett’s autograph, and the three items sent were returned autographed.
In the letter, the family explains that the team was known as The Boston Bees until May 12, 1941, when they became The Boston Braves.
The letter states, Carnett doesn’t write many letters, but does still sign a few balls and cards.
A great success and addition to my collection.
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Also, visit www.thelamfoundation.org and become aware of a deadly lung disease striking out women called Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, (LAM.) There is no cure and doctors are not sure what causes it.
Sveum’s autograph arrived after a short seven days and Lachey’s autograph arrived after an even shorter nine days.
