Brandon Williamson became the 184th Minnesota-born Major League Baseball player and the first from Martin County tonight when he took the mound for the Cincinnati Reds tonight in Denver vs. the Colorado Rockies.
That figure comes from Baseball Almanac. You can see the entire list later in this newsletter.
One of those Minnesota players was born in Jackson County, though he graduated from a high school in Illinois a century before Williamson graduated from Martin County West.
According to Baseball Almanac, Garland Buckeye was born in Heron Lake on Oct. 16, 1897 and played in the majors from 1918-1928.
He was the oldest of five children born to Knute and Minnie (Maires) Buckeye. Knute’s parents had come from Norway. Minnie’s family was of Scotch-English descent and had been in Minnesota for a few generations. The couple wed on Christmas Day in 1895.
At the time of Garland’s birth, Knute was farming but he later went into the manufacturing business. He died in 1915.
When Garland was about 10, the family moved to Joliet, Ill., and he graduated from Joliet Township High School in 1916.
Buckeye made his major league debut on June 19, 1918, for the Washington Senators at the Polo Grounds against the Yankees. He pitched the last two innings of a 9–0 game, allowing three hits, six walks, and four earned runs while striking out two.
From 1925-1927, he had some success as the fifth starter for the Cleveland Indians. On June 11, 1927, he gave up two home runs to Babe Ruth in the same game.
After a slow start in 1928, Buckeye was released and signed with the New York Giants. He pitched one game for them, giving up six runs in 3.2 innings.
Buckeye finished with a 30–39 record in 108 games pitched (67 starts). He had an ERA of 3.91 and had one save. As a hitter, Buckeye posted a .230 batting average (47-for-204) with 19 runs scored, five home runs and 23 runs batted in.
Buckeye was also a center and guard in pro football from 1920-1924 and 1926.
In 1920, he played four games for the Chicago Tigers of the American Pro Football Association. From 1921-1924, he played for the Chicago Cardinals of the APFA and NFL. In 1926 he played for the Chicago Bulls of the first American Football League.
Later in life, Buckeye ran the Rhinelander Brewing Company in Wisconsin, and then operated a Ford dealership in Toledo, Ohio.
In 1938, Buckeye was convicted of conspiracy to violate gambling laws. Along with seven other defendants, who were said to have attempted to form a slot machine ring, he was sentenced to six months in prison.
Buckeye died in 1975. At that time, he lived with his daughter, Marylee Pomeranz, in Richmond, Ind, but died at his summer home in Stone Lake, Wis.
He was the great-grandfather of MLB pitching brothers Drew and Stu Pomeranz.
Williamson was born in Fairmont and the Williamson family lives in Trimont.
Here’s the list of MLB players born in Minnesota. Listed are name, town born in and years played.
John Anderson, St. Paul, 1958-1962
Nick Anderson, Crosby, 2019-active
Fred Baczewski, St. Paul, 1953-1955
Loren Bain, Staples, 1945-1945
Bill Barnes, Shakopee 1884-1884
Mike Baumann, Mahtomedi 2021-active
Anthony Bemboom, St. Cloud, 2019-active
Chief Bender, Crow Wing County, 1903-1925
Lefty Bertrand, Cobden, 1936-1936
Johnny Blanchard, Minneapolis, 1955-1965
T.J. Bohn, St. Louis Park, 2006-2008
Bert Brenner, Minneapolis, 1912-1912
Tony Brottem, Halstad, 1916-1921
Jim Brower, Edina, 1999-2007
Fred Bruckbauer, New Ulm, 1961-1961
Arlo Brunsberg, Fertile, 1966-1966
Garland Buckeye, Heron Lake, 1918-1928
Bill Burdick, Austin, 1888-1889
Tom Burgmeier, St. Paul, 1968-1984
Michael Busch, Inver Grove Heights, 2023-active
Bullet Joe Bush, Gull River, 1912-1928
Alex Call, Burnsville, 2022-active
Ralph Capron, Minneapolis, 1912-1913
Bill Carney, St. Paul, 1904-1904
Paul Castner, St. Paul, 1923-1923
Chief Chouneau, Cloquet, 1910-1910
Harry Chozen, Winnebago, 1937-1937
Steve Comer, Minneapolis, 1978-1984
Rip Conway, White Bear Lake, 1918-1918
Gene Corbett, Winona, 1936-1938
Jack Crooks, St. Paul, 1889-1898
Jim Crowell, Minneapolis, 1997-2005
George Cunningham, Sturgeon Lake, 1916-1921
Bill Davis, Graceville, 1965-1969
Ike Davis, Edina, 2010-2016
Cole De Vries, 2012-2013
Gene DeMontreville, St. Paul, 1894-1904
Lee DeMontreville, Washington County, 1903-1903
Brian Denman, Minneapolis, 1982-1982
Roger Denzer, LeSueur, 1897-1901
Mike Dimmel, Albert Lea, 1977-1979
Blix Donnelly, Olivia, 1944-1951
Lew Drill, Browerville, 1902-1905
George Dumont, Minneapolis, 1915-1919
Steve Edlefsen, Minneapolis, 2011-2012
Jim Eisenreich, St. Cloud, 1982-1998
Jake Esch, Saint Paul, 2016-2017
Joe Fautsch, Minneapolis, 1916-1916
Elmer Foster, Minneapolis, 1886-1891
Steve Foucault, Duluth, 1973-1978
Ollie Fuhrman, Jordan, 1922-1922
Lou Galvin, St. Paul, 1884-1884
Chick Gandil, St. Paul, 1910-1919
John Gaub, St. Paul, 2011-2011
Bob Gebhard, Lamberton, 1971-1974
Henry Gehring, St. Paul, 1907-1908
Joey Gerber, Maple Grove, 2020-active
Paul Giel, Winona, 1954-1961
Tony Giuliani, St. Paul, 1936-1943
Dave Goltz, Pelican Rapids 1972-1983
Jack Graham, Minneapolis, 1946-1949
Brad Gulden, New Ulm, 1978-1986
Bill Gullickson, Marshall, 1979-1994
Doc Hamann, New Ulm, 1922-1922
Mark Hamburger, St. Paul, 2011-2011
Brad Hand, Minneapolis, 2011-active
Jack Hannahan, St. Paul, 2006-2014
Gary Hargis, Minneapolis, 1979-1979
Spencer Harris, Duluth, 192-1930
Jimmy Hart, St. Paul, 1901-1901
Bob Hegman, Springfield, 1985-1985
Ben Hendrickson, St. Cloud, 2004-2006
Sam Hentges, Shoreview, 2021-active
Bryan Hickerson, Bemidji, 1991-1995
Jack Hickey, Minneapolis, 1904-1904
Carmen Hill, Royalton, 1895-10-01 1915 1930
Sean Hjelle, Fridley, 2022-active
Jamie Hoffmann, New Ulm 2009-2011
Byron Houck, Prosper, 1912-1918
Kent Hrbek, Minneapolis, 1981-1994
Jake Irvin, Bloomington, 2023-active
Joe Jaeger, St. Cloud, 1920-1920
Dan Johnson, Coon Rapids, 2005-2015
Josh Johnson, Minneapolis, 2005-2013
Mike Johnson, Slayton, 1974-1974
Tom Johnson, St. Paul, 1974-1978
Walt Johnson, Minneapolis, 1912-1917
Frank Jude, Libby, 1906-1906
Tom Kelly, Graceville, 1975-1975
Dana Kiecker, Sleepy Eye, 1990-1991
Jerry Kindall, St. Paul, 1956 1965
Mike Kingery, St. James, 1986-1996
Jerry Koosman, Appleton, 1967-1985
George Lohman, Washington County, 1891-1891
Mike Lynch, St. Paul, 1902-1902
Bob Mahoney, Le Roy, 1951-1952
Roger Maris, Hibbing, 1957-1968
Joe Marshall, Audubon, 1903-1906
Mike Mason, Faribault, 1982-1988
Joe Mauer, St. Paul, 2004-2018
David Maurer, Minneapolis, 2000-2004
Carmen Mauro, St. Paul, 1948-1953
Tim McIntosh, Minneapolis, 1990-1996
Moxie Meixell, Lake Crystal, 1912-1912
Ben Meyer, Minneapolis, 2018-active
Max Meyer, Woodbury, 2022-active
Gary Mielke, St. James, 1987-1990
Paul Molitor, St. Paul, 1978-1998
Mike Morin, Andover, 2014-active
Jack Morris, St. Paul, 1977-1994
Hap Morse, St. Paul, 1911-1911
Walt Moryn, St. Paul, 1954-1961
Zach Muckenhirn, Delano, 2023-active
Andy Nelson, St. Paul, 1908-1908
Ernie Nevers, Willow River, 1926-1928
Tom Niedenfuer, St. Louis Park, 1981-1990
Milt Nielsen, Tyler, 1949-1951
Wayne Nordhagen, Thief River Falls, 1976-1983
Greg Olson, Marshall, 1989-1993
Glen Perkins, St. Paul, 2006-2017
Jake Petricka, Northfield, 2013-active
Bill Phyle, Duluth, 1898-1906
Mike Poepping, Little Falls, 1975-1975
Jimmy Pofahl, Faribault, 1940-1942
Lou Polchow, Mankato, 1902-1902
A.J. Puk, Minneapolis, 2019-active
Lee Quillin, North Branch, 1906-1907
Robb Quinlan, Maplewood, 2003-2010
Tom Quinlan, St. Paul, 1990-1996
Brian Raabe, New Ulm, 1995-1997
Michael Reed, Maplewood, 2015-active
Chris Reitsma, Minneapolis, 2001-2007
Alex Remneas, Minneapolis, 1912-1915
Rip Repulski, Sauk Rapids, 1953-1961
Michael Restovich, Rochester, 2002-2007
Todd Revenig, Brainerd, 1992-1992
Dave Robinson, Minneapolis, 1970-1971
Mickey Rocco, St. Paul, 1943-1946
Les Rock, Springfield, 1936-1936
Larry Rosenthal, St. Paul, 1936-1945
Charlie Roy, Beaulieu, 1906-1906
Jim Rutherford, Stillwater, 1910-1910
Mike Sadek, Minneapolis, 1973-1981
Pat Scanlon, Minneapolis, 1974-1977
Jeff Schmidt, Northfield, 1996-1996
Howie Schultz, St. Paul, 1943-1948
Aaron Sele, Golden Valley, 1993-2007
Paul Siebert, Minneapolis, 1974-1978
Dan Smith, St. Paul, 1992-1994
Sammy Solis, Minneapolis, 2015-active
Hack Spencer, St. Cloud, 1912-1912
Terry Steinbach, New Ulm, 1986-1999
Frank Stewart, Minneapolis, 1927-1927
Dick Stigman, Nimrod, 1960-1966
Guy Sularz, Minneapolis, 1980-1983
Gordie Sundin, Minneapolis, 1956-1956
Kerry Taylor, Bemidji, 1993-1994
Jerry Terrell, Waseca, 1973-1980
Caleb Thielbar, Northfield, 2013-active
Henry Thielman, St. Cloud, 1902-1903
Jake Thielman, St. Cloud, 1905-1908
Dave Thies, Minneapolis, 1963-1963
Carl Thomas, Minneapolis, 1960-1960
George Thomas, Minneapolis, 1957-1971
Pete Turgeon, Minneapolis, 1923-1923
Jerry Ujdur, Duluth, 1980-1984
Gus Varland, Maplewood, 2023-active
Louie Varland, St. Paul, 2022-active
Joe Visner, Minneapolis, 1885-1891
Rip Wade, Duluth, 1923-1923
Neil Wagner, Minneapolis, 2011-2014
Rube Walberg, Pine City, 1923-1937
Matt Wallner, Forest Lake, 2022-active
Charlie Walters, Minneapolis, 1969-1969
Julie Wera, Winona, 1927-1929
Joe Werrick, St. Paul, 1884-1888
Wes Westrum, Clearbrook, 1947-1957
Don Wheeler, Minneapolis, 1949-1949
Brandon Williamson, Fairmont, 2023-active
Dave Winfield, St. Paul, 1973-1995
Cy Wright, Minneapolis, 1916-1916
Michael Wuertz, Austin, 2004-2011
Jack Zalusky, Minneapolis, 1903-1903
Clint Zavaras, Duluth, 1989-1989