Charley Hollocher
Entering the 1918 season, the Cubs knew they had a lot riding on their diminutive new shortstop, Charley Hollocher. There was no way to know, though, just how good Holly would turn out to be. As the Cubs were winding down their spring training trip, James Crusinberry wrote in the Tribune, “Little Charley Hollocher [is] the boy shortstop upon whom hinges success or failure for the Chicago team this year.” That was a lot of pressure for a 21-year-old rookie.
Hollocher exceeded expectations. He had only three years of minor-league experience behind him and had hit just .265 in those stops. It was hoped that his quick feet and reliable glove would solidify the Cubs defense and that he could hit just enough that he didn’t hurt the offense. 
Charley Hollocher, stellar 1918 rookie shortstop. (Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.)His glove was reliable, but his bat was the big surprise that helped carry the Cubs. He hit .316—helped in part by a 20-game hitting streak in August—and led the league in hits, total bases and games played, the only Cub to take his place in every one of the team’s 131 games.
Near the end of the season, the Chicago Daily News wrote, “His presence alone steadied the infield that was unsteady and uncertain the season before. He gave every man on the club confidence, because they knew there was little danger of any games being tossed away.”
By the time the 1918 World Series came around, though, Hollocher did not seem to have much left. He was the shortstop in all six games, but managed just four hits and batted .190. Still, in the wake of the ’18 season, he was considered next in line among baseball’s all-time great shortstops. But 1918 would remain, arguably, Hollocher’s best all-around season.
Holly’s batting dropped back to .270 in 1919, and though he hit .319 in 1920, he was injured and played only 80 games. He rallied for strong seasons in ’21 and ’22 (he hit .289 and .340, respectively) but things began to come unglued for Hollocher in 1923. He claimed he was suffering from the flu before spring training and bolted home to St. Louis. Holly returned to the Cubs for 66 games, but in August, complaining of stomach trouble, quit the team again. He returned in 1924, but said his stomach still wasn’t right and left—for good this time. He was only 28 and left baseball a career .304 hitter. What, exactly, was wrong with Hollocher was never determined.
It could have been that he was suffering from depression, not frequently diagnosed at the time. Certainly, the events of August 14, 1940, support that theory. Hollocher was 43 and had been complaining to his wife about abdominal pains. He slid into the front seat of his car and parked in a driveway near Lindbergh Blvd. in St. Louis County. He placed a note on the dashboard, placed the barrel of his new shotgun to his neck and pulled the trigger.
