By Max Silberman

The Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society was saddened to learn of the passing of Vince Gohl on November 9th.

He was a pitcher in A’s system from 1948-1955. His family reports that he was buried with his A’s cap and a baseball.

Mr. Gohl pitched for Federalsburg, Moultrie, Tarboro, Savannah, Lincoln and Ottawa. His best season came in l949 at Tarboro when he was 21-4 with an ERA of 1.27. From l952-l954 he reached the International League with the Ottawa Athletics.

The Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society thanks Vince’s neice, Barbara Neil, for getting in touch and we extend condolence to the Gohl family.

Vincent Gohl, Sr Remembered by Family & Friends

By Ernie Montella

On Sunday October 17, 2004 the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society during its annual A’s Society Breakfast Reunion paid a special tribute to the last of Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics teams to call Philly their home…the 1954 Athletics. The roster of returning members of that storied franchise to the reunion could actually have been taken from one of the 1954 game’s scorecards. Eddie Joost, Joe Astroth, Spook Jacobs, Leroy Wheat, Sonny Dixon, Art Ditmar, Bobby Shantz, Morrie Martin, John Gray, Joe DeMaestri, Gus Zernial, Lou Limmer, among others. However but for a quirk of fate one more name might have been included, that of Vincent Gohl, Sr. A southpaw pitcher who began with Mack’s farm system in 1948 with Federalsburg of the Eastern Shore league. A review of the 1954 Ottawa team in the International League includes 19 teammates of Gohl’s who made it to the majors that year and a few who were on their way down from the majors.

Considering manager Eddie Joost’s needs to supplement the pitching loss of southpaw

Bobby Shantz due to injury, it is a mystery why Gohl was not called upon to fill that gap. When you consider the A’s 51 wins against 103 loss season and only one pitcher with an above .500 performance, Moe Burtschy (5&4) Gohl’s record over his 6 year minor league stint of 64 wins against 60 losses would certainly have been a benefit. His time in the Athletics farm system was not known by the Society and we only wish we had been made aware.

Vince Gohl enjoyed a very impressive 7 year professional career in the Philadelphia Athletics minor league system from 1948-1955. He had won lost record over that period of 64 wins against 60 losses. Additionally he enjoyed a career year with the Tarboro team in the Class D Coastal Plain league with a league leading 21-4 won lost record and an unbelievable .127 earned run average. A review of Mr. Gohl’s teammates is a virtual who’s who of Connie Mack’s future major leaguers. Some of the names who were with Vince include, Skeeter Kell, Art Ditmar, Ed Hrabczak, Wilmer Shantz, Arnie Portocarreo, Dutch Romberger, Hank Foiles, Stan Jok, Lou Limmer, Jack Littrell, Neal Watlington, Bob Wellman, Charlie Bishop, Ed Burtschy, Joe Coleman Sr., Frank Fanovich, Marion Fricano, Bob Trice, Hector Lopez, Bob Cain, John Gray, Leroy Wheat, and Ozzie VanBrabant. Finally 2 of the A’s Society current active members were also in the minor leagues with Vince. In 1948 he was a teammate of Society VP Addision and joined Bill Hockenbury in 1952.

It is unknown why Mr. Mack’s farm system did not respond favorably to his possibilities given the A’s standings over that time. A call up of Vince Gohl Sr could only have been an improvement to their pitching staff. Because of the contributions sent to the Society in the memory of Vince Gohl Sr. a special plate was added to the Society’s Connie Mack Wall of Fame as a part of the Perpetual plaque section inscribed:

“In Memory Of Vincent Gohl Sr.

Philadelphia, PA”

During the 2004 dedication of the 25 Wall of Fame plaques from Veterans Stadium the overwhelming response by Society members to sponsor one of the 25 plaques was so great that the Executive Board installed a special Perpetual Plaque that is used to honor a favorite player, friend, relative, etc. This plaque is attached to the Connie Mack Wall of Fame. The family and friends listed below have each added their special tribute in the form of a brass plate inscribed.

“In Memory of Vincent Gohl, Sr.” and we might add “Who just missed for reasons forever unknown!!!”

The inscription on the Perpetual plaque reads:

“If I could write my own epitaph it would read: he loved his God,

his home, his country, his fellow man, and baseball,”

Connie Mack ….Summer 1939