Champaign’s baseball claim-to-fame

Since I had little time to write today, here is a late post that I put together back in the summer for a different blog (original post date: June 23) . I’ll have something more original and Illini-ish tomorrow. Enjoy.

Here lies Frank X. Pfeffer. His legal name is Francis Xavier Pfeffer, but he was better known as “Big Jeff” (I won’t go into the details of how he got his nickname because it’s too long and stupid).

So why is Francis Xavier “Big Jeff” Pfeffer so interesting? Because Big Jeff is perhaps Champaign’s greatest baseball legacy.

Big Jeff was born and raised in Champaign and attended the University of Illinois. He is currently buried at St. Mary’s cemetery, which is located on the southwest side of Champaign. Big Jeff will always have my respect for being a member of the Chicago Cubs (1905, 1910), but he will forever be remembered for throwing a no-hitter in 1907 as a member of the Boston Doves.

Although Big Jeff (listed at 6′1”, 185 lbs…exactly the same height and weight as myself, but no one ever calls me Big Kyle) didn’t have the best major league career, his baseball accomplishment really has no comparison in the Champaign-Urbana area. There have been some players from the C-U area to make it to the Show, but none have done anything comparable to throwing a no-hitter.

Unfortunately Big Jeff’s current situation (dead) also describes baseball in the C-U area. Outside of the University team and the local high schools, baseball has failed here. Despite Champaign-Urbana sitting practically equidistant from the baseball strongholds of Chicago and St. Louis, there is just little interest in the game. I don’t know why this is, but people don’t get excited about it as evident by the failure of low-level teams like the Champagin County Colts (1990-1996) and the Champaign-Urbana Bandits (1994)

It’s really too bad. This place could be a fantastic summer baseball town. Instead of sweating my balls off in a graveyard looking for the grave of a former pitcher, I could be sweating them off watching a minor league game with a cold beer.