Bob Engle

Robert Herbert Engle


Born:
December 22, 1921
New York, NY

Died:
November 18, 1977
Montgomery, AL


Career
1939-40 George Washington High School - New York (High School)
1946-47 WMGY - Montgomery (Independent)
1948-49 Montgomery Rebels (SPBL)
1948-49 Boys' Club - Montgomery (Independent)

Engle graduated from Washington HS in New York City and signed to play baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played two years in the Phillies farm system before World War 2 intervened and Engle went into the U.S. Navy. He spent part of World War 2 stationed in Panama. After the war, he returned to baseball, signing with the Montgomery Rebels baseball team. The 6'2 205-pound first baseman wound up taking to Montgomery, playing basketball for a local semi-pro team and meeting his wife, Dorothy. In 1947, he was named the playing - manager with nearby Andalusia team, and batted .308 and was named to the all-star team. The Detroit Tigers picked him up and he went to their Class-D affiliate in Thomasville, Georgia. After the 1948 season, Engle found himself playing basketball with the Montgomery Rebels of the Southern Basketball League. He would play one more season of minor league baseball before the Tigers hired him to manage their team in Butler, Pennsylvania, but he was let go after a 13-19 start.

Engle was active in the Montgomery athletic scene, starting work at the Boys Club in Mongtomery in 1954. He would eventually become the director at the Boys' Club in Montgomery. In November of 1977, Engle went to the club to jog in the gymnasium. He suffered a massive heart attack and died almost immediately. He was 55 years of age.

Bob married Dorothy Green (1922-2001) in 1946 and they had two sons.

Minor League Baseball Stats
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=engle-001rob

Source:
Montgomery Advertiser, November 19, 1977

Stats: