About Larry McLean
John Bannerman McLean (July 18, 1881 – March 24, 1921) was a Canadian professional baseball catcher between 1901 until 1915. During his years in Major League Baseball, he played with five different teams. Beginning his career with the Boston Americans, his final professional game was played with the New York Giants on June 6, 1915. McLean was one of the tallest catchers in Major League Baseball history, standing 6 feet, 5 inches. Known for his heavy drinking and violent behavior, McLean's career ended after a 1915 brawl with New York Giants manager John McGraw and team scout Dick Kinsella. He was fatally shot by a bartender six years after his last major league appearance. == Early life == McLean was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He earned the nickname Larry after the alternate moniker ascribed to Nap Lajoie, a star baseball player who McLean was said to resemble. In 1901, while McLean and Fred Mitchell were playing for a local team in Saint John, New Brunswick, they were scouted and signed by the fledgling Boston Red Sox. == Playing career == On December 12, 1903, McLean was traded from the Cubs to the Cardinals in what has been described as "one of the worst trades in Cardinals history." McLean and Jack Taylor were traded to the Cardinals in exchange for future Baseball Hall of Fame member Mordecai Brown and Jack O'Neill.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.