Today we celebrate what would have been the 108th birthday of Monty Stratton. While Stratton may not be a household name for his impact on the field, he does have a wonderful place in baseball and movie history.

Monty Stratton was a pitcher in the major leagues with the Chicago White Sox that showed a ton of promise. In 1937, he won 15 games and had a 2.40 ERA. He was named to the AL All Star team and things seemed to be going in the right direction. He followed his 1937 season with another 15 wins in 1938.

However, his life changed drastically that off-season. During a hunting trip, he fell and his shotgun went off and struck his leg. He had to have his leg amputated prematurely ending his career at age 26. He stuck around the sport and worked with the White Sox as a coach and would fill in as a batting practice pitcher.

We would attempt multiple comebacks in the minor leagues, but would never step foot on a Major League mound again. His life was made into a movie “The Stratton Story” that starred Jimmy Stewart as Monty. The film won an Academy Award for Original Story.

While Monty Stratton does not have any cards produced during his playing days, he does have cards that were produced after his career ended. He also has authentic autographs that start at $20 on eBay.