Roy Ellam

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Roy Ellam

Roy "Slippery" Ellam (born February 8, 1886 in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; died October 28, 1948 in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania) was a shortstop for the Birmingham Barons from 1909 to 1915 who played parts of two seasons in the Major Leagues, with the Cincinnati Reds in 1909 and with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1918.

Ellam, the son of George and Ellen Ellam of Conshohocken, got his start with the Connellsville Cokers of the Class D Pennsylvania-West Virginia League in 1908, but soon moved up to the Class A Southern Association with the 1909 Birmingham Barons. His contract was bought in August of that year by the Cincinnati Reds and he made his debut on September 18 in a 1-2 loss to the Boston Doves. He played in 10 games with the Reds before he was cut from the roster. He returned to the 1910 Birmingham Barons, which opened Rickwood Field.

He continued in Birmingham through seven seasons, moving to the league-rival Nashville Volunteers as a player-manager after the 1915 season. Ellam's first team won the 1916 Southern Association pennant. After two seasons, he moved up to the AA Indianapolis Indians, and was traded by them to the Pittsburgh Pirates for another short stint in the Majors at 32 years of age. After 26 games his Major League career came to a close and he returned to Nashville. He left the Volunteers after the 1920 season and made stops with the Galveston Pirates of the Texas League in 1921 and the Southern Association's Atlanta Crackers and Mobile Bears in 1922. He was inactive for five years before returning as a manager for the Class D Lakeland (Florida) Highlanders in 1926. The following year he took the field again as a player-manager with the St Augustine Saints of the Class B Southeastern League. He finished his career with the Tampa Krewes and Montgomery Lions, retiring at the end of 1930.

Ellam was married to the former Gertrude McCarns. He died in 1948 and is buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

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