Julian Valentine “Julie” Wera (1902-1975)

Major League Baseball Player. A member of the 1927 New York Yankees "Murderers' Row", he was a a 3rd baseman who joined New York after spending the previous season with St. Paul of the American Association. He appeared in 38 games in 1927, batting .238 with 1 homer and 8 RBI. After spending time with Jersey City and Hollywood in the minors, he made his last 5 appearences in the majors for the the Yankees in 1929, after which he spent the remainder of his professional career in the minor leagues. In 1948, a man, posing as Wera, became business manager of the Oroville Club of the Far West League. The imposter had told his employers that he had been disfigured by injuries received in World War II and that he had plastic surgery. When the man later killed himself by taking an overdose of sleeping pills, it was finally learned that the real Julie Wera was alive and well and living in Minnesota. After his retirement from baseball he worked 25 years as a butcher for Piggly Wiggly. He died of a heart attack at the age of 73.

Bio by: Frank Russo