Grave marker dedicated in Cave Hill Cemetery to local pro baseball player

Dec 2, 2021
Dec 2, 2021 Updated Dec 3, 2021

John Lewis Dodge grave marker

Professional baseball player John Lewis Dodge, who was hit by a pitch and died in 1916, is buried at Cave Hill Cemetery. A grave marker was dedicated in his honor on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. (WDRB photo)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new marker in Cave Hill Cemetery honors a local professional baseball player.

Louisville's chapter of The Society for American Baseball Research sponsored the marker for John Lewis Dodge, who was hit by a pitch in Mobile, Alabama, and died in 1916. He was the first professional baseball player to die from injuries from a game.

A member of the society realized he was buried in Cave Hill, but there was no marker for his grave.

"Dodge might not go down as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, but it's just important to us to make sure we have our, especially our Louisville native ballplayers, just kind of have a memory of them here," Chris Betsch said.

More than 50 baseball players are buried in Cave Hill Cemetery.