Born in Liverpool, England, Bengough came close to being a Catholic priest. A bullpen catcher in Buffalo, his mother insisted that the manager use him in a game. In his first start, he threw out four Browns baserunners in an exhibition game.
Bengough became a regular on the same day Lou Gehrig replaced Wally Pipp in the lineup in 1925; it was Bengough’s only season of more than 58 games. A talkative catcher behind the plate, he would get laughs and distract hitters by running his fingers through his “imaginary” hair. He later coached the Browns, Senators, Braves, and Phillies.
