{{Short description|American baseball player and football coach (1885–1961)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Simon F. Pauxtis | image = Pauxtis.png | alt = | caption = Pauxtis at Dickinson c. 1911 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1885|7|20}} | birth_place = [[Pittston, Pennsylvania]], U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1961|3|13|1885|7|20}} | death_place = [[Philadelphia|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], U.S. | alma_mater = | player_sport1 = Football | player_years2 = 1907 | player_team2 = [[Penn Quakers football|Penn]] | player_positions = [[End (gridiron football)|End]] | coach_sport1 = Football | coach_years2 = 1911–1912 | coach_team2 = [[Dickinson Red Devils football|Dickinson]] | coach_years3 = 1913–1915 | coach_team3 = [[Penn Quakers football|Penn]] (ends) | coach_years4 = 1916–1929 | coach_team4 = [[Widener Pride football|Pennsylvania Military]] | coach_years5 = 1930–1938 | coach_team5 = [[Penn Quakers football|Penn]] (ends) | coach_years6 = 1939–1946 | coach_team6 = [[Widener Pride football|Pennsylvania Military]] | coach_sport7 = Basketball | coach_years8 = 1918–1919 | coach_team8 = [[Widener Pride men's basketball|Pennsylvania Military]] | overall_record = 90–80–10 (football)<br>4–7 (basketball) | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = | awards = | coaching_records = }} '''Simon Francis Pauxtis''' (July 20, 1885 – March 13, 1961) was an American professional [[baseball]] player and [[college football]] coach. He played football and baseball at the [[University of Pennsylvania]] and appeared in four [[Major League Baseball]] games for the [[Cincinnati Reds]]. He then had a 36-year college football coaching career which included head coaching stints at [[Dickinson College]] and the Pennsylvania Military College (now [[Widener University]]).
==Playing career== {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Si Pauxtis |position=[[Catcher]] |image= |bats=Right |throws=Right |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=September 18 |debutyear=1909 |debutteam=Cincinnati Reds |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=October 5 |finalyear=1909 |finalteam=Cincinnati Reds |statleague = MLB |stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]] |stat1value=.125 |stat2label=[[Home run]]s |stat2value=0 |stat3label=[[Run batted in|RBI]] |stat3value=0 |teams= *[[Cincinnati Reds]] (1909) }}
A native of [[Pittston, Pennsylvania]], Pauxtis played football and baseball at Edwards High School, [[Wyoming Seminary]], and [[Lebanon Valley College]].<ref name="Retire" /> He was a catcher for the [[Penn Quakers baseball]] team while studying law at the University of Pennsylvania. He was noted not only for his defensive play but also for his batting skills.<ref>[http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1909/VOL_53_NO_21/SL5321025.pdf Sporting Life] "American League Notes" July 31, 1909</ref> Pauxtis also played end for Penn's football team.<ref name="smolinski1">[http://major-smolinski.com/fnX.html Major-Smolinski.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509145308/http://major-smolinski.com/fnX.html |date=May 9, 2008 }} "Si Pauxtis"</ref> He was declared ineligible from all of Penn's athletic teams in 1908 after it was discovered he had played professional baseball under an assumed name.<ref>{{cite news |title=Penn Loses Pauxtis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BgsbAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA23&dq |access-date=18 March 2024 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=October 16, 1908}}</ref> He graduated from the [[University of Pennsylvania Law School]] in 1910.<ref name="Retire">{{cite news |title=Si Pauxtis Quits at PMC |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j44tAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA8&dq |access-date=18 March 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=February 22, 1947}}</ref>
After losing his college eligibility, Pauxtis signed with the [[New York Yankees|New York Highlanders]]. In June 1909, his contract was purchased by [[Altoona Rams|Altoona]] of the [[Tri-State League]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Baseball Briefs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C8pbAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA8&dq |access-date=18 March 2024 |work=The Meriden Daily Journal |date=June 16, 1909}}</ref> Later that year, he was acquired by the Cincinnati Reds to help pick up the slack in the team left by injuries of team players Tom Clarke and Frank Roth.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=wM-RcdEGhgsC&dq=%22Simon+Pauxtis%22&pg=PA94 The Cincinnati Reds] by Lee Allen, 1948</ref> He played for the Reds for the 1909 season<ref>[[Sporting Life (sports journal)|The Sporting Life]] September 25, 1909</ref> playing his first official game on September 18 and his last game on October 5.<ref>[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=pauxtsi01 Baseball Almanac] Si Pauxtis Statistics</ref> Pauxtis officially played for four games.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120729215425/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/all_time_stats/players/p/47811/index.html Sports Illustrated/CNN] Baseball Statistics for Si Pauxtis</ref> At the end of the year, he was sent down to the [[Rock Island Islanders]], but Pauxtis refused to report.<ref>{{cite news |title=Newsy Notes of Interest to All Readers of Sport |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uSJIAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA6&dq |access-date=18 March 2024 |work=The Sunday Vindicator |date=December 26, 1909}}</ref> In 1911, he played 80 games for the [[Syracuse Stars (minor league baseball)|Syracuse Stars]] of the [[New York State League (1885–1917)|New York State League]].<ref>{{cite web |title=1911 Syracuse Stars |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=019fb430 |website=Baseball Reference |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref>
==Coaching career== Pauxtis was the 12th head football coach at Dickinson College in [[Carlisle, Pennsylvania]] and he held that position for two seasons, from [[1911 Dickinson football team|1911]] until 1912.<ref>[http://www.centennial.org/football/2008/guide/PDF/21-23-Dickinson.pdf Centennial Conference] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029080109/http://www.centennial.org/football/2008/guide/PDF/21-23-Dickinson.pdf |date=October 29, 2008 }} "2008 Centennial Conference Football Prospectus"</ref> His coaching record at Dickinson was 8–6–2.<ref>"The History of Football at Dickinson College, 1885-1969." Gobrecht, Wilbur J., Chambersburg, PA: Kerr Printing Co., 1971.</ref><ref>[http://www.centennial.org/football/mediaguide/PDF/21-23-Dickinson.pdf Centennial Conference] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513071717/http://www.centennial.org/football/mediaguide/PDF/21-23-Dickinson.pdf |date=May 13, 2008 }} "2007 Centennial Conference Prospectus"</ref> While at Dickinson, he struck up a friendship with [[Glenn Scobey Warner|Pop Warner]] who was coaching at [[Carlisle Indian School]] at the time.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=slOIHlG7bf4C&dq=%22Si+Pauxtis%22&pg=PA43 Jim Thorpe: World's Greatest Athlete] By Robert W. Wheeler, 1975</ref>
From 1913 to 1915, Pauxtis was an assistant to [[George H. Brooke]] at Penn.<ref name="Obituary" />
Pauxtis coached football at the Pennsylvania Military College (PMC)—now known as [[Widener University]]—in [[Chester, Pennsylvania]] from 1916 to 1929.<ref>[http://www3.widener.edu/SiteData/docs/1935_Vol%20VII_No%202_Jan/0c43312c758443fdbcda258d6eb5c695/1935_Vol%20VII_No%202_Jan.pdf#7 The PMC News]{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} "Thanksgiving Day Football Banquet" January 1935</ref> His 1925 team finished the year with a 9–1 record with victories over [[1925 Temple Owls football team|Temple]] and [[1925 Rutgers Queensmen football team|Rutgers]].<ref name="Widener">[http://www.widenerpride.com/documents/2008/8/12/08fbguidenet.pdf?path=football#41 Widener University] 2008 Football Media Guide</ref>
In 1930, Pauxis returned to his alma mater as ends coach under [[Lud Wray]]. He was retained by Wray's successor, [[Harvey Harman]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Mercer Named Coaching Aids |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J9QxAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA12&dq |access-date=18 March 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=April 28, 1931}}</ref> He was a candidate to succeed Harman in 1938, but freshman coach [[George Munger (American football)|George Munger]] was chosen instead.<ref>{{cite news |title=George Munger No. 1 Choice for Post At Penn, Says Official |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R7MhAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA14&dq |access-date=18 March 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=January 12, 1938}}</ref>
Pauxtis again coached at PMC from 1939 to 1946. His teams had a combined record of 82–74–8 during his two stints at the school.<ref name="Widener" />
==Outside of sports== Pauxtis practiced law in [[Philadelphia]] and [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania]] for 50 years.<ref name="Obituary" /> He was an [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College elector]] from [[Pennsylvania]] in the [[1916 United States presidential election|1916 Presidential Election]].<ref>[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/patty-payn.html#0MT0KX7V3 Political Graveyard] Simon F. Pauxtis</ref> In 1922, he was part of a group that purchased the New Lebanon Brewery.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Lebanon Brewery Sold |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q7QhAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10&dq |access-date=18 March 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=October 15, 1922}}</ref>
Pauxtis died on March 13, 1961 at his home in Philadelphia.<ref name="Obituary">{{cite news |title=Si Pauxtis Dies; Former Grid Coach |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GT4mAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA3&dq |access-date=18 March 2024 |work=Gettysburg Times |date=March 15, 1961}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=p/pauxtsi01 |fangraphs= |cube= |brm= }}
{{Dickinson Red Devils football coach navbox}} {{Widener Pride football coach navbox}} {{1907 Penn Quakers football navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pauxtis, Simon}} [[Category:1885 births]] [[Category:1961 deaths]] [[Category:Altoona Mountaineers players]] [[Category:American football ends]] [[Category:Baseball players from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Basketball coaches from Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Cincinnati Reds players]] [[Category:Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Dickinson Red Devils football coaches]] [[Category:Lawyers from Philadelphia]] [[Category:Lebanon Valley College alumni]] [[Category:Major League Baseball catchers]] [[Category:Penn Quakers baseball players]] [[Category:Penn Quakers football coaches]] [[Category:Penn Quakers football players]] [[Category:People from Pittston, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Players of American football from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Syracuse Stars (minor league baseball) players]] [[Category:Widener Pride football coaches]] [[Category:Widener Pride men's basketball coaches]] [[Category:Wyoming Seminary alumni]] [[Category:1916 United States presidential electors]] [[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]