Stephenson was from a small North Carolina mountain town, and he only played in twenty two games for the Cubs in 1935 and 1936. Nicknamed Tarzan for his impressive physique (He was about 6’, 180 pounds), he didn’t get to play much because he was a backup catcher to Cubs ironman catcher Gabby Hartnett. Tarzan was a memorable character though, known for his toughness and temper. In 1935, he and Billy Jurges got into a fist-fight in the dugout at Forbes Field because Jurges made a crack about the south losing the Civil War (Jurges was from Brooklyn). Tarzan Stephenson later played ten more games for the Philadelphia Phillies before drifting off into the minors.
