| Comiskey Park | |||||||||
| Player | BA | HR | RBI | Pitcher | W | L | ERA | ||
| C | Roger Bresnahan | .350 | 4 | 55 | Dizzy Dean | 30 | 7 | 2.66 | |
| C | Rick Ferrell | .315 | 2 | 65 | Cy Young | 33 | 10 | 1.62 | |
| 1B | Johnny Mize* | .302 | 51 | 138 | Mickey Lolich* | 25 | 14 | 2.92 | |
| 1B | Jim Bottomley* | .367 | 21 | 128 | Satchel Paige | 6 | 1 | 2.48 | |
| 2B | Charlie Gehringer | .371 | 14 | 96 | Don Drysdale | 25 | 9 | 2.83 | |
| 2B | Billy Herman | .341 | 7 | 83 | Lon Warneke | 22 | 6 | 2.37 | |
| 3B | Pepper Martin | .316 | 8 | 57 | Mort Cooper | 22 | 7 | 1.78 | |
| 3B | Joe Torre | .363 | 24 | 137 | Eppa Rixey* | 22 | 10 | 1.85 | |
| SS | Joe Cronin | .346 | 13 | 126 | Johnny Antonelli | 21 | 7 | 2.30 | |
| SS | Phil Rizzuto | .324 | 7 | 66 | Team Totals | 206 | 71 | 2.31 | |
| CF | Willie Mays | .317 | 52 | 112 | |||||
| CF | Joe DiMaggio | .381 | 30 | 126 | |||||
| RF | Kiki Cuyler | .355 | 13 | 134 | |||||
| RF | Stan Musial* | .376 | 39 | 131 | |||||
| LF | Jesse Burkett* | .382 | 10 | 75 | |||||
| LF | Chick Hafey | .336 | 26 | 107 | |||||
| Team Totals | .346 | 321 | 1636 | ||||||
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Roger Philip Bresnahan
Born: June
11, 1879, Toledo, Ohio During his 17-year career, versatile Roger Bresnahan played all nine positions. As a catcher, "The Duke of Tralee" possessed an innovative technique, knowledge of game strategy, and solid leadership abilities that led John McGraw and Branch Rickey to label him the best catcher they had ever seen. Following a beaning, he was one of the first to experiment with head protection. Despite taunts from players, he also began using shin guards in 1907, paving the way for their rapid adoption throughout Baseball. Did you know ... that Roger Bresnahan began his major league career as a pitcher, tossing a six-hit shutout in his big league debut, August 27, 1897? Hall of Fame Teammates: Dan Brouthers, Frank Chance, George Davis, Johnny Evers, Clark Griffith, Miller Huggins, Joe Kelley, Rube Marquard, Christy Mathewson, Joe McGinnity, John McGraw, Jim O'Rourke, Wilbert Robinson, Vic Willis. |
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Richard Benjamin Ferrell
Born:
October 12, 1905, Durham, North Carolina A strong and durable receiver, Rick Ferrell caught more games than any other American Leaguer (1,806), until Carlton Fisk surpassed him in 1988. A defensive standout with a strong throwing arm, he had a knack for handling the knuckler, which was the out-pitch of four Senators starters. The North Carolina farmboy hit .281 lifetime and better than .300 four times during his 18-year career. Connie Mack's respect for him was so great that Ferrell caught all nine innings of the first All-Star Game in 1933. Did you know ... that Rick Ferrell teamed with his pitching brother Wes on the Red Sox and Senators from 1934-1938? |
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John Robert Mize
Born:
January 7, 1913, Demorest, Georgia Johnny Mize, the burly first baseman for the Cards and Giants, paced or tied for the National League lead in home runs four times, hitting three in a single game on six occasions. He also won three RBI crowns and one batting championship. After the "Big Cat" joined the Yankees, they won five straight World Series titles (1949-53), with Mize hitting three homers in the 1952 Fall Classic. He finished his career with 359 home runs and a .312 batting average. Did you know ... that in 1947 Johnny Mize became the only player in major league history to hit 50 or more home runs in a season while striking out less than 50 times? |
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James Leroy Bottomley
Born: April
23, 1900, Oglesby, Illinois Jim Bottomley earned Frankie Frisch's praise as "the best clutch hitter I ever saw." The graceful first baseman with the sunny disposition drove in 100 or more runs six years in a row, leading the National League twice. He set a major league record with 12 RBI in a single game, when he went 6-for-6 on September 16, 1924, with two homers and a double against Brooklyn. He was the National League MVP in 1928. Did you know ... that in 1936, Jim Bottomley set the single-season record for most unassisted double plays by a first baseman with eight? Hall of Fame Teammates: Pete Alexander, Kiki Cuyler, Dizzy Dean, Leo Durocher, Frankie Frisch, Burleigh Grimes, Chick Hafey, Jesse Haines, Rogers Hornsby, Ernie Lombardi, Rabbit Maranville, Joe Medwick, Eppa Rixey, Dazzy Vance. |
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Charles Leonard Gehringer
Born: May
11, 1903, Fowlerville, Michigan Nicknamed "The Mechanical Man" for his remarkable consistency, Charlie Gehringer batted over .300 13 times and collected 200 hits seven times. A cornerstone of three Tigers pennant winners, he won the MVP in 1937 when he led the American League with a .371 average. An agile second baseman with quick hands, he led the league in both assists and fielding percentage seven times each. After his retirement, he served as a Tigers coach, a general manager and a member of the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee. Did you know ... that Charlie Gehringer played every inning of the first six All-Star Games as the starting second baseman for the American League, batting a record .500 in 20 Mid-Summer Classic at-bats? |
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William Jennings Bryan Herman
Born: July
7, 1909, New Albany, Indiana As a stellar defensive second baseman, Billy Herman starred on pennant-winning clubs with the Cubs and Dodgers in the 1930s and 1940s. A master of the hit-and-run and an expert at stealing opponents' signals, he was lauded by Casey Stengel as "one of the smartest players ever to come into the National League." Herman still holds a host of fielding records, including most putouts in a season by a National League second baseman. He also led the loop's second basemen in putouts seven times. Did you know ... that Billy Herman shares the major league record for most hits in an opening day game, with five on April 14, 1936? |
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Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin Born: February 29, 1904, Temple, Oklahoma Died: March 5, 1965, McAlester, Oklahoma Batted: right Threw: right Played for: St Louis Cardinals Martin, labeled "The Wild Horse of the Osage" by a Rochester sportswriter for his aggressive play, was the personification of the Cardinals' Gashouse Gang. He played every facet of the game with passion. His bellyflop slides helped him to lead the NL in stolen bases and score more than 120 runs in each of three seasons. He dashed for every batted ball as if it were the seventh game of the World Series. In lopsided games, he would reportedly throw at batters who bunted instead of throwing them out at first. He got along well with manager Frankie Frisch, although his horseplay could exasperate the skipper. In the 1931 WS, Martin batted .500, with five extra-base hits and five stolen bases. His career WS batting average of .418 is the highest among players with 50 or more at-bats. |
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Joseph Paul Torre Born: July 18, 1940, Brooklyn, New York Bats: right Throws: right Played for: Milwaukee Braves, St Louis Cardinals, New York Mets A corpulent young prospect from Brooklyn, Torre came up to the big leagues with Atlanta at the end of the 1960 season and hit a pinch single off Harvey Haddix in his first at-bat. It was the last season that his older brother Frank was on the Braves. Joe finished second (behind Billy Williams) in 1961 NL Rookie of the Year voting and was a semi-regular the next two seasons. Becoming an everyday player in 1963 by playing both catcher and first base, he hit .293 with 14 HR and made the All-Star team that year and the next four seasons. He upped his performance in 1964 (.321, 20 HR, 109 RBI), finishing fifth in MVP voting and leading NL catchers in fielding. In 1965 he hit 27 HR and won the catcher's Gold Glove. His two-run HR in the 1965 All-Star Game was vital in the NL's 6-5 victory. When the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966, he hit a career-high 36 HR while batting .315 with 101 RBI. He was set back by a broken cheekbone in 1968. In 1969, the Braves traded Torre to the Cardinals straight-up for former MVP Orlando Cepeda, whom Torre replaced at first base. He reached 100 RBI each of the next three seasons. Torre replaced Tim McCarver behind the plate after McCarver was dealt to the Phillies in 1970, but moved to third base in mid-season when Mike Shannon was sidelined by a career-ending illness (Ted Simmons took over the catching job). His .325 average and 21 HR in '70 were topped the next season by his MVP performance. In 1971 he led the NL in total bases (352) and hits (230) in addition to batting and RBI, and hit 24 HR. At third base, he led in putouts, although he tied for the lead in errors. He hit in the .280s the next three seasons, but saw his power drop. He also spent more time back at first base, leading NL first basemen with 144 double plays, after the emergence of 1973 fielding leader Ken Reitz at third. On June 27, 1973 he hit for the cycle. Following the 1974 season, the Mets traded Ray Sadecki and minor leaguer Tommy Moore for Torre in an attempt to solve their persistent third-base problem. The Brooklyn-born Torre was quite popular in New York, but he was a major disappointment on the field. Never fast, he had slowed down considerably. No longer an everyday player, Torre hit into 22 double plays in 1974, showed reduced range at third base, and hit only .247. He rebounded to .306 in 1975, but with only five HR and 31 RBI. On May 31, 1977 he replaced Joe Frazier as the Mets manager. He retired as a player 18 days later. |
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Joseph Edward Cronin
Born:
October 12, 1906, San Francisco, California Joe Cronin was the American League's All-Star shortstop seven times and its MVP in 1930 when he hit .346 with 126 RBI. The jovial, square-jawed Irishman possessed the determination and toughness to become a wizard with the glove and a powerhouse at bat. He topped the .300 mark eight times and also enjoyed eight 100-RBI seasons. At age 27, Cronin won the 1933 pennant as a rookie manager with Washington before being traded to the Red Sox. He later served two terms as American League president. Did you know ... that on June 17, 1943, Joe Cronin connected for two pinch-hit home runs, one in each game of a doubleheader, becoming the first of only two players to ever accomplish the feat? |
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Philip Francis Rizzuto
Born:
September 25, 1917, Brooklyn, New York Phil Rizzuto overcame his diminutive size to anchor a Yankees dynasty, helping them win seven of nine World Series during his 13 seasons, not counting three years lost to World War II. "The Scooter" was a durable and deft shortstop, skilled bunter and enthusiastic base runner who compiled a .273 lifetime batting average. A five-time All-Star, Rizzuto was named the American League's MVP in 1950 when he excelled with a .324 average, 200 hits and .439 slugging percentage. Upon retirement, he spent 40 years as a popular Yankees broadcaster. Did you know ... that Phil Rizzuto was the first mystery guest on the television program "What's My Line" when the show premiered February 2, 1950? |
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Willie Howard Mays
Born: May
6, 1931 at Westfield, Alabama Willie Mays, the "Say Hey Kid," played with enthusiasm and exuberance while excelling in all phases of the game — hitting for average and power, fielding, throwing and baserunning. His staggering career statistics include 3,283 hits and 660 home runs. The Giants' superstar earned National League Rookie of the Year honors in 1951 and two MVP awards. He accumulated 12 Gold Gloves, played in a record-tying 24 All-Star Games and participated in four World Series. His catch of Vic Wertz' drive in the 1954 Series remains one of Baseball's most memorable moments. Did you know ... that Willie Mays was the on-deck batter when Bobby Thomson hit his famous pennant-winning home run, "The Shot Heard 'Round the World," on October 3, 1951? |
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Joseph Paul DiMaggio
Born:
November 25, 1914, Martinez, California Joe DiMaggio is remembered as one of the game's most graceful athletes — a "picture player" both at bat and in center field. Many rate his 56-consecutive-game hitting streak in 1941 as the top baseball feat of all time. "The Yankee Clipper" used an unusually wide stance in winning two batting championships and three MVP awards. In 13 seasons he amassed 361 homers, averaged 118 RBI annually and compiled a .325 lifetime batting mark. At Baseball's 1969 Centennial Celebration, he was named the game's greatest living player. Did you know ... that in 1933, eight years before his famed 56-game hitting streak, Joe DiMaggio fashioned a 61-game hitting streak with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League? |
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Hazen Shirley "Kiki" Cuyler
Born:
August 30, 1898, Harrisville, Michigan Hazen Shirley "Kiki" Cuyler was a quiet man who excelled as a powerful line-drive hitter, fleet runner and talented outfielder. Cuyler hit above .300 in 10 of his 15 seasons, topping .350 four times. He also led the National League in stolen bases four times and played on four pennant winning teams. In 1925, he enjoyed a brilliant season — batting .357 while leading the league in triples (26) and runs scored (144) — topped off by driving in the Pirates' winning run off Walter Johnson in the World Series. Did you know ... that Kiki Cuyler hit two inside-the-park home runs in the diminutive confines of Philadelphia's Baker Bowl on August 28, 1925? |
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Stanley Frank Musial
Born:
November 21, 1920, Donora, Pennsylvania After 22 years as a Cardinal, Stan Musial ranked at or near the top of Baseball's all-time lists in almost every batting category. The dead-armed Class C pitcher became a slugging outfielder who topped the .300 mark 17 times and won seven National League batting titles with his famed corkscrew stance and ringing line drives. A three-time MVP, he played in 24 All-Star Games. He was nicknamed "The Man" by Dodger fans for the havoc he wrought at Ebbets Field, and is still renowned for his skilled harmonica playing. Did you know ... that on May 2, 1954, Stan Musial hit a record five home runs in a doubleheader against the Giants, including two round-trippers off future Hall of Fame pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm? |
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Jesse Cail Burkett
Born:
December 4, 1868, Wheeling, West Virginia In a career that lasted over 2,000 major league games, Jesse Burkett compiled a .342 average, topping the .400 mark three times. Called "Crab" by his teammates because of his serious demeanor, he garnered 200 hits six times, missing a seventh 200-hit season by just one safety in 1897. When his major league career ended following the 1905 season, his 2,955 career hits ranked second only to Cap Anson. Did you know ... that Jesse Burkett, best known for his prowess with the bat, began his pro baseball career as a pitcher, once winning 30 games with Worcester of the minor league Atlantic Association? Hall of Fame Teammates: John Clarkson, Jimmy Collins, George Davis, Buck Ewing, John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson, Amos Rusie, Bobby Wallace, Mickey Welch, Cy Young. |
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Charles James "Chick" Hafey
Born:
February 12, 1903, Berkeley, California Although shy and reserved, Chick Hafey spoke loudly with his bat, overcoming the hindrances of weak eyes and severe sinus problems to become an outstanding line-drive hitter for the Cardinals and Reds. When failing vision threatened his career, he resorted to eyeglasses and continued to hit at a torrid level, leading the National League with a .349 average in 1931. He strung together six straight years in which he batted .329 or better, and equaled a National League record with 10 straight hits during the course of the 1929 season. Did you know ... that Chick Hafey collected 10 consecutive hits over a three-game span in July of 1929, a National League record that has yet to be topped? |
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Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean
Born:
January 16, 1910, Lucas, Arkansas Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean, the brash Cardinals fireballer, burst upon the big league scene in 1932 and averaged 24 wins over his first five full campaigns. A winner of four National League strikeout crowns, "Diz" was 30-7 in 1934 (the last National League pitcher to record 30 wins) when he and his brother Paul led the "Gashouse Gang" to the World Championship. A broken toe suffered in the 1937 All-Star Game led to an arm injury that eventually shortened his playing days. He later embarked on a successful broadcasting career. Did you know ... that Dizzy Dean made his big league debut on the final day of the Cardinals' 1930 season, surrendering just three hits as he defeated the Pirates 3-1? |
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Denton True "Cy" Young
Born: March
29, 1867, Gilmore, Ohio One of the most consistent and durable pitchers the game has ever known, Denton True "Cy" Young won 511 games — almost 100 more than any other pitcher in history. He won 30 games five times and topped 20 wins an astounding 15 times. In 1901 Young had his best season and became the fledgling American League's first superstar, leading the junior circuit in wins, strikeouts and ERA. In 1903, he won two games in the first modern World Series to help Boston to the championship. Did you know ... that Cy Young pitched the first perfect game in American League history when he led the Boston Red Sox to victory over Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics on May 5, 1904? HitlessIn 1904, Young crafted one of the most amazing streaks of pitching excellence in baseball history. The right-hander pitched 24 1/3 innings without surrendering a hit, through May 11. Young had pitched two hitless innings at the end of a loss on April 25, seven innings of hitless relief on April 30, and a perfect game on May 5 against future Hall of Famer Rube Waddell and the Athletics. Stretching his hitless streak to 24 innings against Detroit on May 11, Young went 15 innings, winning 1-0, and failed to allow a hit until one was out in the seventh inning. Future Hall of Fame outfielder Sam Crawford broke the hitless streak |
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Michael Stephen "Mickey" Lolich Born: September 12, 1940, Portland, Oregon Bats: both Throws: left Played for: Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, San Diego Padres Portly lefty Lolich stole the spotlight from teammate Denny McLain in 1968, despite McLain's 31-win season. Lolich won three games in the 1968 World Series, giving up only five runs in his three complete games, including a 4-1 victory in the seventh game against Bob Gibson on two days' rest. In the sixth inning of that victory, he picked off both Curt Flood and Lou Brock. A notoriously poor hitter (a career .110 average), Lolich cracked his only major league homer in Game Two of the Series off Nelson Briles. The picture of consistency throughout his career, Lolich struck out 200-plus seven times and finished 12th all-time in strikeouts with 2,832, second only to Steve Carlton among lefties. Lolich was not a natural lefthander. A childhood run-in with a motorcycle left him with a broken left collarbone. Rehabilitating his left arm actually made it stronger than his right. Lolich came up the same year as McLain but was far more consistent, never winning fewer than 14 games in his 11 full years in a Tiger uniform. In 1968, while McLain piloted planes and played the organ, Lolich rode motorcycles and played the drums on his way to 17 wins, going 10-2 over the last two months of the season. In 1971 he had a league-leading 25 victories and 308 strikeouts. He would have won the Cy Young Award but for Vida Blue's spectacular rookie season. Lolich won 22 the following year with a career-best 2.50 ERA and again felt he deserved the Cy Young Award, but he lost a close vote to Gaylord Perry. Lolich was traded to the Mets for Rusty Staub after the 1975 season, then "retired" after going 8-13 for New York in 1976. He sat out the entire 1977 season to get out of his contract, then signed with San Diego for two final seasons. |
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Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige
Born: July
7, 1906, Mobile, Alabama Leroy "Satchel" Paige was a legendary storyteller and one of the most entertaining pitchers in baseball history. A tall, lanky fireballer, he was arguably the Negro leagues' hardest thrower, most colorful character and greatest gate attraction. In the 1930s, the well-traveled pitcher barnstormed around the continent, baffling hitters with creatively named pitches such as the "Bat Dodger" and "Hesitation Pitch." In 1948 his contract was sold to Cleveland on his 42nd birthday, becoming the oldest player to make his major league debut and helping the Indians win the pennant. Did you know ... that on August 20, 1948, a 42-year-old Satchel Paige pitched the Indians to a 1-0 victory over the White Sox in front of 78,382 fans, a night-game attendance record that still stands? |
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Donald Scott Drysdale
Born: July
23, 1936, Van Nuys, California Don Drysdale teamed with Sandy Koufax during the 1960s to form one of the most dominating pitching duos in history. The ferocious hurler used brushback pitches and a sidearm fastball to intimidate batters, and his 154 hit batsmen remain a modern National League record. Drysdale won 25 games and the Cy Young Award in 1962, and set a record with 58 consecutive scoreless innings in 1968. In 1965 the all-around athlete was the Dodgers' only .300 hitter and tied his own National League record for pitchers with seven home runs. Did you know ... that when Don Drysdale retired, he held the National League record for most seasons with 200 or more strikeouts (six)? |
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Lon Warneke "The Arkansas Hummingbird" Born: March 28, 1909, Mount Ida, Arkansas Died: June 23, 1976, Hot Springs, Arkansas Batted: right Threw: right Played for: Chicago Cubs, St Louis Cardinals Warneke won an even 100 games in his first tour with the Cubs, starring for pennant winners in 1932 and 1935. He was traded to the Cards in 1937, where his singing and guitar picking gained him a place in the Mudcat Band, a clubhouse hillbilly combo. He no-hit the Reds on August 30, 1941. The next year, the Cubs paid $75,000 to get him back but soon lost him to military service. After WWII he worked his way back to the NL as an umpire. |
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Morton Cecil Cooper Born: March 2, 1913, Atherton, Missouri Died: November 17, 1958, Little Rock, Arkansas Batted: right Threw: right Played for: St Louis Cardinals, Boston Braves, New York Giants Cooper, whose brother Walker was his catcher during the early 1940s, went 22-7 with 10 shutouts and a 1.77 ERA and was the NL MVP for the 1942 World Champion Cardinals. In 1943 he led the NL in victories (21) for the second straight year, and followed with a 22-win 1944 campaign. The fastballer, who occasionally chewed aspirin on the mound for relief from an aching arm, started and lost the 1942 and 1943 All-Star Games. St. Louis traded Cooper to the Braves in May 1945 after suspending him for leaving the club over a salary dispute. Mort and Walker teamed again in 1947, when the fading pitcher appeared in eight games with the Giants. |
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Eppa Rixey
Born: May
3, 1891, Culpeper, Virginia Eppa Rixey was the National League's winningest southpaw until Warren Spahn passed the lanky lefty's mark. Although he hurled for second-division teams during many of his 21 seasons, Rixey's reliable pitching strength helped him amass 266 victories for the Phillies and Reds. The tall, slender rookie emerged directly from the University of Virginia campus in 1912, never spending a day in the minors. He led the National League with 25 wins in 1922 and was still active 11 years later at the age of 42. In 1969 Cincinnati fans named him the franchise's most outstanding left-hander. Did you know ... that in 1921 Eppa Rixey surrendered just one home run in 301 innings pitched? |
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John August Antonelli Born: April 12, 1930, Rochester, New York Bats: left Throws: left Played for: Boston Braves, New York Giants, San Francisco Giants One of the first "bonus babies," the tall, dark-eyed Antonelli signed with the Boston Braves for $65,000 in 1948 and pitched only in spots, mostly in relief, before leaving for military service in 1951-52. His 1954 trade to the Giants for Polo Grounds hero Bobby Thomson temporarily infuriated New Yorkers, but Antonelli silenced the critics with a 21-7 mark for Durocher's world champions. He led the NL in winning percentage (.750), ERA (2.30), and shutouts (6), and had a win and a save in the WS. He won 20 again in 1956 and 19 for the San Francisco transplants of 1959, leading the NL in shutouts again in both seasons. His 26 career shutouts constitute 21% of his ML wins |
