| Cliff Mapes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: March 13, 1922 Sutherland, Nebraska, U.S. | |
| Died: December 5, 1996(1996-12-05) (aged 74) Pryor, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 20, 1948, for the New York Yankees | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 1952, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .242 |
| Home runs | 38 |
| Runs batted in | 172 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Clifford Franklin Mapes (March 13, 1922 – December 5, 1996) was a professionalbaseball player. He played five seasons ofMajor League Baseball as anoutfielder for theNew York Yankees,St. Louis Browns andDetroit Tigers.[1]
Mapes, who was listed with a height of 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), and a weight of 205 lb (93 kg), was originally signed as an amateur free agent by theCleveland Indians prior to the1940 season.[1] He never played for the Indians, and was later drafted by theNew York Yankees in the 1946Rule 5 draft. After a season in the minors, Mapes was recalled to the Major League level, where he saw limited time as a backup to an outfield that containedJoe DiMaggio,Tommy Henrich, andJohnny Lindell.[2] Mapeshit .250, with 12runs batted in, and his first careerhome run.[1]
In his second season, Mapes saw regular time as a starter. He hit .247 with seven home runs and 38 runs batted in, but also led the team instrikeouts in helping the Yankees claim theAmerican League pennant.[3] He was the team's startingright fielder against theBrooklyn Dodgers, and he helped the team win the1949 World Series,[4][5][6][7] the team's first World Series en route to five consecutive world championships.[8]
In1950, Mapes led the team in strikeouts for the second consecutive season.[9] His playing time remained the same, but his power numbers improved from a year earlier. Mapes hit batted .247 with 12 home runs and 61 runs batted in, but also grounded into a team-high 14double plays.[9] The Yankees finished the season with the American League pennant once again, but Mapes saw little time in the postseason; Mapes only appeared in one game as the Yankees won the1950 World Series in a four-game sweep of thePhiladelphia Phillies.[10]
As Mapes' numbers started to decrease in1951, including a batting average which fell to .216, the Yankees decided to cut ties with him. He was purchased by theSt. Louis Browns on July 31, 1951.[1] After a moderate season with the Browns, he was traded withMatt Batts,Dick Littlefield, andBen Taylor to theDetroit Tigers forGene Bearden,Bob Cain, andDick Kryhoski. In1952, for the Tigers, Mapes hit a career-low .197, and was traded back to the Browns, withNeil Berry and cash, forJake Crawford. However, Mapes decided to end his professional baseball career, having played his final game on September 28, 1952.
Mapes wore number 3 for the Yankees until that number was retired in honor ofBabe Ruth. Mapes then wore number 13 before switching to number 7.[11] When Mapes was traded by the Yankees in 1951, Mickey Mantle took uniform number 7. Mapes, thus, is mainly remembered as the Yankee who wore both Babe Ruth's and Mickey Mantle's numbers.[12]
On December 5, 1996, Mapes died inPryor, Oklahoma, at the age of 74.[12]
· Baseball Almanac, orCliff Mapes atFind a Grave