| Earl Averill | |
|---|---|
 Averillc. 1933 | |
| Center fielder | |
| Born:(1902-05-21)May 21, 1902 Snohomish, Washington, U.S. | |
| Died: August 16, 1983(1983-08-16) (aged 81) Everett, Washington, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 16, 1929, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| April 25, 1941, for the Boston Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .318 |
| Hits | 2,019 |
| Home runs | 238 |
| Runs batted in | 1,164 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1975 |
| Election method | Veterans Committee |
Howard Earl Averill (nicknamedThe Rock) (May 21, 1902 – August 16, 1983) was an American professionalbaseball player. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) as acenter fielder from 1929 to 1941, including 11 seasons for theCleveland Indians. He was a six-timeAll-Star (1933–1938) and was elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame in 1975.
Born inSnohomish, Washington, Averill played for theSan Francisco Seals in thePacific Coast League.[1] He broke into the Major Leagues in 1929 (at the age of 26) with theCleveland Indians. He played for Cleveland for over ten years, and remains the all-time Indians leader intotal bases,runs batted in (RBIs),runs, andtriples.[2] He also remains third in all-time Indianshits anddoubles, and fourth in all-time Indianshome runs andwalks. During his time in Cleveland, the team never finished higher than third. His nickname was "the Earl of Snohomish".[3] He famously hit the line drive that brokeDizzy Dean's toe in the 1937All-Star Game. Dizzy, who had averaged 24 wins a season up to then, and only 4 wins a season after, changed his delivery due to the broken toe, damaged his arm, which led to his retiring in 1941 at the age of 31.[4]
Averill was the first major league player to hit four home runs in a doubleheader (three home runs in the first game, one in the second game) on September 17, 1930; he was also one of the first players to hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat (April 16, 1929, opening day). Averill batted .378 in 1936, leading the American League in hits with 232, but finishing second toLuke Appling in the batting race (Appling batted .388 for the White Sox).
During a July 1 incident in 1935, Averill was lighting firecrackers with his four children as part of a pre-July 4 celebration. One exploded while he was holding it, and he suffered lacerations on the fingers of his right hand, as well as burns on his face and chest. After several weeks, he made a full recovery.[5]
In 1937, Averill experienced temporary paralysis in his legs and was diagnosed with a congenital spine condition. This caused him to alter his batting style and become less of a power hitter.[6]
Averill was traded to theDetroit Tigers in the middle of the 1939 season (June 14). The following season, his playing time was limited, but the Tigers reached theWorld Series. In the seven-game series against theCincinnati Reds, the 38-year-old Averill went 0-for-3 in threepinch-hit attempts. The Reds won the series 4 games to 3.
In 1941, Averill struggled with theBoston Braves, batting just .118 (2-for-17) in 8 games and was released on April 29. He wound down his pro career by returning to the Pacific Coast League and playing for theSeattle Rainiers.[1]
In a 13-year career, Averill was in 1,669games played, compiling a .318batting average (2,019-for-6,353) with 1,224runs scored, 401doubles, 128triples, 238home runs, 1,164 RBIs, 774bases on balls, .395on-base percentage and .534slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .970fielding percentage. He hit better than .300 eight times. He recorded five 100+ RBI seasons in his major league career.[7] Averill recorded five 5-hit games in his MLB career.[8]
Averill detested theHall of Fame's selection process. At his 1975 induction, he advocated forErnie Lombardi andJoe Sewell to be added to the Hall.[9] After the ceremony, Averill also issued a statement, "My disagreements with how the Hall of Fame elections are held, and who is elected, is not based on bitterness that I had to wait 34 years after retirement to receive this honor. But it is based on the fact that statistics alone are not enough to gain a player admittance...Had I been elected after my death, I had made arrangements that my name never be placed in the Hall of Fame."[10]
He made news of a different sort, according toBaseball Digest, in the early 1960s when he was boarding an airplane to fly to a site for an old-timers' game, insisting on bringing his own bat in a gun case.[11] He died in Washington in 1983 at 81 years old
His son,Earl D. Averill, also played in the majors from 1956 through 1963. He was mainly acatcher but also playedleft field and a few games atinfield.
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