Sammy Byrd | |
|---|---|
 Byrd in 1946 | |
| Born | (1906-10-05)October 5, 1906 Bremen, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | May 11, 1981(1981-05-11) (aged 74) Mesa, Arizona, U.S. |
Baseball player Baseball career | |
| Outfielder | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 11, 1929, for the New York Yankees | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 27, 1936, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .274 |
| Home runs | 38 |
| Runs batted in | 220 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Golf career | |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1933 |
| Former tour | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 11 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 6 |
| Other | 5 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | 3rd:1941 |
| PGA Championship | 2nd:1945 |
| U.S. Open | T16: 1939 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
Samuel Dewey Byrd (October 5, 1906 – May 11, 1981) was an American professionalbaseballoutfielder andprofessional golfer. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) and on thePGA Tour. Byrd is the only person to play in both theWorld Series and theMasters Tournament.[1]
Byrd made his professional baseball debut in 1926, and made his MLB debut with theNew York Yankees in 1929. He was primarily a reserve player, and saw action as a defensive replacement andpinch runner forBabe Ruth, which earned him the nickname "Babe Ruth's Legs". The Yankees sold Byrd to theCincinnati Reds before the 1935 season, and he retired from baseball to pursue a career as a professional golfer after the 1936 season. He won six PGA events during his career.
Samuel Dewey Byrd was born on October 15, 1906, inBremen, Georgia,[2] as the second of four children of Rhone and Delphia Byrd. He was often known by hismiddle name when he was growing up. His family moved toBirmingham, Alabama, in 1911. They lived near a golf course, where he worked as acaddy. He graduated from Birmingham's Simpson High School, where he played baseball and basketball. His father, who worked in construction, trained him to be a bricklayer.[3]
After playingsandlot baseball in Birmingham, Byrd signed with theBirmingham Barons of theClass ASouthern Association in 1926. The Baronsoptioned him to theJonesboro Buffaloes of theClass DTri-State League before the start of the season.[3] He had a .348batting average with threehome runs in 59 games for Jonesboro.[4] The league folded during the season,[3] and he finished the season with theAlexandria Reds of the Class DCotton States League, where he batted .238 with one home run in 25 games.[5] He played for theKnoxville Smokies of theClass BSouth Atlantic League in 1927, where he batted .331 with 15 home runs in 140 games.[6] During the 1927 season, theNew York Yankees purchased Byrd's contract.[7] In 1928, the Yankees optioned Byrd to theAlbany Senators of theClass AEastern League, and he batted .371 with 18 home runs in 130 games.[8][9]
Byrd made hisMajor League Baseball debut with the Yankees on May 11, 1929, as apinch hitter and defensive replacement forEarle Combs.[3] WhenBabe Ruth fell ill in June, Byrd started for the Yankees in his place from June 2 to 18.[3][10] He batted .312 with five home runs in 202plate appearances across 62 games for the Yankees in 1929.[11] In 1930, Byrd batted .284 with six home runs in 254 plate appearances across 92 games.[12] He batted .270 with three home runs in 281 plate appearances across 115 games in 1931.[13]
Byrd got a big opportunity to be the startingcenter fielder for the Yankees in 1932, as Combs went to the bench.[14] Using a 34-ounce (960 g)baseball bat, in place of the 37-ounce (1,000 g) bats he usually used, helped him to match hishome run total for all of 1931 before April 1932 ended.[15] By May, Byrd was experiencing sinus problems and Combs had retaken the starting center fielding job.[3][16] Aside from a 15 game stretch in September, Byrd spent the rest of the 1932 season backing up the starting outfield of Ruth, Combs, andBen Chapman.[17] He finished the 1932 season with a .297 average and eight home runs in 243 plate appearances across 105 games.[18] Byrd made one appearance in the1932 World Series as a defensive replacement for Ruth in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4.[3] In 1933, Byrd batted .280 with two home runs in 122 plate appearances in 85 games.[19] In 1934, he batted .246 with three home runs in 218 plate appearances across 106 games.[20] Byrd ledAmerican League outfielders with a .988fielding percentage in 1934, committing twoerrors in 160 chances.[21]
After the 1934 season, the Yankees sold Byrd to theCincinnati Reds.[22] Byrd played for the Reds as a starting outfielder in 1935, alongsideChick Hafey, withIval Goodman,Harlin Pool, andAdam Comorosky competing for the remaining playing time.[23] He batted .262 with nine home runs in 460 plate appearances in 121 games.[24] Heading into the 1936 season, Cincinnati started Goodman,Babe Herman, andKiki Cuyler in the outfield,[25] and Byrd returned to a reserve role.[3] He batted .248 with two home runs in 153 plate appearances in 59 games during the 1936 season.[26]
The Reds traded Byrd to theRochester Red Wings of theInternational League forPhil Weintraub andJack Rothrock following the 1936 season. Byrd refused the assignment to the minor leagues, and announced in February 1937 that he was retiring from baseball to focus on his golf career. Cincinnati sent Rochester another player to complete the trade, and sold Byrd to theSt. Louis Cardinals, who sent him a new contract[27] for $10,000. After consulting with Jones,Ed Dudley, andBill McWane,[28] Byrd informed the Cardinals that he still intended to retire and pursue a career in golf.[29]
Byrd was called "Babe Ruth's Legs", a reference to the fact that he often would appear as apinch runner and defensive replacement for Ruth at the end of games toward the latter part of Ruth's career.[3][1] In 745 major league games, Byrd posted a .274 batting average (465-for-1,700) with 304runs, 38 home runs, 220runs batted in, and a .412slugging percentage. He recorded a .975fielding percentage playing at all three outfield positions.[30]
Upon joining the Yankees, Byrd quickly developed the reputation of being the best golfer in professional baseball.[31][32] In 1930,Bobby Jones played a round of golf with Byrd, and called Byrd "the very best man with a driver I ever saw."[33] Byrd won the first tournament he entered, the amateur portion of the 1933 Southeastern PGA Open.[34][35] He made his professional golf debut in a tournament at thePinehurst Resort in November 1933.[36] In January 1937, he won a golf tournament of baseball players inSarasota, Florida, by fourteen strokes.[37]
When Byrd retired from baseball in 1937, he became an assistant to Dudley at thePhiladelphia Country Club.[29] He tied withAbe Espinosa for fifth place in the 1938Crescent City Open[38] and tied withRalph Guldahl for fourth place of the 1938St. Petersburg Open Invitational.[39] In July 1939, Byrd won thePhiladelphia Open Championship.[40] In 1940, Byrd became the golf pro at theMerion Golf Club inHaverford Township, Pennsylvania.[41] He competed in the1940 Masters Tournament and tied for 14th place, becoming the first person to play in both aWorld Series and aMasters Tournament.[1]
At the 1941 Providence Open, Byrd set a competitive record at Triggs Memorial Golf Course when he shot a 66, six under par, in the first round.[42] He finished in third place in the1941 Masters Tournament.[1] He won theGreater Greensboro Open in 1942 with a 279, five under par, two strokes ahead ofBen Hogan andLloyd Mangrum.[43] He finished in fourth place in the1942 Masters Tournament.[1] In June 1942, Byrd won thePennsylvania Open Championship by seven shots overHenry Ransom. Byrd setting a course record with a 64, seven under par, in the second round.[44] He won theChicago Victory National Open in 1943 with a score of 277, five strokes ahead ofCraig Wood.[45]
Byrd resigned from the Merion Golf Club to succeedJimmy Demaret as the golf pro at thePlum Hollow Country Club inSouthfield, Michigan, effective November 1, 1943.[41] In February 1944, he won theNew Orleans Open with a score of 285, five strokes ahead ofByron Nelson.[46] In June 1944, Byrd won thePhiladelphia Inquirer Open Invitational.[47] He won theMichigan PGA Championship in July 1944 with a score of 142, while Harmon,Jack Winney, andAl Watrous tied with 145,[48] and won theMichigan Open in August 1944 with a score of 208, whileClaude Harmon finished in second with 214.[49] In January 1945, Byrd won theTexas Open with a score of 268, beating Nelson by one stroke, and setting a new Texas Open record, which had previously been 271.[50][51] Byrd lost the final of the1945 PGA Championship to Nelson, 4 and 3, inmatch play.[52]
Byrd defended his Michigan PGA Championship title in August 1945, beatingChick Rutan by two strokes, 142 to 144.[53] In November 1945, he won theAzalea Open, beatingDutch Harrison in a playoff by one stroke, after they both shot 283.[54] In March 1946, Byrd teamed withSam Snead in theInverness Invitational Four-Ball, which they lost to Demaret and Hogan.[55] Byrd hosted the1947 PGA Championship, which was held at Plum Hollow Country Club.[56] In the1948 Masters Tournament, he tallied the highest score ever at the second hole, recording a 10. He finished the round with a 12-over-par 84.[57] He retired from the PGA Tour in 1949.[3]
On April 1, 1963, Byrd became the golf pro atWillowbrook Country Club.[28] Byrd won his last tournament, aSenior PGA Tour event, in 1967.[34] He served as the golf pro for ten years at the Anniston County Club inAnniston, Alabama, until he retired in 1978.[58]
| Tournament | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T14 | 3 | 4 | NT | NT | NT | 40 | 47 | ||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | T16 | 41 | T26 | NT | NT | NT | NT | CUT | T23 | T37 | CUT | T49 | |
| PGA Championship | R32 | NT | R16 | 2 | R64 | R64 | R64 |
Byrd married Rachel Elizabeth Smith of Birmingham in October 1932, days after the conclusion of the 1932 World Series. TeammateBill Dickey was his best man.[3][59] Their daughter, Catherine, was born in 1939.[3] After Rachel died in 1979, Byrd moved toGilbert, Arizona, to be closer to his daughter.[58]
Byrd was inducted into theAlabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1974 for his accomplishments in golf and baseball.[33] He died inMesa, Arizona, on May 11, 1981.[60]