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Thursday, December 03, 2020
New York Herald, December 3, 1920: [Jim] Thorpe and his Canton Bulldogs are here for their game at the Polo Grounds to-morrow. The noted Indian played the outfield in the International League last season. The writer asked him yesterday how much he hit. “About .367,” was the answer.
“Why didn’t you hit that way in the big league?”
“I hit over .300 in the big league the last year I was in it,” Thorpe replied, “and rapped right handers and left handers both. I can hit ‘em all.”
“Why didn’t they keep you in the big leagues, then?”
“Can’t prove it by me. You’ll have to ask them that.”
Thorpe hit .360 as an everyday outfielder for Akron in 1920, a year after hitting .327 for the Giants and Braves. He hit .358 for Toledo in 1921.
I’m not saying Thorpe could have been a star big leaguer, but it sure seems like he was a better player than a lot of people thought. Certainly a better player than a lot of guys who were given more than 698 MLB at-bats.
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1. Jefferson Manship (Dan Lee) Posted: December 03, 2020 at 11:26 AM (#5992244)The bad news is today's Birthday Team isn't very good.
C: Clay Dalrymple (16.8 WAR)
1B: Joe Collins (12.0 WAR)
2B: Chico Salmon (1.0 WAR)
3B: Wayne Garrett (16.8 WAR)
SS: Steve Huntz (0.8 WAR)
LF: Darryl Hamilton (16.7 WAR)
CF: Joe Birmingham (3.2 WAR)
RF: Harry Simpson (4.6 WAR)
SP: Paul Byrd (16.2 WAR)
SP: Gene Nelson (7.3 WAR)
SP: Louis Drucke (4.9 WAR)
SP: Charlie Wagner (3.4 WAR)
SP: Butch Wensloff (3.1 WAR)
RP: Manny Corpas (4.4 WAR)
Umpire: Billy McLean
Spare P/OF/1B: Cozy Dolan (4.8 WAR; 3.3 WAR as position player, 1.5 WAR as pitcher)
Designated Aussie: Chris Snelling (0.5 WAR)
Fun Names: Hooks Iott, Lafayette Currence, Tobi Stoner
It is a little strange to see he got more chances to play after he hit .237, but did not after hitting .327.
For what it's worth, Greenberg in his autobiography, which came out in 1989, after he had passed away, says that he got $100.000.
He then explains (I'm not good with money matters, so I don't really understand what he's talking about) how he and Galbreath worked out a deal that involved Greenberg buying stock in the club, which Galbreath would buy back at the end of the year, so that Greenberg would pay a capital gains tax on $60,000 of the sum, and income tax on $40,000 of it.
Mickey Hatcher triples to 3rd on 8-4-82 against the Angels. Four days later he did it again against the A's (in Minnesota, so not taking advantage of the famous Oakland foul territory). Those were his only 2 triples of the 1982 season.
Do you mean he tripled to 1B?
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