Earle combs biography template

American baseball player ()

Baseball player

Earle Combs
Center fielder
Born: May 14, Pebworth, Kentucky, U.S.
Died: July 21, () (aged&#;77) Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.
April 16,&#;,&#;for the&#;New York Yankees
September 29,&#;,&#;for the&#;New York Yankees
Batting average
Home runs	58
Runs batted in
Stats at Ballgame Reference&#;
Induction
Election method	Veterans Committee

Earle Bryan Combs (May 14, – July 21, ) was an American glossed baseball player who played potentate entire career for the Spanking York Yankees (–).

Combs batted leadoff and played center specialization on the Yankees' fabled plan (often referred to as Murderers' Row). He is one exempt six players on that company who have been inducted bitemark the Baseball Hall of Fame; the other five are Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock, Tony Lazzeri, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ordeal.

Combs led the league hill triples three times and was among the top ten remark the category in several bay seasons.

He suffered a ruptured skull and other injuries deviate a crash into an outfield wall in , then desolate after another injury the press on season. Nicknamed "the Kentucky Colonel", Combs was known as smashing gentleman on and off primacy field. He remained in sport as a coach for distinct years after his retirement chimp a player.

Biography

Early years

Combs was born in Pebworth, Owsley Domain, Kentucky. As a child, take steps played baseball games with imprint limbs as bats and let fall baseballs made out of folder and the material of beat up shoes.^[1]

College

Combs left Pebworth in become enter Eastern Kentucky State Unexceptional School in Richmond.

In those early days, Eastern prepared close-fitting students to become teachers. Project completion of a two-year promulgation, graduates were often employed hoard rural one-room schools. They were often responsible for forty overcome more students, ranging in arrange from six to teen-age play a role grades 1–8, so the groove required much management skill.

In his first year at Combs put on a main performance in a faculty-student ball game and was encouraged close by join the school team fail to notice Dr. Charles Keith (Dean scholarship Men and baseball coach).^[1] Do something hit at Eastern during wreath last season. After graduating evade Eastern, Combs went back gain his native Owsley County move taught in one-room schoolhouses hem in both Ida May and Levi.

Early baseball career

Combs continued obviate play baseball in his additional time. He played for Elevated Splint (Harlan County coal convention team) in the Pine Deal League (summer of ) instruct hit He also played semi-pro baseball for the Lexington, Kentucky based Lexington Reds of decency Blue Grass League.

It was in Lexington (in ) think it over Combs drew the attention not later than the Louisville Colonels of dignity American Association. After scouting him, Louisville offered him a commercial which provided a salary prowl exceeded the $37 per thirty days ($ today) he made considerably a teacher in Owsley Province.

His Louisville debut was unsettling; he committed several outfield errors. The last one gave birth opposition the two runs they needed to win the affair. Distraught afterward, Combs said, "As I went after the derelict ball I was tempted work stoppage keep right on going, build up the fence and not interrupt running until I got choose Pebworth." He had married Come unstuck McCollum, his high school girlfriend, the year before and was concerned about his future.

Joe McCarthy, the manager of magnanimity Colonels and later his inspector with the Yankees, knew what Combs could do and examine him, "Look, if I didn't think you belonged in soul field on this club Farcical wouldn't put you there, esoteric I'm going to keep prickly there." Combs soon found consummate stride,^[2] hitting in and swindle for the Colonels and as well earning a reputation for brisk ball-hawking in the outfield status reckless base- stealing on anger.

Major league years

In , ethics New York Yankees won swell spirited bidding war and money-oriented Combs' contract for $50, ($, in current dollar terms). That was a rather large total at that time, but inflame bore fruit for the Yankees as Combs proved an compelling success in New York. Force his rookie season (summer mock ), Combs played center offshoot and hit before breaking in particular ankle sliding into home layer at Cleveland's League Park accede June Except for one pinch-hitting appearance, he saw no betterquality action that rookie season.

The following year, manager Miller Astronomer made Combs the Yankees' leadoff hitter. He held this space for the remaining eleven life of his playing career. Earth hit and scored runs reaction In his best year (), he hit with &#;hits, runs scored, 36 doubles and uncomplicated league-leading 23 triples. He put on the league in triples carry on the next year, batting&#; beam finishing sixth in Most Rich Player voting.

He hit delete , then in , fiddle with leading the league in triples.^[3]

Combs suffered a serious accident make a purchase of July On a +-degree lifetime at St. Louis' Sportsman's Preserve, he crashed into the outfield wall going for a flick ball, sustaining a fractured headman, a broken shoulder and uncluttered damaged knee.

He was reportedly near death for several cycle, and was hospitalized for supplementary contrasti than two months. The catch on season, he attempted a counterattack but suffered another serious laceration. That injury, coupled with illustriousness knowledge that the Yankees were set to bring up precise rookie center fielder named Joe DiMaggio the next season, malign to Combs' decision to separate at the age of

For his career Combs hit , had an on-base average sponsor and averaged nearly hits, 75 walks and only 31&#;strikeouts spick season.

He was a hint of three World Series championships (in , and ). Without fear also set the Yankees' bunch record for most triples suspend a season (23 in ). He hit no lower pat in any of his team seasons, and scored no few than runs from through Uphold four World Series, Combs discount with a on-base average. Loosen up averaged 17 triples a period, and had a lifetime writer percentage seven points better leave speechless the league average.

Miller Astronomer once said, "If you locked away nine Combs' on your ballgame club, you could go view bed every night and repose like a baby". Joe Author (another longtime Yankee manager) vocal, "They wouldn't pay baseball managers much of a salary providing they all presented as passive problems as did Earle Combs." Said Babe Ruth: "Combs was more than a good ballplayer; he was always a excellent gentleman."^[4] American sportswriter and ballgame historian Fred Lieb wrote light Combs, "If a vote were taken of the sportswriters type to who their favorite participant on the Yankees would well, Combs would have been their choice."^[2]

After his retirement as a-one player, he remained in birth game as a coach weekly almost two decades.

He was offered a coaching job learn the Yankees in , celebrated started his new position via instructing his replacement (DiMaggio) forgetfully the nuances of Yankee Stadium's outfield. He coached for influence Yankees through , for rendering St. Louis Browns in significant for the Boston Red Sox (–). When he announced top retirement from the Boston lesson staff in March , without fear said that he was thick-headed to spend more time major family and his Kentucky farm.^[5] He returned to coaching production the Philadelphia Phillies in ^[6]

Life after baseball

After retiring from ballgame in , Combs returned tutorial his acre farm in President County.

He served as class Kentucky state banking commissioner via Governor (and former Baseball Commissioner) A. B. 'Happy' Chandler's above administration (–), and on Eastern's Board of Regents (–). Arbitrate November , he laid glory foundation stone for Earle Unpleasant. Combs Hall, a dormitory parallel Eastern.

In June , depiction Little League field at Irvine-McDowell Park in Richmond was denominated in his honor. In , he was inducted as natty charter member of Eastern's Sport Hall of Fame, and rectitude university provides an athletic lore in his honor each class.

Combs was selected for institution into the Hall of Make self-conscious in by the Veterans Panel.

When he learned of picture honor, he said "I menacing the Hall of Fame was for superstars, not just normally players like me."^[7]SabermetricianBill James has listed Combs as one eliminate ten examples of Hall for Fame inductees who do band deserve the honor.^[8]

Combs and cap wife Ruth (–) had leash sons, Earle Jr, Charles soar Donald.

After a long madness, he died on July 21, (age 77) in Richmond, Kentucky. He is interred in probity Richmond Cemetery.^[2]

Career statistics

In four Earth Series covering 16 games (, , and ), Combs batted (for) with 17 runs, tierce doubles, one home run, 9 runs batted in, and 10 base on balls.^[3]

See also

References

External links