Bob Meusel
Bob Meusel | |
---|---|
Outfielder | |
Born: San Jose, California, U.S. | July 19, 1896|
Died: November 28, 1977 Bellflower, California, U.S. | (aged 81)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 14, 1920, for the New York Yankees | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 26, 1930, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .309 |
Home runs | 156 |
Runs batted in | 1,071 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Robert William Meusel (July 19, 1896 – November 28, 1977) was an American baseball left and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for the New York Yankees. He was best known as a member of the Yankees' championship teams of the 1920s, nicknamed "Murderers' Row", during which time the team won its first six American League (AL) pennants and first three World Series titles.
Meusel, noted for his strong outfield throwing arm, batted fifth behind
His older brother,
Early life
Meusel was born in
On December 14, 1921, Meusel married Edith Cowan, with whom he had two children.[5]
Professional career
Meusel's contract was purchased by the New York Yankees in early 1920.[6] After a productive spring training, Meusel replaced future Hall of Famer Frank Baker at third base.[7] He played his first game on April 14, 1920. In his rookie season, Meusel had a .328 batting average with 11 home runs and 83 runs batted in over 119 games. He finished fourth in the league in doubles with 41 while sharing time with Duffy Lewis in left field.[8]
In the 1921 season, Meusel started in 149 out of 154 games, primarily playing right field. He batted .318, finishing second in the league in home runs with 24 and third in the league with 136 runs batted in.
At the same time, Meusel,
In 1923, Meusel hit .313 with 9 home runs and 91 runs batted in[8] as the Yankees moved into their new Yankee Stadium. Meusel helped lead the team to their first World Series title, in their third consecutive matchup with the Giants. Meusel had the most runs batted in (eight) of any player in the Series. He hit a two-run triple in the second inning to help the Yankees win Game 4 at the Polo Grounds, drove in five runs in Game 5 and had a key two-run single that gave the Yankees the lead for good in Game 6.[14][15] The 1923 World Series marked the third consecutive year that Bob played against his brother Irish in the World Series. This made them the first set of brothers to play against each other on opposing teams in a World Series or any Big Four championship series.[15]
Before the 1924 season started, Meusel's close friend
Meusel had a breakout year in 1925. He led the American League in home runs (33), runs batted in (134), games played (156) and extra base hits (79). Despite this, he finished merely tied for 18th position overall for the AL's
Meusel was a key member of the
Prior to the start of the 1930 season, the Yankees sold Meusel to the
Retirement and death
After retiring from baseball, Meusel worked as a security guard at a US Navy base for 15 years.[2] He was in attendance at Yankee Stadium when his former teammate Lou Gehrig made his famous "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech on July 4, 1939. He also appeared in the 1942 film The Pride of the Yankees, as well as the 1948 film The Babe Ruth Story, as himself in a cameo role.[5]
Meusel lived in California following his playing career, first in Redondo Beach, and then in Downey. He died in Bellflower in 1977 and was buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier.[5]
Legacy
Meusel received the most recognition for being a member of the "Murderers' Row" teams of the mid-1920s, which included Ruth, Gehrig, second baseman Tony Lazzeri and center fielder Earle Combs. He shares the record for the most times hitting for the cycle with three, tying the mark set by Long John Reilly in 1890; Babe Herman later tied the mark in 1933; 82 years later, Adrián Beltré also achieved the feat in 2015, along with Trea Turner in 2021. Meusel had one of the strongest arms of the era; in his obituary, The New York Times called his throwing arm "deadly accurate".[1] Hall of Fame manager Casey Stengel, who played on the 1921 through 1923 Giants teams, said that he had never seen a better thrower.[1]
Harvey Frommer described Meusel as a heavy drinker and womanizer who did not get along with his teammates. His manager Miller Huggins called him "indifferent".[28] He was quiet and reserved, rarely giving newspaper interviews until his career was winding down.[29] He was also known for his lazy attitude, such as refusing to run out ground balls, which many said kept him from achieving greatness.[30]
Meusel was considered for election to the
In 1925, Meusel joined Philadelphia Athletics outfielder Tilly Walker (1918), St. Louis Browns outfielder Ken Williams (1922) and later Gehrig (1931) as the only players other than Ruth to win the AL home run title between 1918 and 1931. Both Walker and Gehrig won the title jointly with Ruth while Williams and Meusel won the title individually.[32]
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
References
- ^ a b c d e Radosta, John S. (1977-11-30). "Meusel, Yankee Outfielder Dies; A Member of 'Murderers' Row'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-09-25.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-313-29884-4.
- ISBN 0-8129-0540-7.
- ^ a b c Willey, Ken. "Bob Meusel". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
- ^ Weiss, Bill; Wright, Marshall. "Team #31 1906 Portland Beavers (114 – 58)". Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on 2008-01-13. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
- ^ "Meusel will play third for the Yankees". The New York Times. April 1, 1920. p. 12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Bob Meusel". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
- ^ a b "History of the World Series – 1921". The Sporting News. 2002. Archived from the original on August 11, 2006. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- ISBN 1-58261-683-3.
- ISBN 0-7432-4591-1.
- ^ "100 Years of the American League". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on 2005-12-06. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- ^ "1922 World Series (4-0-1): New York Giants (93–61) over New York Yankees (94–60)". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
- ISBN 1-58261-693-0.
- ^ a b McEvoy, Colin (February 9, 2023). "The Ultimate Sibling Rivalry: 8 Sets of Brothers Who Faced Off in Sports Championships". Biography. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ISBN 0-7867-1335-6.
- ISBN 0-7864-1228-3.
- ^ Smelser: pp. 296–297
- ^ Smelser: p. 296.
- ISBN 978-0-8032-1103-2.
- ^ Murray Chass (October 26, 1986). "When a Seventh Game is Necessary:High Drama". The New York Times. p. 207.
- ^ "World series record book: high marks for a single series". Baseball Digest. November 2005.
- ^ "Cycle hitters: single double triple home run: in the same game". Baseball Digest. November 2005.
- ^ Ray Corio (October 13, 1986). "Question Box". The New York Times. p. C11.
- ^ Thorley, Stew. "Notable Minneapolis Millers". Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- ISBN 0-7864-0045-5.
- ^ "Bob Meusel #5". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
- ISBN 0-425-18617-2.
- ISBN 0-8093-2491-1.
- ^ Eig: p. 95.
- ^ Durso, Joseph (March 11, 1982). "Chandler, Jackson to join Hall". The New York Times. p. B18.
- ^ "Yearly League Leaders & Records for Home Runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
Further reading
- Heyman, Brian (April 4, 2002). "Left field: Bob Meusel". The Journal News. Archived from the original on November 3, 2004 – via Wayback Machine.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Bob Meusel at Find a Grave