Cal Abrams
| Cal Abrams | ||
|---|---|---|
Runs batted in 138 | | |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | ||
| Teams | ||
Calvin Ross Abrams (March 2, 1924 – February 25, 1997), nicknamed "Abie", was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1949 and 1956 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago White Sox.
Baseball career
Minor league
Abrams was born in
In January 1943, he was inducted into the Army. He was assigned to Battery B 500th
He then played for the
Major league
On April 20, 1949, he made his Major League debut with the Dodgers, and then was sent to the
In 1950, he changed his uniform number to 18, explaining later: "18 means a lot." The number 18 stands for the Hebrew word for life. He wore this number for the majority of his career.
On October 1, 1950, the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies were playing a game that would determine which team would win the National League pennant. In the bottom of the 9th inning, with nobody out and the game tied 1–1, Abrams was on second base when Duke Snider hit a single to short center field. He was waved home by third-base coach Milt Stock, and was gunned down at the plate by a perfect throw by Phillies center fielder Richie Ashburn, who had fielded the ball on one bounce. The play resulted in the preservation of the 1–1 tie, and facilitated the Phils' Dick Sisler's 10th-inning pennant-winning home run.[4]
In 1951, his manager
On June 9, 1952, he was traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Cincinnati Reds for Rudy Rufer and cash. On October 14, 1952, he was traded by the Reds with Gail Henley and Joe Rossi to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Gus Bell.
In 1953, he hit 15 home runs, his career high, and had 13 assists and 3 double plays-leading all NL right fielders.[2]
On May 25, 1954, he was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Baltimore Orioles for Dick Littlefield. In 1954, he was 7th in the AL with a .400 OBP, and 10th in the league with 7 triples.[6] He came in 26th in the AL MVP voting.[7]
In 1955, he had a .413 OBP, was 8th in the league in walks with 89, and was 4th in the league in assists by a center fielder with 6.[6] On October 18, 1955, he was traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Chicago White Sox for Bobby Adams.
He remained in the Major Leagues into the
In all of his minor league seasons, his lowest batting average was .331.
He played in 567 major league games with the Dodgers, Reds, Pirates, Orioles, and White Sox.[2]
In eight seasons, Abrams posted a .269
After baseball
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Abrams owned The Blossom Lounge in
Death
Abrams died in 1997 after suffering a
Hall of Fame
In 1996 Abrams, who was Jewish,[9] was inducted into the B'nai B'rith Jewish American Sports Hall of Fame, in Washington, D.C.[10]
See also
References
- ^ "1946 Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Cal Abrams Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- ^ "1950 American Association Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- ^ a b c Goldstein, Richard (February 27, 1997). "Cal Abrams, Part of Lore Of Dodgers, Is Dead at 72". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
- ^ "Cal Abrams". snopes.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Cal Abrams Stats | Baseball-Reference.com". Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
- ^ ""1954 Awards Voting" | Baseball-Reference.com". Archived from the original on August 7, 2009. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
- ^ Resting Places: The Burial Places of 14,000 Famous Persons, by Scott Wilson
- ^ "Big League Jews". Jewish Sports Review. 12 (137): 18. January–February 2020.
- ^ Araton, Harvey (March 1, 1997). "A Dodger Who Faced Barriers, Too". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Cal Abrams at the SABR Baseball Biography Project
- Cal Abrams at Find a Grave