Enos Slaughter

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Enos Slaughter
Runs batted in
1,304
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction1985
Election methodVeterans Committee

Enos Bradsher Slaughter (April 27, 1916 – August 12, 2002), nicknamed "Country", was an American

National Baseball Hall of Fame and St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame
.

Early life

Slaughter was born in Roxboro, North Carolina, where he earned the nickname "Country".[1] In 1935, scout Billy Southworth signed him for the St. Louis Cardinals.[2]

Career

Minor leagues

The Martinsville Manufacturers were Slaughter's first professional team, in 1935.[2] When Slaughter was a minor leaguer in Columbus, Georgia, he went running towards the dugout from his position in the outfield, slowed down near the infield, and began walking the rest of the way. Manager Eddie Dyer told him, "Son, if you're tired, we'll try to get you some help." During the remainder of his major-league career, Slaughter ran everywhere he went on a baseball field.[3] In 1937, he had 245 hits and 147 runs scored for Columbus.[4]

Major leagues

Slaughter with the Cardinals

Slaughter batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was renowned for his smooth swing that made him a reliable "contact" hitter. Slaughter had 2,383

Milwaukee Braves. During that period, he was a ten-time All-Star and played in five World Series. His 1,820 games played ranks fifth in Cardinals' history behind Yadier Molina, Ozzie Smith, Lou Brock, and Stan Musial
. He presently ranks third in RBI with 1,148; sixth in ABs with 6,775; and seventh in doubles with 366.

After debuting with the Cardinals in 1938, Slaughter became an everyday outfielder for them in 1939.[2]

Slaughter served for three years in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a sergeant who taught physical education.

Sporting News list of Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments in 1999.[8]

Slaughter in 1996 during his number 9 retirement ceremony

Slaughter was known for his hustle, especially for running hard to first base on walks, a habit later imitated by Pete Rose and David Eckstein.

Slaughter was reported at the time as being one of the leaders in racial taunting against the first black major league player,

St. Louis Star and Times quoted Dodgers' second-baseman Eddie Stanky as saying, "Slaughter deliberately spiked Robinson. I always had the highest regard for Slaughter. He is one of the keenest competitors I know, and I admire him for it. But that was the first time he spiked someone deliberately. I've lost all my respect for him."[11] In the Ken Burns Baseball documentary, it was claimed that Slaughter, despite easily being out, ran and jumped at Robinson, cutting his thigh open. Most other accounts state that the cut was on Robinson's calf, and it was non-intentional, that Slaughter's spike caught Robinson while he was trying to beat the throw to first and Robinson was just not able to pull his leg away in time.[citation needed
]

With the Yankees, Slaughter did not play as much, but he excelled as a pinch hitter for the ballclub.[7] He batted fifth and played in left field in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series in which teammate Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in World Series history, a 2–0 Yankees win. At age 40, he was the oldest player for either team in the game.

Post-MLB career

Slaughter retired from major league baseball in 1959. He was a player-manager for the

Houston Buffs of the Texas League in 1960 and for Raleigh Capitals of the Carolina League in 1961.[12] Slaughter coached baseball for Duke University from 1971 to 1977.[13][7] He provided aid to causes such as the Duke Children's Classic, the Person County Museum of History, and Piedmont Community College.[7]

Personal life

Slaughter had five wives, each of whom he divorced. He had four daughters: Gaye, Patricia, Rhonda, and Sharon.[14] Henry Slaughter, his cousin, was a well-known southern gospel musician. Fellow Hall of Famer Monte Irvin was good friends with Slaughter, later voting for the player when he was finally elected to the Hall of Fame. Slaughter also mentored Lou Brock when he joined the Cardinals.[7]

Death

Slaughter died at age 86 on August 12, 2002.

Person County, North Carolina.[16]

Personal honors

Enos Slaughter's number 9 was retired by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996.

Slaughter was elected to the

Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.[1]

His jersey number 9 was retired by the Cardinals on September 6, 1996.

The Cardinals dedicated a statue depicting his famous Mad Dash in 1999.

Busch Stadium II
for other Cardinal Hall of Famers during the last years of his life.

In 2013, the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award honored Slaughter as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the United States Army Air Force during World War II.[18]

In January, 2014, the Cardinals announced Slaughter among 22 former players and personnel to be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum for the inaugural class of 2014.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Enos Slaughter". Baseball.org. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Russo, p. 36
  3. ^ Anderson, Dave (7 March 1985). "SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Country's Life Complete Now". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  4. ^ Cardinals' Media Relations, ed. (2001). St. Louis Cardinals 2001 Media Guide. Hadler Printing Company. pp. D-20.
  5. ^ "Enos Slaughter Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Enos Slaughter".
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Russo, p. 38
  8. ^ "Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments by The Sporting News". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  9. ^ Russo, p. 37
  10. ^ "Enos Slaughter - Society for American Baseball Research". Sabr.org. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  11. ^ "1947 August Slaughter Robinson". The St. Louis Star and Times. 21 August 1947. p. 29.
  12. ISBN 978-0786425532
    .
  13. ^ "Slaughter, Enos "Country" - NCpedia". Ncpedia.org. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  14. ^ Russo, p. 39
  15. ^ The New York Times
  16. ^ Society for American Baseball Research
  17. ^ "Cardinals Retired Numbers". St. Louis Cardinals. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  18. ^ "WWII HOF Players – Act of Valor Award". Archived from the original on 2021-10-08. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  19. ^ Cardinals Press Release (January 18, 2014). "Cardinals establish Hall of Fame & detail induction process". Stlouis.cardinals. Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  • Russo, Frank (2014). The Cooperstown Chronicles: Baseball's Colorful Characters, Unusual Lives, and Strange Demises. New York: Rowman & Littlefield.
    ISBN 978-1-4422-3639-4
    .

External links
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