Larry Gardner
Larry Gardner | ||
---|---|---|
Runs batted in | 934 | |
Teams | ||
Career highlights and awards | ||
|
William Lawrence Gardner (May 13, 1886 – March 11, 1976) was an American
Biography
Gardner was born in
He played most of his prime in the dead-ball era, as the third baseman on several successful Red Sox teams. He helped the Red Sox to victories in the 1912, 1915, and 1916 World Series. He led Boston with 5 RBIs in the 1912 Series and hit his team's only home run. In the 10th inning of the final game, the same inning that included Fred Snodgrass and Chief Meyers making critical fielding mistakes and giving the Red Sox two extra outs to work with, Gardner drove in Steve Yerkes with the series-winning sacrifice fly. He is the only batter to end a World Series with a sacrifice fly.[3] Gardner homered in consecutive games of the 1916 Series, including a three-run inside-the-park homer in Game 4. The two home runs matched his regular season total.
Gardner played a key role on the pennant-winning 1920 Indians, leading the team in RBIs (118) as well as games played (154) and at-bats (597). However, he also was a dismal 3-for-23 in stolen base attempts. He went 5-for-24 in the 1920 World Series, which Cleveland won, 5 games to 2. Gardner was on the winning side in all four of his World Series appearances. Gardner batted only .198 (17-for-86) in 25 World Series games but did score 9 runs, with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs, 13 RBI and 4 walks.
His best season was 1921, when he achieved career-highs in batting average (.319), RBIs (120), runs scored (101), and hits (187).
Gardner batted left-handed and threw right-handed. In his 17-season career, Larry Gardner posted a .289 batting average with 27 home runs and 934 RBI in 1923 games.
Gardner was inducted into Vermont's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1969.
Death and legacy
Gardner died on March 11, 1976, in St. George, Vermont.
In its December 27, 1999, issue commemorating the millennium, Sports Illustrated named Gardner as one of the Top 50 Vermont athletes of the 20th century.[6] Gardner was inducted to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2000.[7] In 2012 Gardner was inducted into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
References
- ^ "Larry Gardner Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "Larry Gardner". Baseball-Reference.Com. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "Hall of Fame". University of Vermont Athletics. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "Hall of Fame". University of Vermont Ahletics. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "Hall of Fame". University of Vermont Ahletics. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "The 50 Greatest Vermont Sports Figures". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "Red Sox Hall of Fame". Boston Red Sox. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
External links
- University of Vermont Athletics Hall of Fame profile
- Vermont Sports Hall of Fame profile
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
- SABR Biographies: Larry Gardner
- Baseball Almanac