Ralph Garr
Ralph Garr | ||
---|---|---|
Runs batted in | 408 | |
Teams | ||
Career highlights and awards | ||
Ralph Allen Garr (born December 12, 1945), nicknamed "Road Runner", is an American former professional baseball player, scout, and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1968 through 1980 — most notably as a member of the Atlanta Braves — and eventually with the Chicago White Sox and California Angels.
Garr's career year was 1974, when he was a National League (NL) All-Star and won the NL batting title. Garr was a free swinger[1] who could confound defenses by hitting to all parts of the outfield. He batted .300 or better five times during his career. In 2006, Garr was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame.[2]
Face in the Crowd
Garr was born in Monroe, Louisiana, and worked as a shoe shine boy at a local barber shop growing up.[3] After graduation from Lincoln High School in Ruston, Louisiana, he attended historically black Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana.[4] In 1967, as a second baseman for the Grambling State Tigers baseball team, Garr led the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics with a record .585 batting average to lead his team to a 35–1 regular-season mark. His accomplishment earned mention in Sports Illustrated's "Faces In The Crowd"[5] right around the same time he was being drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the third round of the 1967 Major League Baseball draft.
Early years
Though Garr was a fast runner and good
Garr again made the Braves out of spring training
"Road Runner"
In 1970, Rico Carty injured his left knee playing Winter ball in the Dominican Republic,[10] and was lost for the entire 1971 season. Garr seized the opportunity, batting over .400 through the middle of May, and earning the nickname "Road Runner" due to his speed. On May 17, against Tom Seaver and the New York Mets, Garr hit a solo home run with two outs in the tenth inning to tie the game. He hit a second home run in the 12th for the walk-off victory.[11]
Garr became so popular with fans in
Unfortunately, Garr's defensive shortcomings (he led N.L. outfielders with 11
Garr again put up solid offensive numbers in
Garr spent much of his early career believing he was greatly underpaid by the Braves, so after that career year Garr sought a raise to $114,500 for the 1975 season, more than double what he received in 1974, at which the Braves countered with $85,000.[16] The contract dispute went to arbitration, with Garr winning[17] to become the highest paid player on the team, and the first player in major league history to double his salary through arbitration.[18]
Despite an excellent spring, and going into the season with confidence,[19] Garr's average dipped to .278 in 1975. He did, however, lead the league in triples (11) for a second year in a row. Garr and Larvell Blanks were traded to the Chicago White Sox for Ken Henderson, Dick Ruthven and Dan Osborn on December 12, 1975.[20]
Chicago White Sox
Disarray was something of a theme for the 1976 White Sox as Jorge Orta, the second baseman with the 1975 team Chuck Tanner managed was used at third and left field in 1976 by new manager Paul Richards.[21] Likewise, Garr's role with the Chisox in 1976 was similar to the one he had with the Braves in 1972; he had no regular outfield position, and his playing time was split evenly between all three outfield spots. The formula proved unsuccessful as the Sox narrowly avoided a hundred losses in 1976. For his part, Garr batted an even .300, and was second on the team to Orta with 63 runs scored.
Bob Lemon replaced Richards at the helm in 1977,[22] returning Orta to second base, and returning Garr to left field. The Chisox did a complete 180 that year as they won ninety games to finish third in the American League West. Garr batted an even .300 for the second year in a row, while improving substantially in every other offensive category. His fielding also improved as he logged a career high .987 fielding percentage.
Garr had an off year in 1978, putting up career lows in just about every offensive category. His notoriously bad fielding was also becoming an issue again. He and pitcher Francisco Barrios became embroiled in a fight on August 10, following a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, over an incident in their August 7 matchup with the Kansas City Royals. With Barrios pitching, Garr threw a ball he fielded off the wall to the wrong base, allowing a runner to score.[23] It was the second run-in between the two.[24]
Garr started the
Garr was used as a designated hitter in California, but managed to bat just .167 in that role, and was released on June 6, 1980.
In retirement
Garr became part-owner and a part-time worker at Kaloche doughnut shop in
Garr played professional softball for
Garr was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1985,[29] Grambling State University Alumni Hall of Fame in 1991,[30] the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame in 2006[31] and the International League Hall of Fame in 2008.[32] In his 2012 film, Trouble with the Curve, Clint Eastwood's character, fictional Braves scout Gus Lobel, is credited with signing Dusty Baker, Dale Murphy, Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones, and Garr.[33] The scout who actually signed Garr was Mel Didier.[34]
Career statistics
In 1,317 games over 13 seasons, Garr batted .306 (1,562-for-5,108) with 717 runs scored, 212 doubles, 64 triples, 75 home runs, 408 RBI, 172 stolen bases, 246 walks, an on-base percentage of .339, and a slugging percentage of .416. He compiled a .968 fielding percentage playing at all three outfield positions.[35]
See also
References
- Daytona Beach Morning Journal. June 11, 1974. p. 5A. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Braves Hall of Fame Members". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- Times Daily.
- ^ "Ralph Garr (Grambling) – More than a "Face in the Crowd"". Black Pioneers of College Baseball & Legends of HBCU Baseball. June 22, 2009.
- ^ "Faces in the Crowd". SI.com. Sports Illustrated. June 26, 1967.
- ^ Don Delliquanti (May 10, 1971). "Two Beeps, A Cloud Of Dust". SI.com. Sports Illustrated.
- ^ "Rico Carty Hurt as Braves Lose". Lewiston Morning Tribune. April 5, 1969.
- Milwaukee Journal. April 30, 1969.
- Baseball CardProject. May 8, 2010.
- ^ "Atlanta's Rico Carty has Multiple Knee Fractures". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. December 13, 1970.
- ^ "Box Score: Atlanta Braves 4, New York Mets 3". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 10, 1971. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ William Leggett; Roy Blount, Jr.; Don Delliquanti (April 12, 1971). "TK". SI.com. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- Montreal Gazette. October 28, 1972.
- Palm Beach Post. December 2, 1973. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "1974 All-Star Game Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. July 23, 1974.
- ^ "Why Can't They Treat Me Like the Best — Braves' Ralph Garr". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. February 22, 1975.
- Virgin Islands Daily News. February 26, 1975.
- ^ "Ralph Garr". MISC. BASEBALL, Gathering Assorted Items of Baseball History & Trivia. 2 June 2009.
- Daytona Beach Morning Journal. April 3, 1975.
- Gadsden Times. December 13, 1975.
- ^ Alan Lassila (March 2, 1976). "White Sox Plan to Experiment". Sarasota Journal.
- ^ "Lemon Named Chisox Pilot". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 16, 1976.
- Wilmington Morning Star. August 12, 1978.
- ^ "Sox Barrios Seeks Trade". Sarasota Journal. August 9, 1978.
- ^ "Evans Ponders Suit of Veeck". Telegraph Herald. August 31, 1979.
- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
- ^ "Clipped From The Cincinnati Enquirer". The Cincinnati Enquirer. May 16, 1982. p. 28 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Clipped From News-Journal". News-Journal. May 20, 1982. p. 25 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ralph "Road Runner" Garr". Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Class of 1985.
- ^ "Alumni Hall of Fame". Grambling State University. Archived from the original on December 2, 2007.
- ^ "Turner Field Museum & HOF". MLB.com.
- MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. Class of 2008.
- ^ Glassey, Conor (September 23, 2012). "Movie Review: Trouble With The Curve". baseballamerica.com. Baseball America. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Veteran Scout Mel Didier Tells Us a Story". codball.com. Codball. September 23, 2008. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Ralph Garr Career Stats At Baseball Reference". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Ralph Garr at the SABR Baseball Biography Project