Phil Cavarretta

Quotes From Cavarretta
"I'm a Cub forever, and I want them to win….the fans are the best in the game."

Played For
Chicago Cubs (1934-1953)
Chicago White Sox (1954-1955)

Managed
Chicago Cubs (1951-1953)

Best Season: 1945
Cavarretta had been in the league for more than a decade but started the year just 28 years of age. He had a deferment from military service due to bad hearing. In '45 he led the NL in batting (.355) and OBP (.449). He was in the top ten in almost every other offensive category, as he had been in 1944. He was one of the three or four best players still playing at that point in the war.

Factoids
Phil Cavarretta set an All-Star Game record by reaching base five times consecutively on a triple, single, and three walks, on July 11, 1944. The NL won the contest, 7-1.

Helmets On!
After Ernie Banks was drilled by a pitch during a spring training game in 1954, Cavarretta ordered his team to wear batting helmets while at the plate. His edict pre-dated the mandatory batting helmet rule by several years.

As a Manager
Cavarretta replaced Frankie Frisch as Cubs' manager on July 22, 1951. Cavarretta assumed the duties as player/manager. The Cubs were 36-46, 17 games back of the Dodgers. Chicago lost it's first six games under their new skipper, being outscored 24-6 and shut out twice. On July 29, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Phillies in Wrigley Field, Cavarretta tripled in three runs in the 6th inning, ending a 31-inning scoreless streak for his team. The Cubs won 5-4. In the nightcap, Cavarretta blasted a pinch-hit grand slam off Robin Roberts to give the Cubs an 8-6 victory. They were the first two victories of Cavarretta's managerial career... Cavarretta was the first manager fired during spring training. He was axed on March 29, 1954, after he told reporters the Cubs had little chance to finish in the first division. In 1978 Alvin Dark would become the second manager fired during spring training (by the Padres), and in 2001 Joe Kerrigan would become the third after he was let go by the BoSox.

Born
Philip Joseph Cavarretta was born on July 19, 1916, in Chicago, IL.

Batted:  Left
Threw:  Left

Primary Position:  1B

Primary Team:  CHN

Major League Debut
September 16, 1934

Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1934
Phil Cavarretta
Rudy York
Harlond Clift
Augie Galan
Frank McCormick
Frenchy Bordagaray
Zeke Bonura
Al Benton
Denny Galehouse

Nicknames
Phillibuck

In 1935, Cub manager Charlie Grimm gave Cavarretta the nickname "Phillibuck".

Similar Players
Wally Pipp, Mark Grace

Hall of Fame Voting Year Election Votes Pct 1962 BBWAA 2 1.3% 1964 BBWAA 22 10.9% 1964 Run Off 1 .4% 1966 BBWAA 9 3.0% 1967 BBWAA 15 5.1% 1967 Run Off 4 1.3% 1968 BBWAA 23 8.1% 1969 BBWAA 37 10.9% 1970 BBWAA 51 17.0% 1971 BBWAA 83 23.1% 1972 BBWAA 61 15.4% 1973 BBWAA 73 19.2% 1974 BBWAA 61 16.7% 1975 BBWAA 129 35.6%

Post-Season Appearances
1935 World Series
1938 World Series
1945 World Series

Awards and Honors
1945 NL MVP

Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
Cavarretta broke his leg sliding into the bag on May 8, 1939. He missed the rest of the season, In June, 1940, he broke the same leg doing the same thing, missing the remainder of the season. Combined with an unrelated injury to his hip in 1938, Cavarretta played just 179 games over the three years (1938-1940).

All-Star Selections
1944 NL
1945 NL
1946 NL
1947 NL

Replaced
Jolly Charlie Grimm manned first base for the Cubs from 1925 through 1934, before running out of steam and losing his job to teenager Cavarretta. Cavarretta was essentially the Cubs' first sacker until 1947 when he started to play more in the outfield. That meant the Cubs had just two starting first baseman for 22 seasons. Grimm was also Cavarretta's first major league manager.

Learn More about Phil Cavarretta
Search Amazon.com for Books about Phil Cavarretta ⇒
Search for Phil Cavarretta at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒