Earl Webb
Originally a pitcher, Earl Webb's bat hastened his conversion to the outfield while he was still in the minor leagues. It took the Tennessee-native some time to break into the big leagues (he was 30 when the Cubs finally gave him a chance in 1927), but when he did he became a record-setter. In 1931, with the Red Sox (his fourth big league team), the left-handed batting Webb stroked 67 doubles, setting a major league mark that still stood 75 years later. Unfortunately for Webb, it was the last time he played regularly in the majors, and he was done in 1933, having posted a .306 average in 650 games.
Quotes About Webb
"The reason he hits so many doubles is that he hits a long, hard ball, and he's too darned slow on the bases to get to third." — manager Shano Collins
Quotes From Webb
"I was born to the coal mines and escaped only because of my ability to play baseball. Bonair, a little coal mining community in central Tennessee, is where I was born, September 17, 1899, and my father, William Webb, was a coal digger. We moved to a nearby town, Ravenscroft, when I was quite small and I roamed the mountains, haunted the mines and attended school. In those days I could think of no work as thrilling as laboring in the coal mines, and during my school days I idled away my time, waiting until I should be big enough to go down in the ground."
Played For
New York Giants (1925)
Chicago Cubs (1927-1928)
Boston Red Sox (1930-1932)
Detroit Tigers (1932-1933)
Chicago White Sox (1933)
Minor League Experience
As a youngster pitching for mining teams in Tennessee, Webb battled Walter Stewart, who later went on to pitch for the St. Louis Browns. The mine doctor suggested that Webb play baseball to fill his lungs with fresh air after breathing coal dust all day.
At the age of 17, Webb was offered a contract by Memphis of the Southern Association, but refused to report at the given time because he was frightened of the big city. He admitted one other reason for his refusal to leave for Memphis as a teenager - he was in love with his girlfriend, whom he later married.
After a few seasons starring for mining teams, Webb was finally convinced by his father to go to Memphis to try to find a batter life. He pitched well for Memphis and was bought by the Giants, but refused to travel to New York to tryout for John McGraw. Only after a scout agreed to accompany him to the train station, did Webb make the trip. Subsequently, according to legend, he got lost in New York and ran into Babe Ruth, who gave him a ride to the Polo Grounds. McGraw liked Webb, and sent him to Pittsfield, MA, in the Eastern League. In Pittsfield, Webb pitched and played the outfield between starts. Within a year, Webb was an everyday outfielder. After bouncing between Pittsfield, Toledo, New York (for four brief games with McGraw's club in '25) and Louisville, Webb was sold to the Chicago Cubs in 1926. He played with the Cubs in '27 and '28, before being shipped to Los Angeles of the Pacific Coast League.
Webb played for LA in 1929 before his rights were purchased by the Reds. But he failed to make Cincinnati's regular season roster and was bought by Clark Griffith of the Senators. Once again, Webb was the odd man out in a crowded outfield, and found himself unemployed. In 1930, he was purchased by the Red Sox, where he found a home.
"I found myself at last," Webb said. "Because I am working for a man who understands me, sympathizes with me, and does his best to make me a batter ballplayer."
Webb was talking about Shano Colins, the Red Sox' manager in 1930.
"Other managers had little, if any, interest in me," Webb said. "Until I went to work for Collins, I was never inspired."
Best Season: 1931
Webb set the single-season record for doubles, with 67. He also batted .333 with 14 homers, 103 RBI, and 196 hits. He slumped in the second half, hitting .270 after July 30th. He was batting .371 through July. At some point in August, Webb accidentally put iodine in one of his eyes, an incident that must have had at least a little to do with his second-half difficulties.
Factoids
In 1931, Earl Webb of the Red Sox smashed the single-season record for doubles when he hit 67. However, he did not benefit from Fenway Park's famed Green Monster,as the wall was not erected in left field until 1934.
Description
Webb was a shy kid from a Tennessee coal-mining community when he signed as a pitcher for his first professional contract. His shyness never left him, even after he was a slugging outfielder with the Red Sox in the 1930s, he would often shuffle into a restaurant in downtown Boston to escape the crowded streets of the city. One story has it that when Webb first went to New York for a tryout with McGraw's Giants in 1922, he got lost and ran into Babe Ruth, who drove the country boy to the Polo Grounds.
Where He Played
Right fielder, and not a very good one.
Born
William Earl Webb was born on September 17, 1897, in Bon Air, TN.
Died
May 23, 1965, Jamestown, TN
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Primary Position: OF
Primary Team: BOS
Major League Debut
August 13, 1925
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1925
Jimmie Foxx
Mickey Cochrane
Lefty Grove
Buddy Myer
Leo Durocher
Billy Rogell
Freddie Fitzsimmons
Mule Haas
Chuck Dressen
Family Tree
Webb had three daughters: Earline, Iris, and Patricia.
Similar Players
Danny Taylor
Related Players
Shano Collins... John McGraw was so enamored with Webb that he traded Hack Wilson for him in 1925. McGraw later got Wilson back and shipped Webb out once again... Webb broke Tris Speaker's AL record for doubles in a season (59), and the major league record of George Burns (64).
Post-Season Notes
Just about every team he played for, finished higher in the standings after Webb left.
Notes
On his 32nd birthday, September 17, 1931, Webb doubled twice in a doubleheader against Cleveland in Fenway Park to set the single-season record for doubles, with 65. He added two more to finish the season at 67.
Transactions
August 8, 1925: Traded by the Toledo (American Association) to the New York Giants for a player to be named later and Hack Wilson. The New York Giants sent Pip Koehler (February 15, 1926) to the Toledo (American Association) to complete the trade.
December 12, 1925: Sent by the New York Giants to the Louisville (American Association) to complete an earlier deal made on September 3, 1925. The New York Giants sent a player to be named later to the Louisville (American Association) for Ty Tyson. The New York Giants sent Earl Webb (December 12, 1925) to the Louisville (American Association) to complete the trade.
October, 1929: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds from the Chicago Cubs in the 1929 rule V draft.
April 4, 1930: Selected off waivers by the Washington Senators from the Cincinnati Reds.
April 26, 1930: Traded by the Washington Senators to the Boston Red Sox for Bill Barrett.
Webb never appeared in a regular season game for either the Reds or Senators.
June 12, 1932: Traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Detroit Tigers for Dale Alexander and Roy Johnson.
May 14, 1933: Selected off waivers by the Chicago White Sox from the Detroit Tigers.
Best Strength as a Player
Hitting to the opposite field.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Defense, and based on this report from The Sporting News, Webb also seemed to be fixated on trying to hit the ball out of the park:
"Though Wagner [Boston manager Heinie Wagner] was appreciative of the home run [Webb] hit in his first week with the Red Sox, the outfielder has since been focusing too much on the hitting of homers. He will be better served, team officials claim, if he forgets the homer and returns to his style of batting, which is singles and doubles to the other field."
We were able to find one other report that described Webb's stubborn attempt to hit homers... Webb was also a slow runner.
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