Bill Dickey - New York Yankees

New York Yankees

Jackson waived Dickey after the 1927 season, and New York Yankees scout Johnny Nee wired his boss, Ed Barrow, that the Yankees should claim him. The Yankees of purchased Dickey from Jackson for $12,500. Though he suffered from influenza during spring training that year, Dickey impressed Yankees manager Miller Huggins. Dickey hit .300 in 60 games for Little Rock, receiving a promotion to the Buffalo Bisons of the Class-AA International League. After appearing in three games for Buffalo, Dickey made his MLB debut with the Yankees on August 15, 1928. He recorded his first hit, a triple off George Blaeholder of the St. Louis Browns, on August 24.

Dickey played his first full season in MLB in 1929. He replaced Benny Bengough as the Yankees' starting catcher, as Bengough experienced a recurrent shoulder injury, and Dickey outperformed Bengough and Johnny Grabowski. As a rookie, Dickey hit .324 with 10 home runs and 65 runs batted in (RBI). He led all catchers with 95 assists and 13 double plays. In 1930, Dickey hit .339. In 1931, Dickey made only three errors and batted .327 with 78 RBI. That year, he was named by The Sporting News to its All-Star Team.

Although his offensive production was overshadowed by Yankee greats Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio, in the late 1930s Dickey posted some of the finest offensive seasons ever by a catcher, hitting over 20 home runs with 100 RBI in four consecutive seasons, from 1936 through 1939. His 1936 batting average of .362 was the highest single-season average ever recorded by a catcher (tied by Mike Piazza of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1997), until Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins hit .365 in 2009.

In 1932, Dickey broke the jaw of Carl Reynolds with one punch in a game after they collided at home plate, and received a 30-day suspension and $1,000 fine as punishment. That year, he hit .310, with 15 home runs and 84 RBI. In the 1932 World Series, he batted 7-for-16, with three walks, 4 RBI, and scored two runs.

In 1936, Dickey hit .362, finishing third in the AL behind Luke Appling (.388) and Earl Averill (.378). Dickey held out for an increase from his $14,500 salary in 1936, seeking a $25,000 salary. He ended the holdout by agreeing to a contract worth $17,500. Dickey earned $18,000 in 1939. Dickey signed a contract for 1940, receiving a $20,500 salary.

The 1941 season marked Dickey's thirteenth year in which he caught at least 100 games, an MLB record. He also set a double play record and led AL catchers with a .994 fielding percentage.

Dickey suffered a shoulder injury in 1942, ending his streak of catching at least 100 games in a season. Dickey's backup, Buddy Rosar, left the team without permission to take examinations to join the Buffalo police force and, to be with his wife who was about to have a baby, Yankees manager Joe McCarthy signed Rollie Hemsley to be the second string catcher, relegating Rosar to the third string position. Dickey returned for the 1942 World Series, but was considered to be fading.

Dickey hit the series-clinching home run in the 1943 World Series. After the season, Dickey was honored as the player of the year by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writer's Association of America