Members
Speaker was the first to join the Red Sox. He joined the team in 1907, and became a regular in 1910. He starred for the Red Sox in center field until being traded to the Cleveland Indians before the 1916 season. Speaker was the American League Most Valuable Player in 1912, and finished in the top 12 in the MVP voting each season from 1911 through 1914. Speaker was known for playing very shallow in center field, allowing him to participate in 64 double plays in 1053 games as a Red Sox outfielder, and set a career record for outfield assists. He was able to play so shallow because he was outstanding at catching balls hit over his head. He batted .337 for the Red Sox, with 1327 hits in 3935 at bats. He also hit 241 of his all-time record 792 doubles for the Red Sox. During his time with the Red Sox, he led the American League in doubles, home runs, extra base hits and on-base percentage in 1912, and in hits, doubles, extra base hits and total bases in 1914. He was one of the first players elected into the Hall of Fame in 1937.
Hooper joined the Red Sox in 1909, after attending Saint Mary's College of California, and became a regular in 1910. Hooper's fielding prowess also forced Major League Baseball to change the rules regarding runners advancing when a fly ball was caught. Hooper used to juggle fly balls as he ran back to the infield preventing runners from trying to advance until the ball was finally caught. This forced a rule change in which runners could advance as soon as the ball was touched by the fielder, rather than having to wait until the ball was caught. He received MVP votes in both 1913 and 1914. He led the American League in at bats and sacrifice hits in 1910. With the Red Sox from 1909 through 1920, he batted .272 with 1707 hits in 6270 at bats. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971.
Lewis also attended Saint Mary's College of California, and joined the Red Sox in 1910, completing the Golden Outfield. Until the 1930s, the Red Sox' home park, Fenway Park had a slope in front of the left field wall. Lewis was so effective at playing balls off the cliff that it was nicknamed Duffy's Cliff. Lewis played with the Red Sox until 1917, and led the American League in sacrifice hits in 1912. He received MVP votes in 1914, finishing tied with Hooper at 20th overall in the voting. During his time with the Red Sox, he batted .286, with 1248 hits in 4325 at bats. Lewis has not been elected to the Hall of Fame, but did receive votes in several elections from 1937 through 1955. His best showing was in 1955 when he received 34 votes and 13.5% of the total, far below the 75% needed for election.
Read more about this topic: Golden Outfield
Famous quotes containing the word members:
“A family with the wrong members in control—that, perhaps, is as near as one can come to describing England in a phrase.”
—George Orwell (1903–1950)
“The state of society is one in which the members have suffered amputation from the trunk, and strut about so many walking monsters,—a good finger, a neck, a stomach, an elbow, but never a man.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, Members of the House, Members of the Senate, my fellow Americans, all I have I would have given gladly not to be standing here today.”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)