Yankee4Life

Harry Heilmann. Another right handed hitter who can pound the ball. He played with and later played for Ty Cobb in Detroit. In the history of the major leagues, Rogers Hornsby and Ed Delahanty are the only right-handed batters to hit for a better average than Harry Heilmann's .342 lifetime mark. Teaming with Ty Cobb for the Detroit Tigers, Heilmann won four batting titles between 1921 and 1927 with averages of .394, .403, .393 and .398; he came within nine hits of hitting .400 each year. Following his retirement from the field, Heilmann broadcast Tigers games for 17 years.

That's what I mean. Listen to what Mark said NYM. Ok, you talked about Babe Ruth. Anything else you want to add?? How about this? We all know Ruth hit 60 homers in 1927. Well, look at that figure this way: In 1927, Babe Ruth’s 60 home runs accounted for 14% of all home runs in the American League that year. To put that figure in modern perspective, a player would need to hit over 340 home runs in a season to account for 14% of the American League’s total homerun output.

Spud Chandler. Not too many people today have heard of this guy and you would be shocked to know that he played his entire career with the Yankees. So, being a Yankee did not promise you a household name. What stands out for me with this guy is his career winning percentage of .717. You read that right. Brief history: A right-handed pitcher, Chandler didn't make it to the major leagues until he was twenty-nine, and he had just two 20-victory seasons in his brief career. But he never had a losing season and he turned in a remarkable career winning percentage and outstanding ERA. Chandler was named the AL's most valuable player in 1943, when he helped take the Yankees to a pennant, leading the league in victories and winning percentage with a 20-4 record, in complete games with 20, in shutouts with 5, and in ERA with 1.64. He had joined the Yankees during the 1937 season and had a 21-9 record during his first two years. Injuries limited his playing time for the next four seasons, yet he put together a composite 37-16 record before his MVP year. Chandler missed almost all of the 1944 and 1945 seasons because of military service, but he came back to win 20 and lose only 8, with a 2.10 ERA in 1946. He retired after a 9-5 record in the 1947 season. In 11 major league seasons, Chandler had a 109-43 record for a .717 winning percentage, with 26 shutouts and a 2.84 ERA. He struck out 614 and walked 463 in 1,485 innings.

This section has to do with the players. Post tidbits about your favorite past players, or Hall of famers you know about and like. And, while we are at it, the player doesn't have to be a Hall of Famer. He could be a career minor leaguer. He could be from the old Negro Leagues. Or from Japan or Cuba. If he was a player, post it here. Also, very important. Try to include a picture of the person you are talking about. You will be amazed at how many players that were really good and are not talked about as much these days. I'll start one off right here: Meet Al Simmons. He played for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics. Called "Bucketfoot Al" because of an unusual batting style in which he stepped toward the dugout, Al Simmons confounded the purists to the tune of 307 home runs and a .334 average. The Philadelphia Athletics' outfielder compiled more hits than any right-handed batter in American League history until surpassed by Al Kaline. A deadly clutch-hitter, Simmons won batting titles in 1930 and 1931 to help the A's to consecutive pennants. He recorded 11 consecutive seasons as a .300 hitter and 100-RBI man.