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Class of 1990
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Willard Marshall
Very few people can say they had a perfect season, but in 1951 Willard Marshall did it as a major league outfielder.
Marshall was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1921. He began his athletic career playing baseball for Manchester High School and with a local American Legion Team. He attended Wake Forest University for just one year before turning to professional baseball.
Marshall broke into the big leagues in 1942, signing with the New York Giants. Over a 10 year period, he had a respectable average of 13 home runs per year in an era before home runs were more common. Marshall hit 3 straight home runs in 1947 against Cincinnati to tie a major league mark at that time.
The great Mel Ott, taught Marshall how to play caroms off the curvy right field wall while with the Giants. Marshall owned a potent arm and led the National League in outfield double plays in 1947, and 4 years later tied a record that will not be broken by fielding a perfect 1.000 in 136 games.
In 1949, Marshall hit .307, but made headline as part what was considered a blockbuster trade deal. He was dealt to Boston along with Joe Gordon, Buddy Kerr and Sam Webb for Eddie Stanky and Alvin Dark, considered by many the best middle infield in baseball at the time. (The Giants, with Stanky and Dark, won the pennant 2 years later.) In 1951 Marshall hit .281 and in 1954 belted out 17 home runs for Boston.
In his career, Marshall also played for Cincinnati before finishing with the Chicago White Sox, playing there for the manager who originally gave him his major league start in 1940, Paul Richards.
(To Sports Inductees List) |
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