Earl Averill

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Lore & Background

Born in Snohomish, Washington, Averill played for the San Francisco Seals in the Pacific Coast League. He broke into the Major Leagues in 1929 (at the age of 26) with the Cleveland Indians. He played for Cleveland for over ten years, and remains the all-time Indians leader in total bases, runs batted in (RBIs), runs, and triples. He also remains third in all-time Indians hits and doubles, and fourth in all-time Indians home runs and walks. During his time in Cleveland, the team never finished higher than third. His nickname was "the Earl of Snohomish". He famously hit the line drive that broke Dizzy Dean's toe in the 1937 All-Star Game. Dizzy, who had averaged 24 wins a season up to then, and only 4 wins a season after, changed his delivery due to the broken toe, damaged his arm, which led to his retiring in 1941 at the age of 31. Averill was the first major league player to hit four home runs in a doubleheader (three home runs in the first game, one in the second game) on September 17, 1930; he was also one of the first players to hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat (April 16, 1929, opening day). Averill batted .378 in 1936, leading the American League in hits with 232, but finishing second to Luke Appling in the batting race (Appling batted .388 for the White Sox). During a July 1 incident in 1935, Averill was lighting firecrackers with his four children as part of a pre-July 4 celebration. One exploded while he was holding it, and he suffered lacerations on the fingers of his right hand, as well as burns on his face and chest. After several weeks, he made a full recovery. In 1937, Averill experienced temporary paralysis in his legs and was diagnosed with a congenital spine condition. This caused him to alter his batting style and become less of a power hitter. Averill was traded to the Detroit Tigers in the middle of the 1939 season (June 14). The following season, his playing time was limited, but the Tigers reached the World Series. In the seven-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, the 38-year-old Averill went 0-for-3 in three pinch-hit attempts. The Reds won the series 4 games to 3. In 1941, Averill struggled with the Boston Braves, batting just .118 (2-for-17) in 8 games and was released on April 29. He wound down his pro career by returning to the Pacific Coast League and playing for the Seattle Rainiers. In a 13-year career, Averill

In Their Own Story

The middle of the 1939 season brought a definitive turning point when Averill was traded to the Detroit Tigers on June 14. Although his playing time diminished in Detroit, he reached the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds at age 38. In that seven-game series, he went 0-for-3 in three pinch-hit attempts as the Reds won 4 games to 3. His final major league stop was brief; in 1941 with the Boston Braves, he batted just .118 (2-for-17) in eight games before being released on April 29. He returned to the Pacific Coast League to play for the Seattle Rainiers, closing out a career that spanned 13 years and 1,669 games.

Reader's Guide

Averill detested the Hall of Fame's selection process. At his 1975 induction, he advocated for Ernie Lombardi and Joe Sewell to be added to the Hall. After the ceremony, Averill also issued a statement, "My disagreements with how the Hall of Fame elections are held, and who is elected, is not based on bitterness that I had to wait 34 years after retirement to receive this honor. But it is based on the fact that statistics alone are not enough to gain a player admittance...Had I been elected after my death, I had made arrangements that my name never be placed in the Hall of Fame." He made news of a different sort, according to Baseball Digest, in the early 1960s when he was boarding an airplane to fly to a site for an old-timers' game, insisting on bringing his own bat in a gun case. He died in Washington in 1983 at 81 years old. His son, Earl D. Averill, also played in the majors from 1956 through 1963. He was mainly a catcher but also played left field and a few games at infield.

Did You Know?

• Averill was the first major league player to hit four home runs in a doubleheader, doing so on September 17, 1930.
• He was one of the first players to hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat, on opening day April 16, 1929.
• Averill's nickname was "the Earl of Snohomish".
• He hit the line drive that broke Dizzy Dean's toe in the 1937 All-Star Game.