Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. Played Major League Baseball as an outfielder for 15 seasons (1948 to 1962) with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets. He was a two-time National League batting champ with the Phillies. The ultimate singles hitter, he hit leadoff for 15 years, batting over .300 nine times, winning two batting titles and finishing second three times. A model of consistency, he led the NL in walks four times and averaged 84 runs scored per season. Along with Robin Roberts, Jim Konstanty, Del Ennis, Curt Simmons, and Granny Hammer, he was a member of the 1950 Philadelphia Whiz Kids. He threw out the Dodgers' Cal Abrams at the plate in the final game of the 1950 season to help save the Pennant for the Phils. Nicknamed "Putt Putt" by Ted Williams because of the way he scooted around on the field, he was maybe the most underrated player in the National League during the 1950's. In his last season in the majors, with the original '62 Mets, he batted .306. He was a Phillies broadcaster for over 30 years, becoming a beloved figure with his pipe and Irish hunting cap. He finished with career totals of 2,189 games played, 2,574 hits, 1,322 runs, 29 home runs, 586 RBIs, and a .308 career batting average. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1995. He passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack in his hotel room in New York City at age 70.
Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. Played Major League Baseball as an outfielder for 15 seasons (1948 to 1962) with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets. He was a two-time National League batting champ with the Phillies. The ultimate singles hitter, he hit leadoff for 15 years, batting over .300 nine times, winning two batting titles and finishing second three times. A model of consistency, he led the NL in walks four times and averaged 84 runs scored per season. Along with Robin Roberts, Jim Konstanty, Del Ennis, Curt Simmons, and Granny Hammer, he was a member of the 1950 Philadelphia Whiz Kids. He threw out the Dodgers' Cal Abrams at the plate in the final game of the 1950 season to help save the Pennant for the Phils. Nicknamed "Putt Putt" by Ted Williams because of the way he scooted around on the field, he was maybe the most underrated player in the National League during the 1950's. In his last season in the majors, with the original '62 Mets, he batted .306. He was a Phillies broadcaster for over 30 years, becoming a beloved figure with his pipe and Irish hunting cap. He finished with career totals of 2,189 games played, 2,574 hits, 1,322 runs, 29 home runs, 586 RBIs, and a .308 career batting average. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1995. He passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack in his hotel room in New York City at age 70.
Bio by: Frank Russo
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