Major League Baseball Player. He played seven seasons (1955, 1958 to 1963) as a first baseman for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets. Born in Fisherville, Tennessee, he was signed by the Yankees in 1952, and made his Major League debut with them in September of 1955. Playing in only a single game with them that year, he was returned o the Minor Leagues, where with the American Association Denver Bears he led his league in home runs and runs batted in from 1955 to 1957. He came back up to the Majors in 1958 and became known for his power hitting, but his propensity for striking out and poor fielding became also well-documented during this time. As a result, he sat on the Yankees bench for two seasons before being traded to the Kansas City Athletics in 1960, where he rode the bench, occasionally playing first base or right field. He was traded in June 1961 to the Baltimore Orioles, and in less than a year, he was traded yet again, this time to the New York Mets, with whom be became a starter for the first time. That 1962 Mets team, known in their inaugural season as the "Amazin' Mets", lost 120 games. He retired after the 1963 season, and played in a total of 480 games, batted .237 with 281 hits (including doubles, triples, and home runs), and had 170 RBIs in his career. He was the brother of Maynard Faye Throneberry, who also played several years in the Major Leagues, and is the maternal grandfather of filmmaker Craig Brewer. He died of cancer in Fisherville, Tennessee, at the age of 60.
Major League Baseball Player. He played seven seasons (1955, 1958 to 1963) as a first baseman for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets. Born in Fisherville, Tennessee, he was signed by the Yankees in 1952, and made his Major League debut with them in September of 1955. Playing in only a single game with them that year, he was returned o the Minor Leagues, where with the American Association Denver Bears he led his league in home runs and runs batted in from 1955 to 1957. He came back up to the Majors in 1958 and became known for his power hitting, but his propensity for striking out and poor fielding became also well-documented during this time. As a result, he sat on the Yankees bench for two seasons before being traded to the Kansas City Athletics in 1960, where he rode the bench, occasionally playing first base or right field. He was traded in June 1961 to the Baltimore Orioles, and in less than a year, he was traded yet again, this time to the New York Mets, with whom be became a starter for the first time. That 1962 Mets team, known in their inaugural season as the "Amazin' Mets", lost 120 games. He retired after the 1963 season, and played in a total of 480 games, batted .237 with 281 hits (including doubles, triples, and home runs), and had 170 RBIs in his career. He was the brother of Maynard Faye Throneberry, who also played several years in the Major Leagues, and is the maternal grandfather of filmmaker Craig Brewer. He died of cancer in Fisherville, Tennessee, at the age of 60.
Bio by: Patrick Whitney
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