Vital Statistics:
Born: June 6, 1907 in Bastrop, La.
Died: Nov. 12, 1993
Teams: New York Yankees (1928-43, 1946)
Inducted into Hall of Fame: 1954
Height: 6-1
Weight: 185
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Primary position: Catcher
Career Highlights:
- A .313 lifetime hitter, he batted better than .300 in 10 of his first 11 seasons.
- Hit .362 in 1936, the highest single-season average for a catcher until Joe Mauer hit .365 in 2009.
- He might have been even better behind the plate as a defensive catcher. He had a fantastic throwing arm and was durable, catching 100 or more games 13 years in a row.
- Made 11 All-Star teams and appeared in eight World Series, winning seven of them. He missed two seasons serving in the Navy during World War II.
- His No. 8 is retired by the Yankees, the same number as Yogi Berra.
After Baseball:
- Became manager of the Yankees in the middle of his final season. Became a coach under Casey Stengel a year later, a post he held for 11 seasons.
- Was a scout for the Yankees before retiring.
