George Watkins (baseball)
George Archibald Watkins (June 4, 1900 โ June 1, 1970) was a Major League Baseball player, born in Freestone County, Texas[1] who owns the National League record for the highest batting average in his rookie season, batting .373 in his rookie year of 1930,[2] with the St. Louis Cardinals.
| George Watkins | |
|---|---|
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| Outfielder | |
| Born: June 4, 1900 Freestone County, Texas, U.S. | |
| Died: June 1, 1970 (aged 69) Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 1930, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 27, 1936, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .288 |
| Home runs | 73 |
| Runs batted in | 420 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Watkins went on to play until the 1936 season with the New York Giants (1934), the Philadelphia Phillies (1935-1936), and Brooklyn Dodgers (1936), never again posting a batting average over .312.[3] On June 24, 1931, he hit three home runs in one game.
In 894 games played, Watkins compiled a .288 batting average (925-3207) with 490 runs scored, 73 home runs, 420 RBI, a .347 on-base percentage and a .443 slugging percentage in seven major league seasons. He posted a career .956 fielding percentage. In nine World Series games, he batted .231 (6-26), scoring six runs, with two home runs and three RBI.
References
- "George Watkins Player page". Sports Illustrated. 2006-09-15. Retrieved 2007-01-04.
- "Batting Average Records". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved 2007-01-04.
- "George Watkins Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2007-01-04.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- George Watkins - Baseballbiography.com
- George Watkins at Find a Grave
