William Franklin "Birdie" Cree (October 23,1882 –November 8,1942) was a Major League Baseball outfielder. He spent his entire 8-year career (1908-1915) with the New York Highlanders,which became the New York Yankees.
Born in Khedive,Pennsylvania,Cree was a small man at 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) and 150 pounds. He threw and batted right-handed,and he also attended Penn State University.
Prior to the major leagues,Cree played in the High Hat League,then went to play ball in Burlington,Vermont and Williamsport,Pennsylvania.
Cree made his major league debut on September 17,1908 at the age of 25. He was a solid outfielder until 1911,when he had an extraordinary season. He had or tied career highs in every major category,with the highlights being 22 triples (which tied him for 32nd all-time in a season and the most in a season for a right-hander in the American League),48 stolen bases and a .348 batting average. He was third in the league in stolen bases and because of his great performance,he was tied with Hall of Famer Tris Speaker for 6th highest in the voting for Most Valuable Player,and was the only non-Hall of Fame player in the top six in the voting. He also hit his only career grand slam in 1911.
Cree was on pace for a similar season in 1912,but it was cut short by a wrist injury from a Buck O'Brien pitch,and he played in only 50 games. He hit .332 during that time. On April 22,1910 Cree was hit in the head by a pitch thrown by Walter Johnson.
Cree never again lived up to his 1911 season,playing over 100 games only once in the remaining four years of his career. Rejecting baseball disdainfully,he ended his career early on September 21,1915 with a .292 career batting average,132 stolen bases and 62 triples. In the field,Cree had a career .962 fielding percentage. Cree retired from baseball because,"I had no intention of going to the bush leagues". After baseball,he entered the world of banking. Jack Warhop and Ed Sweeney had been teammates of Cree for eight seasons,longer than any other teammates.
On November 8,1942 at the age of 60,Cree died in Sunbury,Pennsylvania,after fighting a long illness. He was laid to rest in Pomfret Manor Cemetery in Sunbury,PA. At the time of his death,he was a cashier at the First National Bank of Sunbury.
On July 6,1914,the Yankees sent Bill Holden and cash to Baltimore of the International League for Cree. [1]
John Franklin "Home Run" Baker,also called Frank Baker,was an American professional baseball player. A third baseman,Baker played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1922 for the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Yankees. Although he never hit more than 12 home runs in a season and hit only 96 in his major league career,Baker has been called the "original home run king of the majors".
Brady Kevin Anderson is an American former baseball outfielder and executive who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2002) for the Boston Red Sox,Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians. He spent the majority of his career as a center fielder and leadoff hitter for the Orioles in the 1990s,where he was a three-time All Star,and,in 1996,became the 15th player in major league history to hit 50 home runs in one season. Anderson bats and throws left-handed,stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall,and weighs 199 pounds (90 kg).
Elmer Harrison Flick was an American professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1898 to 1910 for the Philadelphia Phillies,Philadelphia Athletics,and Cleveland Bronchos/Naps. In 1,483 career games,Flick recorded a .313 batting average while accumulating 164 triples,1,752 hits,330 stolen bases,and 756 runs batted in (RBIs). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963.
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Steven Allen Finley is an American former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for eight teams between 1989 and 2007,most notably the Houston Astros,San Diego Padres,and Arizona Diamondbacks;he is one of only two players,along with Matt Herges,to play for all five National League West teams. An outstanding all-around player with power,speed,and defensive skill,he is one of only four players since 1945 with 300 home runs and 100 triples,along with Stan Musial,Willie Mays,and George Brett. He is also one of three players,along with Mays and Ken Griffey Jr.,to have 2,500 hits and win five Gold Glove Awards in center field.
Matthew Lawton,Jr. is an American former professional baseball player whose career spanned 15 seasons,including 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Lawton,an outfielder,made his major league debut September 5,1995,with the Minnesota Twins,who signed him four years prior. He also played in the majors with the New York Mets (2001),the Cleveland Indians (2002–04),the Pittsburgh Pirates (2005),the Chicago Cubs (2005),the New York Yankees (2005),and the Seattle Mariners (2006). Over his major league career,Lawton compiled a .267 batting average with 1,273 hits,267 doubles,17 triples,138 home runs,631 runs batted in (RBIs),165 stolen bases,and 681 walks in 1,334 games played.
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Antoan Edward Richardson is a Bahamian-American professional baseball coach currently serving as the first base coach for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees. Before his professional career,he played college baseball at Palm Beach Community College and Vanderbilt University. Richardson served as the first base coach for the San Francisco Giants from 2020 to 2023 and served as the bench coach for the 2023 Great Britain national baseball team.