Max Alvis | |
---|---|
![]() Alvis with the Cleveland Indians in 1962 | |
Third baseman | |
Born: Jasper, Texas, U.S. | February 2, 1938|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 11, 1962, for the Cleveland Indians | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 27, 1970, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .247 |
Home runs | 111 |
Runs batted in | 373 |
Stats at Baseball Reference | |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
Roy Maxwell Alvis (born February 2,1938) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1962 through 1970,most notably for the Cleveland Indians (now the Cleveland Guardians) where he became a two-time All-Star. He played his final season with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Alvis was born on February 2,1938,in Jasper,Texas,and graduated from Jasper High School (Jasper,Texas). He attended the University of Texas at Austin,where he played both football (under coaching legend Darrell Royal) and baseball,leading the Southwest Conference in batting average. [1] [2]
Alvis was signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent in 1958. [3] He played in Cleveland's minor league system from 1959 to 1962. In 1960,he had a .343 batting average for the Minot Mallards of the Class-C Northern League. In 1962,playing for the Triple-A Salt Lake City Bees of the Pacific Coast League,Alvis hit .319,with 25 home runs,113 runs scored,91 runs batted in (RBI),35 doubles,11 triples and a .921 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). [4]
On the downside,Alvis was error prone as a fielder. As a third basemen,he had 44 errors in 115 games in 1959,and 42 in 115 games in 1960. He improved somewhat with 24 errors in 115 games in 1961,and 39 in 150 games in 1962. He best minor league fielding percentage was .935. [4]
Alvis was called up to Cleveland at the end of the 1962 season,and he played his first major league game on September 11,1962. [5] [6]
Alvis became the everyday third baseman for the Indians in 1963. He enjoyed single-season career-high numbers in batting average (.274),RBI (67),runs (81),hits (165),doubles (32) and triples (7). He added 22 home runs (also a personal high), [7] and appeared to be on his way to stardom. He was 17th in MVP voting. [7] He still had fielding issues,with 28 errors (fourth worst in the major leagues among all third basemen) [8] and a .942 fielding percentage,though he led the league's third basemen with 170 putouts. [7] He also led the league in being hit by pitches (10). [7]
In late June 1964,Alvis was hospitalized with spinal meningitis. He was diagnosed on a flight back from playing in Minnesota. All the players and crew who flew with him from Minnesota before his diagnosis and hospitalization received cautionary treatment to prevent the disease from spreading. [9] His condition improved with treatment within a day,but he was placed on the disabled list and Chico Salmon was called up to replace him. [10] Before Alvis was hospitalized,Cleveland was 13 wins over .500;in his absence,the team's record was 11 wins and 25 losses. [11]
Alvis was out for six weeks. He still hit 18 homers in only 381 at-bats,playing in only 107 games. His batting average fell to .252. [2] [7] However,his fielding percentage improved to .955,the highest it had been to date at any level of professional baseball. [7]
Alvis made a remarkable comeback in 1965,and was an essential part of the team. [11] He scored 88 runs and hit 21 home runs (though his average fell to .247), [7] and was rewarded by being selected for the All-Star game,representing the American League (AL). [12] Playing behind Brooks Robinson,Alvis only had one at bat in the All-Star game. [13] In 1965,his fielding percentage rose again (.958),improving to 19 errors in 156 games (though still third worst in the AL [14] ),and again leading AL third basemen in putouts with 169. [7] He also led the league again in being hit by pitches (9). [7]
Alvis turned in a solid 18 home run performance in 1966 and led the team with 21 in 1967, [15] batting .245 and .256 respectively in those years. [7] He was selected to the All-Star team again in 1967,appearing only as a pinch hitter. [16] He led the league in putouts both years,with 180 and 169 respectively. His batting average fell to .223 as a full-time player in 1968,and he was relegated to spot duty with Cleveland in 1969,appearing in only 66 games. [7] His fielding percentages from 1966-1968 were .958. 965 and .960. [7]
Alvis was traded along with Russ Snyder from the Indians to the Brewers for Roy Foster,Frank Coggins and cash during spring training on April 4,1970. [17] This was the Brewers first year in existence after moving from Seattle. [2] [18] As a backup in Milwaukee,he hit .183 with three homers in 62 games,being released at the end of the season. [7] [3]
Over his nine year career,Alvis hit .247,with 111 home runs,421 runs scored,and 373 RBI. [7]
Alvis never recovered the same physical qualities after suffering from spinal meningitis. His Cleveland teammate Sam McDowell observed that Alvis was the most decent person he met in baseball,and the most disciplined and well-conditioned player on the team;rarely drinking alcohol (unusual for the time). After suffering from spinal meningitis,Alvis never regained his earlier strength,stamina or endurance. [2]
After retiring,Alvis returned to Jasper,Texas,and worked at the First National Bank of Jasper,rising from loan officer to vice-president to president. [2]
He and his wife Frances Mae (Eddy) Alvis were married on August 23,1958,and had two sons,Max,Jr. and David. From 1985 to 1987,David played first base in Cleveland's minor league system. [2] [19] His grandson Sam Alvis pitched in the Miami Marlins minor league system from 2013-2015. [20]
Harold Joseph "Pie" Traynor was an American third baseman,manager,scout and radio broadcaster in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career between 1920 and 1937 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Traynor batted over .300 ten times,posting a career average of .320,and had seven seasons with over 100 runs batted in (RBI). With home runs limited by playing in Forbes Field,the most difficult park for power hitting in the National League (NL),he compensated by reaching double digits in triples eleven times,leading the league in 1923. He batted .346 in the 1925 World Series to help the Pirates take their first championship in 16 years.
William Joseph Bradley was an American third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He recognized as one of the best third basemen in baseball prior to 1950,along with Jimmy Collins and Pie Traynor.
Ronald Belliard is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2010 for the Milwaukee Brewers,Colorado Rockies,Cleveland Indians,St. Louis Cardinals,Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He batted and threw right-handed. Belliard was born in The Bronx,New York.
Richard John Rollins is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. He played with the Minnesota Twins (1961–68),Seattle Pilots / Milwaukee Brewers (1969–1970),and Cleveland Indians (1970). During a 10-year baseball career,Rollins hit .269 with 77 home runs,and 399 runs batted in (RBI).
Mark James Grudzielanek is an American former Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop. Grudzielanek played for six different teams during his 15-season career. He batted and threw right-handed. He was most recently the 2019 manager of the Charlotte Knights,the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
James Barton"Mickey"Vernon was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who played for the Washington Senators,Cleveland Indians,Boston Red Sox (1956–1957),Milwaukee Braves (1959) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1960). He also was the first manager in the history of the expansion edition of the Senators,serving from 1961 through May 21,1963,and was a coach for four MLB teams between 1960 and 1982.
Kenneth Frederick Keltner was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1937 to 1950,most prominently as a member of the Cleveland Indians where he was a seven-time All-Star player and was a member of the 1948 World Series winning team. He played his final season for the Boston Red Sox.
Vada Edward Pinson Jr. was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a center fielder in Major League Baseball for 18 years (1958–1975),most notably for the Cincinnati Reds,for whom he played from 1958 to 1968 as a four-time National League All-Star. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1977. The 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m),170 lb (77 kg) Pinson,who batted and threw left-handed,combined power,speed,and strong defensive ability.
William Edward Kamm was an American professional baseball player. He played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball from 1923 to 1935. Kamm played most of his career for the Chicago White Sox before finishing his playing days with the Cleveland Indians. He was the dominant defensive third baseman in the American League for most of his career.
Donald Ralph Wert,nicknamed "Coyote",was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1971 as a third baseman,most prominently as a member of the Detroit Tigers where he was an All-Star player and was a member of the 1968 World Series winning team.
William B. Phillips,also known as "Silver Bill",was a Canadian professional baseball first baseman from the mid-1870s until the late 1880s. From 1879 to 1888,he played for three major league teams;the Cleveland Blues of the National League (NL) from 1879 to 1884,the Brooklyn Grays of the American Association (AA) from 1885 to 1887,and the Kansas City Cowboys of the AA in 1888. A native of Saint John,New Brunswick,Canada,he has the distinction of being the first Canadian to play in the major leagues.
Max Frederick Bishop was an American professional baseball player,scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a second baseman from 1924 through 1935,most notably as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive American League pennants from 1929 to 1931 and won the World Series in 1929 and 1930. He played his final two seasons for the Boston Red Sox.
Henry Majeski was an American professional baseball player,coach and minor league manager. He played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1955 for the Boston Bees/Braves (1939–41),New York Yankees (1946),Philadelphia Athletics,Chicago White Sox (1950–51),Cleveland Indians (1952–55) and Baltimore Orioles (1955). He was known as one of the best fielding third basemen of his era,setting a major league single-season record for third basemen with a .988 fielding percentage in 1947.
Bruce Campbell was an American professional baseball right fielder from 1930 to 1942. Campbell began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Chicago White Sox,but had very little playing time in the major leagues. In 1932,Campbell was traded from the White Sox to the St. Louis Browns,with Bump Hadley,for Red Kress. In St. Louis,Campbell was a starting outfielder,and performed well,driving in 106 runs in 1933. In the 1935 season,Campbell played with the Cleveland Indians,after being traded for multiple players and cash. In Cleveland,Campbell hit for considerably higher averages than he had in St. Louis,although injuries limited his playing time.
William Nelson Moran was an American professional baseball player. Primarily a second baseman,he played in the Major Leagues from 1958–59 and 1961–65 for the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels. Moran threw and batted right-handed,stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and weighed 185 pounds (84 kg).
Russell Henry Snyder is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the Kansas City Athletics (1959–60),Baltimore Orioles (1961–67),Chicago White Sox (1968),Cleveland Indians (1968–69) and Milwaukee Brewers (1970). Snyder was a member of the 1966 world champion Baltimore Orioles team.
John Augustine Donahue was an American professional baseball first baseman and catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Pittsburgh Pirates,Milwaukee Brewers / St. Louis Browns,Chicago White Sox and Washington Senators between 1900 and 1909. He batted and threw left-handed.
Lorenzo Edward Gremminger,nicknamed "Battleship",was an American baseball infielder.
Carlos Santana is a Dominican-American professional baseball first baseman and catcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Cleveland Indians,Philadelphia Phillies,Kansas City Royals,Seattle Mariners,Pittsburgh Pirates,Milwaukee Brewers,and Minnesota Twins. He plays with the Dominican Republic national team internationally,winning the gold medal in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Santana was both an All-Star selection and Silver Slugger Award winner in 2019 with Cleveland. In 2024,he won a Gold Glove with Minnesota.
Keston Wee Hing Natsuo Hiura is an American professional baseball first baseman and second baseman who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Angels.