Saturday would have been Ragland native Rudy York's 100th birthday

Alabama native Rudy York

Saturday is the birthday of one of Alabama’s greatest athletes, but due to the passage of time, many sports fans today are probably unfamiliar with his many accomplishments.

This Saturday, Aug. 17, would have been the 100th birthday of professional baseball player Rudy York, who was born in Ragland in St. Clair County on Aug. 17, 1913. York had an interesting baseball career that started when, as a teenager, he began playing against adults as part of the American Textile Co. team in Cartersville, Ga. This was in the 1930s, and he was so good that he got the attention of professional baseball scouts.

York went on to play in the minors for teams in Knoxville, Tenn., Shreveport, La., Fort Worth, Texas and Beaumont, Texas. He played briefly for the Detroit Tigers in 1934, a total of three games, and was even on the team’s World Series roster although he didn’t actually play in any World Series games that year. He got sent back down to the minors after the 1934 Series, and the 1937 season is considered his rookie season.

York, who batted and threw right-handed, had a very decent rookie season, batting .303, hitting 35 home runs and driving in 103 runs. York would stay with the Tigers through the 1945 season, a year in which the Tigers won the World Series. York then played for the Boston Red Sox in 1946 and 1947. He played for the Chicago White Sox in 1947 and played for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1948. He made his final Major League appearance on Sept. 20, 1948 for the A’s.

In his prime, York was one of the most feared hitters in the Big Leagues, and he was the America League home run champion in 1943, hitting a league-high 34 that season. During his career, he hit a total of 12 grand slam home runs, including two grand slams in the same game. He finished his career with a .275 batting average and with 277 home runs and 1,152 RBI. He hit 239 home runs as a Detroit Tiger and is currently No. 7 on that team’s all-time home run list.

In his career, he played as a pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman and third baseman. He was selected for the MLB All-Star game seven times, making the cut in 1938, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946 and 1947. He played in three World Series, hitting .221 with three home runs and 10 RBI.

After his time in the majors, York played some more minor league ball and eventually hung up his spikes in 1952. Afterwards, he worked as a minor league manager and professional scout for a number of years and served as a Red Sox assistant coach for three years. Sadly, York died in Rome, Ga. in 1970 at the relatively young age of 56 from cancer.

In the end, York was arguably one of the greatest baseball players ever produced by the great state of Alabama. In his hey day, he was one of the fiercest competitors in pro baseball, and his memory lives on today in the record books.