100 Greatest Red Sox >> #79 Doc Cramer

Doc Cramer, CF, #8 (1936-1940)

722 G, 940 H, 1 HR, 270 RBI, 22 SB, .302 AVG, .342 OBP, .378 SLG

Roger Maxwell “Doc” Cramer (July 22, 1905 – September 9, 1990) was an American center fielder and left-handed batter in who played for four American League teams from 1929 – 1948. A mainstay at the top of his team’s lineup for many years, he led the AL in at bats a record seven times and in singles five times. He batted over .300 several times, primarily with the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox, and retired among the league’s career leaders in hits (10th, 2705), games played (10th, 2239) and at bats (5th, 9140). One of the few major leaguers to play regularly in center field at age 40, he also ended his career among the major leagues’ all-time leaders in games in center field (3rd, 2031) and outfield putouts (4th, 5412), and ranked seventh in AL history in total games in the outfield (2142).

Born in Beach Haven, New Jersey, Cramer was an elegant center fielder with a little speed and a powerful arm. He was nicknamed “Flit,” which was the name of a popular insecticide, by sportswriter Jimmy Isaminger for his great ability to judge fly balls; in other words, he was “death to flies.” Indeed, he led AL outfielders in putouts in 1936 and 1938. Cramer gained medical knowledge before playing pro ball by observing a local doctor, and was therefore dubbed “Doc.”

Cramer was a semi-pro pitcher when discovered by Cy Perkins and signed by the Athletics. Sent to Martinsburg of the Blue Ridge League in 1929, he was locked in a close race with Joe Vosmik for the league batting title. On the final day of the season, he pitched against Vosmik’s team and walked his rival four times. Cramer’s .404 won the title.

He began his major league career with the Athletics’ powerful championship teams of 1929–1931, breaking in gradually, though in the postseason he only made two pinch-hitting appearances in the 1931 World Series. After hitting .336 in 92 games in 1932, his place on the team was secure. On June 20, 1932, he tied a major league record by going 6-for-6 in a nine-inning game (and later became the only AL player to do it twice (on July 13, 1935)). He scored 100 runs in a season for the first time in 1933. He also hit for the cycle on June 10, 1934. In 1934, Cramer set a team record among left-handed hitters with 202 hits, and topped it in 1935 with 214 – still the Athletics franchise record for a left-handed batter; he finished eighth in the 1935 MVP voting. But the fortunes of the A’s declined just as Cramer was becoming a solid, everyday player, leading to the star players on the financially struggling team being sent to other teams. Al Simmons and Jimmy Dykes were sold to the Chicago White Sox on the same day in September 1932, and Lefty Grove and Mickey Cochrane were traded away after the 1933 season. Jimmie Foxx was traded to the Red Sox in December 1935, and Cramer joined him a month later.

Cramer was a spray leadoff hitter who mostly slapped singles and sometimes stretched singles into doubles — although he was a non-factor as a base stealer. He batted over .300 every year from 1937 – 1940 with Boston, scoring 100 runs in 1938 and 1939, and tied for the league lead in hits (200) in 1940. He was traded to the Washington Senators on December 12 of that year, and was sent to the Detroit Tigers exactly one year later after hitting .273. He was selected for the All-Star game five times (1935, 1937-40).

Two years after hitting over .300 for the last time with the 1943 Tigers, in 1945 Cramer played 140 games in center field at age 40 (albeit during World War II, when many regular players were in military service), and finally enjoyed significant play in the Fall Classic. In the 1945 World Series he led the team with a .379 batting average, scoring seven runs and batting in four, to help his team to win the Series 4-3 against the Chicago Cubs. He had two runs and an RBI in Game 5, and again in Game 7. Sent up six times for Birdie Tebbetts, Cramer came through four times, and when the Tigers traded Tebbetts to Boston in 1947, Cramer complained, “It’s like tearing up my meal ticket. A game is not official until the announcement goes out ‘Cramer for Tebbetts’.” In his final seasons he was often used as a pinch-hitter — he led the league with nine pinch hits in 1947 before ending his career with four games in 1948.

In his 20-season career, Cramer batted .296 with 2,705 hits, 1,357 runs, 37 home runs, 842 RBI, 396 doubles, 109 triples, 62 stolen bases, and a .340 on base percentage in 2,239 games. By team, he batted .308 for the Athletics, .302 for the Red Sox, .282 for the Tigers, and .273 for the Senators. Cramer rarely struck out, leading the AL four times in at bats-per-strike louts, and finishing in the top four five other seasons. His 2,031 games in center field placed him behind only Tris Speaker (2,690) and Ty Cobb (2,194) in major league history. His 2,705 hits are the most of any player retired before 1975 who has not been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

As a White Sox batting coach from 1951 to 1953, Cramer tutored the young second baseman Nellie Fox; frequently, Fox credited Cramer with making him a major league hitter.

Cramer died in Manahawkin, New Jersey at 85 years of age. There is a street there named in his honor (Doc Cramer Blvd.), as well as a youth baseball tournament, the Doc Cramer Invitational Baseball Tournament, held in Manahawkin every July.

The argument for electing Cramer to the Hall of Fame is debatable. His lifetime batting average of .296 is only a bit better than the .283 overall average of all the players against whom he competed in a high-average era. For example, Cramer’s 1936 season batting average of .292, consisting of 188 hits in 643 at bats, was actually below the overall American League average of .306 for that year. Cramer also did not draw many walks, so his lifetime on base percentage of .340 ends up being lower than the .357 overall percentage in the AL during his career. His lack of walks and his relative weakness on the basepaths (62 stolen bases in his entire career, against 73 times caught stealing) are drawbacks for a batter who hit at the top of the order. Given that Cramer was also not a power hitter (37 home runs, less than two per year), he was probably below average as an offensive force; that is true for almost every one of Cramer’s seasons as well as for his career in aggregate. (It should be noted that Fenway Park and Griffith Stadium, where he played the middle third of his career, were difficult home run parks for any left-handed hitter.) Cramer ranks as slightly better than average for 1932 and 1935 but not any other season; in most of his “peak” seasons, he was at best a dead-on average player offensively.

For these reasons, renowned baseball historian and statistician Bill James has stated that Cramer was easily the least outstanding outfielder in major league history among players who appeared in 2000 or more games (although only approximately 75–80 players who were primarily outfielders were good enough to have such long careers). James ranked Cramer as only the 91st best center fielder of all time.

Cramer’s fielding statistics support the anecdotal evidence and common belief that he was a fine glove man. His lifetime fielding percentage and range factor well exceed league averages for his time.

Player Biography by Karen

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #82 Rick Ferrell

Rick Ferrell, C, #2 (1933-1937)

522 G, 521 H, 16 HR, 240 RBI, 7 SB, .302 AVG, .387 OBP, .410 SLG

A North Carolina farm boy and one of seven brothers, Rick Ferrell saved pennies to buy his first catcher’s mitt for $1.50. Rick Ferrell was born in Durham and he attended Guilford College. Over 60 years later, the Veterans Committee elected him to the Hall of Fame. Although he played chiefly with second-division teams, Ferrell is always included among the greatest catchers of his age.

Blessed with a strong, durable physique and a placid yet determined personality, for 18 seasons Ferrell was a fine all-around receiver. In two stints each with the Browns and Senators, with three-plus years in Boston sandwiched between, he ultimately established the AL record with 1,805 games behind the plate.

At the plate, Ferrell had a fine eye and was remarkably selective. He coaxed 931 walks while fanning only 277 times, and achieved an impressive .433 career on-base percentage. Nineteen percent of his hits were doubles.

On April 19, 1929, Ferrell played his first major league game with the Browns, posting a .290 batting average in four seasons. After batting .300 in 1931, Ferrell had a very good year in 1932. Demonstrating that catchers could hit and excel defensively, batting from the #7 spot in the St. Louis order, Ferrell hit .315 with 30 doubles and 65 runs batted in, while leading AL catchers with 78 assists. While at St. Louis he caught the eye of Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey, who was trying to rebuild. On May 9, 1933, Ferrell was traded to Boston.

Boston had a .300-hitting catcher in 1901 and 1919. In the years 1933–36, Ferrell broke Red Sox catchers’ records in batting, doubles, HR, and RBI. His .302 average with the Red Sox is 12th on the club’s all-time list. Rick’s brother Wes joined him in Boston in 1934. Though a pitcher, Wes hit more career HR (38) than Rick (28).

According to his brother Wes, “Brother or no brother, … he was a real classy receiver. You never saw him lunge for the ball; he never took a strike away from you. He’d get more strikes for a pitcher than anybody I ever saw, because he made catching look easy.”

In 1933, the Ferrell brothers were members of the inaugural American League All-Star team in the first All-Star Game played, in which Rick caught all nine innings. The same year, and for the first time in baseball history, brothers on opposing teams homered in the same game.

In June 1937, the brothers were packaged in a trade to Washington for Ben Chapman and Bobo Newsom.

Ferrell was back with the Browns in 1941–43. Then, during his second tour with Washington, he met the unprecedented and record-setting challenge of handling four knuckleball pitchers in the starting rotation. In 1945, the Senators just missed the pennant, and their knuckle quartet amassed 60 wins.

At the age of 41, Ferrell batted .303 in his last season. He had a fine eye and was remarkably selective, receiving 931 walks while fanning only 277 times. Ferrell compiled a .281 batting average, 28 home runs and 734 runs batted in, with 687 runs scored, 324 doubles, 45 triples and 29 stolen bases. In 1,884 games played, he achieved an impressive .378 career on base percentage, being selected an All-Star eight times (1933-38, 1944–1945). He caught 1,806 games, an American League record that stood until Carlton Fisk surpassed it in 1988.

After his playing days, Ferrell served as a Senators coach for four seasons. He followed with many years in the Tiger organization, as a coach, scout, GM, and, at over 80, executive consultant. In 1987 manager Sparky Anderson commented, “I hope I’m like Rick when I am his age!”

Connie Mack’s respect for him was so great that Ferrell caught all nine innings of the first All-Star game in 1933. Selected by the Veterans Committee, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.

Player biography by Karen

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #85 Jim Tabor

Jim Tabor, 3B, #5 (1938-1944)

806 g, 90 hr, 517 rbi, 64 sb/54 cs, .273 avg, .323 obp, .431 slg

It’s time for Jose Melendez’s KEYS TO THE TOP 100 RED SOX.

Jim Tabor
Rollin', rollin', rollin'
His throws he’s not controllin’
40 error years need consolin’
’Rawhide!

His hitting was much better
Though he din’ flash much leather
Sailing his throws so high and wide
His lifetime OP eh-hess,
It ain’t that great ya gu--hess,
740 don’t give him much pride

Men are on, Batter up
Batter up, men are on
Men are on, Batter up
Rawhide

Throw em out, drive em in
Drive em in, throw em out
Throw em out, drive em in
Rawhide!

Keep movin', movin', movin'
His swing it was improving
In ’41 he’s grooving
Rawhide!

Played well through ’44
‘Til the army wanted him more
That ended his good Boston ride.
He was sold to Philly .
His play was willy-nilly
At thirty six years old well, he died.

Men are on, Batter up
Batter up, men are on
Men are on, Batter up
Rawhide
Throw em out, drive em in
Drive em in, throw em out
Throw em out, drive em in
Rawhide!

Rawhide!

As you may have guessed by now, Jose loves the Blues Brothers. Also, Jim Tabor, who played third for the Sox from 1938-1944 was nicknamed "Rawhide." But what do we really know about the man from New Hope, Alabama, a little southern town named for the as yet to be produced fourth chapter of the Star Wars saga? While he debuted in 1938, he didn’t really make his mark as a true rookie until 1939, when his 14 home run 95 RBI debut season was cast into shadow by the far brighter light of fellow rookie Ted Williams. His career was respectable but by no means brilliant. For instance, his top comparable according to Baseball Reference is Aaron Boone, who, as we all know, has yet to do anything of note in his career.

Still, there are a few quirks that make Tabor more noteworthy than the typical .270 career hitter. First, he is one of the small fraternity of players to hit grand slams in consecutive innings, a feat he accomplished on July 4, 1939. Second, he is one of very few major league baseball players whose last name is actually an acronym. TABOR, of course, stands for the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, a controversial Colorado constitutional amendment that has, since 1992, greatly restricted the state’s ability to raise revenue. Among the other Major Leaguers who have an acronym for a last name is Melvin Mora, named for the Michigan Off-road Racing Association. Mora, curiously, is Baseball Reference’s third best comparable for Tabor.

Player biography written by Jose Melendez of Keys to the Game

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #95: Roy Johnson

Roy Johnson, OF, #4 (1932-1935)

515 G, 611 H, 31 HR, 327 RBI, .313 AVG, .384 OBP, .458 SLG, 48 SB

Roy Johnson traversed a difficult path en route to Boston, where his bat and leadership helped the Red Sox escape an abysmal stretch of losing.

During an era when any minority was often made to feel as an inferior foreigner, the Oklahoma-born Johnson overcame the bigotry associated with his one-quarter Cherokee Indian background to excel in a sport that featured less than 30 known American Indian or part-Indian ballplayers in the pre-World War II era.

Despite his ethnic background, Johnson shared a common path with most players of his era, who were discovered in the various industrial and minor leagues throughout the country.

Johnson rose to his baseball prominence in the Pacific Coast League with the San Francisco Seals, and Detroit reportedly paid him a $50,000 bonus after he hit .375 in 1928.

The left-handed hitting Johnson paid immediate dividends for the Tigers in 1929, leading the league in at-bats (640) and doubles (45) in a rookie season where he amassed 201 hits.

Johnson was an outfielder blessed with a strong, but often inaccurate, arm. Although he twice led the league in assists, Johnson set the still-standing AL record for errors by an outfielder with 31 in his first Major League season. Over his 10-year career, he had 128 assists, but 156 errors.

“Not only was Roy a fine hitter, but he had a rifle arm. At times you didn't know where the ball was going but it was going to get there fast,” former Seals teammate Earl Averill told the Tacoma News Tribune upon Johnson’s death in 1973.

It was a combination of erratic defense and a decline in offense that made Johnson expendable. After getting off to the slowest start of his career in 1932, hitting just .251 in 49 games, the Tigers on June 13 packaged Johnson with Dale Alexander in exchange for Earl Webb

Alexander proved to be a wonderful short-term gain for Boston, winning the league batting crown with a .367 average in what turned out to be his final full season in the big leagues due to injuries.

But it was Roy Johnson’s steady offensive production over the next four years that would eventually help the Red Sox part ways with an unprecedented stretch of losing.

When Johnson arrived in Boston the Red Sox were amidst their worst season in franchise history, as the 1932 team finished 43-111 (and 64 games back of the Yankees).

In 1933, the Red Sox improved to 63-86 when Johnson led the team in batting average, home runs and RBI’s (and errors with 25).

In 1934 Johnson had the best year of career, and his .320 average and team-high 119 RBI’s helped the Red Sox (76-76) end 15 consecutive years of losing seasons.

The 1935 team finally broke the .500 barrier, as Johnson’s team-leading .315 average and career-best .398 OBP paced a Red Sox team that finished 78-75.

After helping the Red Sox franchise regain solid footing in the American League, Boston traded Johnson to Washington on December 17, 1935 for future Hall-of-Famer Heinie Manush. But Johnson never played for the Senators, who sent him to the Yankees one month later.

In an ironic twist of fate that has played out too many times before and since, Johnson is among the crop of former Red Sox players who went on to win a championship wearing pinstripes, Johnson’s coming in his only full season with the Yankees in 1936.

A more positive footnote to the Johnson chapter in Boston occurred in 1944 when his younger brother, Bob Johnson (nicknamed “Indian Bob”), joined the Red Sox for the final two seasons of his 13-year career.

In 1944, Bob hit .324 for Boston, made his seventh All Star team, and became one of only 18 Red Sox in team history to hit for the cycle.

But Bob mostly made his mark in Philadelphia with the A’s. Roy Johnson, on the other hand, was a .313 career hitter in Boston, where his best years took place, and he helped the Red Sox escape their worst years, no small feat for a team that had become accustomed to losing.

Player biography written by Red Sox Connection.