| Norm Cash | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Baseman | ||
| Born: November 10, 1934 | ||
| Died: October 12, 1986 (aged 51) | ||
| Batted: Left | Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | ||
| June 18, 1958 for the Chicago White Sox |
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| Final game | ||
| August 6, 1974 for the Detroit Tigers |
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| Career statistics | ||
| AVG | . First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Events 618 - Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 271 | |
| HR | 377 | |
| Hits | 1820 | |
| Teams | ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
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Norman Dalton Cash (November 10, 1934 - October 12, 1986) was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who spent almost his entire career with the Detroit Tigers. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA An outstanding power hitter, his 377 career home runs were the fourth most by an American League left-handed hitter when he retired, behind Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig; his 373 home runs with the Tigers rank second in franchise history behind his teammate Al Kaline (399). The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams ( August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) also nicknamed The Kid, the Splendid Splinter Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903 – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American Albert William "Al" Kaline, also known as Mr Tiger, (ˈkʰeɪˌlaɪn born December 19, 1934 in Baltimore Maryland) is a former He also led the AL in assists three times and fielding percentage twice; he ranked among the all-time leaders in assists (4th, 1317) and double plays (10th, 1347) upon his retirement, and was fifth in AL history in games at first base (1943). In Baseball, an assist (denoted by A) is a defensive statistic baseball being the rare sport in which the In Baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly This article is about Baseball. For double play Magnetic tape, see Audio tape length and thickness.
Contents |
Early life and career
Cash was born in Justiceburg, Garza County, Texas, and attended San Angelo Junior College, where he played football as well as baseball; he was drafted by the Chicago Bears as a running back, but declined to play pro football. Justiceburg is an unincorporated community in Garza County, Texas, United States. Garza County is a County located in the US state of Texas southeast of Lubbock. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. San Angelo is a city in and the County seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. After signing with the Chicago White Sox in 1955, he spent 1957 in the military and made his debut with the team in 1958, seeing limited play as an outfielder and pinch hitter. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves (4-3 Bob Turley, MVP He appeared in 58 games for the 1959 pennant-winners, but the midseason acquisition of Ted Kluszewski left him on the bench, and he was hitless in four pinch-hitting appearances in the World Series. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox (4-2 Larry Sherry, MVP Theodore Bernard (Big Klu Kluszewski (born September 10, &mdash died March 29,) was a Major League First baseman from to. The 1959 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers beating the American League champion Chicago White Sox, In December of that year he was traded to the Cleveland Indians in an eight-player deal that brought Minnie Miñoso back to Chicago, but the Indians Indians general manager Frank Lane traded Cash to Detroit for Steve Demeter, who would play only four more games; both Chicago and Cleveland were haunted by Cash for the next 15 years, as he won a batting title and a World Series ring in a Detroit uniform. The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Saturnino Orestes Armas Miñoso Arrieta, commonly referred to as Minnie Miñoso ( mean-YO-so, commonly pronounced minn-OH-so by media (born November In Major League Baseball, the General Manager or GM of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub For the former footballer see Frankie Lane Frank Lane ( February 1 1896 - March 19 1981) was an Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation.
Detroit Tigers
Cash filled the middle of the Tigers lineup for 15 seasons as part of one of the sport's top offenses.
In 1960, Cash grounded into no double plays, the first American League player to accomplish that since league records on this stat were started in 1940.
He enjoyed his breakout season in 1961, leading the AL with a . Headline Event of the Year Roger Maris hits 61 home runs breaking Babe Ruth 's record 361 average (Kaline finished second) and 193 hits, as well as collecting 41 home runs (6th in the AL), 132 runs batted in (4th), 119 runs scored (4th), 124 walks (2nd) for an . In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches In Baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around first second and third base and returns safely to Home plate, touching A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire 488 on base percentage (1st), and 354 total bases (2nd) for a . In Baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP (sometimes referred to as on-base average ', as the statistic is rarely presented as a true Percentage) In Baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i 662 slugging average (2nd); but his season was overshadowed by the 61 home runs of Roger Maris, and teammate Rocky Colavito finished with more home runs and RBI. In Baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. Roger Eugene Maris ( September 10 1934 &ndash December 14 1985) was an American Right fielder in Major League Baseball Rocco Domenico "Rocky" Colavito Jr (born August 10, 1933 in New York City) is a former Right fielder in Major League Baseball Still, his . 361 average would be the highest by any major league player in the 1960s. The Tigers finished 101-61 for their best regular season record since 1934, and scored the most runs in baseball, though they finished second in the AL, eight games behind the New York Yankees; Cash was 4th in the MVP voting. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. Many observers have attributed some of the gaudy hitting statistics of 1961 to the league expansion that year, which resulted in a dilution of pitching talent. See also Relocation of professional sports teams An expansion team is a term used for a brand new team in a sports league In addition, Cash later admitted to using an illegal corked bat during the 1961 season, demonstrating how he had drilled a hole in his bats and filled it with a mixture of sawdust, cork and glue. In Baseball, a corked bat is a specially modified Baseball bat that has been filled with cork or similar light less dense substances to make the bat lighter His 1961 statistics turned out to be career highs which he rarely approached again – in later years, he never reached 100 runs or 100 RBI, and never batted above . 283. His 118-point drop to a . 243 average in 1962 was the largest ever by a batting champion. The 1962 season is perhaps most notable for the dismal 40-120 record of the New York Mets, which has been a continuing source of humor among baseball fans as well as comedians such as
Cash later said of the 1961 season: "It was a freak. Even at the time, I realized that. Everything I hit seemed to drop in, even when I didn't make good contact. I never thought I'd do it again. "
Pitcher Mickey Lolich once asked Cash why he never hit for a high average after that season. Michael Stephen Lolich (born September 12, 1940 in Portland Oregon) is a former Major League Baseball Pitcher from 1962 "He told me, `Jim Campbell pays me to hit home runs,'" said Lolich, referring to the team's general manager in those years. Jim Campbell (born April 3, 1973 in Worcester, Massachusetts) is an American Ice hockey player "Norm then said, `I can get hits if I want to, just watch tomorrow. ' The next day he went 3-for-4. "
On June 11, 1961, Cash becomes 1st Detroit Tiger to hit a ball out of Tiger Stadium. Cash hit the ball over Tiger Stadium's right field roof four times in his career.
On June 27, 1963, he played an entire game at 1B without a chance, as the Minnesota Twins won 106.
Even on his own team, Cash was overshadowed by his future Hall-of-Fame roommate Kaline. But although his batting average fell off sharply after 1961, Cash hit 30 or more homers four more times, and at least 20 in ten of the next eleven seasons; he also finished second in the league in home runs three times (1962 Killebrew, 1965 T. Conigliaro, and 1971 Bill Melton), with the Tigers finishing among the AL's top three scoring teams every year from 1961 through 1968.
Cash was also considered one of the better defensive first baseman of the 1960s, leading the league in putouts (1961), fielding percentage (1964, 1967) and assists (1965-67). In Baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by PO or fly ball when appropriate is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the
In the 1968 World Series, Cash hit . The 1968 World Series featured the defending champion St Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Tigers winning in 7 games for their first championship 385 (10-26) with one home run. With 2 out in the 7th inning of Game 7, Cash singled to start a 3-run rally that broke a scoreless tie and propelled the team to its first title since 1945. He later hit a home run to give Detroit a 1-0 lead in Game 1 of the 1972 American League Championship Series, though the Tigers went on to lose both the game and the series. The American League Championship Series took place between October 7 and October 12 of.
He was released by the Tigers in August 1974 after hitting . Champions Major League Baseball 1974 World Series: Oakland Athletics over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-1 Rollie Fingers 228 in 53 games.
Career statistics
Cash was a career . 271 hitter with 377 home runs, 1103 RBI, 1046 runs, 1820 hits, 241 doubles, 41 triples, 43 stolen bases, a . In Baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching Second base without being called out by the Umpire In Baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching Third base after hitting the ball with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay (see In Baseball, a stolen base occurs when a Baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the Pitcher is delivering the ball to Home plate 374 on base percentage, and a . 488 slugging average in 2089 games. He holds Tigers career defensive records at first base in games (1912), putouts (14,926), assists (1303), and double plays (1328), having broken the marks set by Hank Greenberg and Rudy York. Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg ( January 1, 1911, New York New York – September 4, 1986) nicknamed "Hammerin' Preston Rudolph York ( August 17, 1913 - February 5, 1970) was a Major League Baseball First baseman who played for the
Cash summed up his success as follows: "I owe my success to expansion pitching, a short right-field fence, and my hollow bats. "
Relationship with Fans and Players
Apart from his batting accomplishments, Cash was a favorite with his teammates, the media, and Tiger fans. He was known for his hard-living and his sense of humor.
On July 15, 1973, as Nolan Ryan was working on his second career no-hitter, Cash went to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth (after striking out his previous three at bats), holding a table leg from the clubhouse instead of a regulation bat. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Oakland Athletics over New York Mets (4-3 Reggie Jackson, Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr (born January 31, 1947 in Refugio, Texas) is a retired American Right-handed Pitcher in The stunt drew immediate action by the umpire, who ordered Cash to use a legal bat, but the fans loved it. Cash popped out using a regulation bat to end the game. [1] Ernie Harwell, the Tigers' announcer, had called it a piano leg in his broadcast, leading to the more popular version of the prank. William Earnest "Ernie" Harwell (born January 25, 1918 in Washington Georgia) is a former American Sportscaster, known
Teammate Jim Northrup told the story as follows: "In his last at-bat, Norm walked up to the plate with a table leg from the locker room. The plate umpire, Ron Luciano, says, `You can't use that up here. Ronald Michael Luciano ( ' Cash says, `Why not, I won't hit him anyway. ' He then gets a bat, strikes out on three pitches, and walking away he says to Luciano, `See, I told ya. '" Article on Cash from Baseball Digest, Sept. 2001
"When you mention Norm Cash, I just smile," said Al Kaline, who had a locker adjacent to Cash's for years. Albert William "Al" Kaline, also known as Mr Tiger, (ˈkʰeɪˌlaɪn born December 19, 1934 in Baltimore Maryland) is a former "He was just a fun guy to be around and a great teammate. He always came ready to play. " [2]
In another famous episode, Cash was trapped between first and second base about to be tagged out. He stopped in his tracks and formed a "T" with his hands to call time-out. There was also a time when Cash missed a foul ball in the stands, turned a little boy's cap around, stuck his hand into the young fan's popcorn box and said, "Thanks, kid," as the boy looked up in bewilderment.
One trick Cash frequently tried -- but never got away with -- occurred when play resumed after a rain delay, Northrup recalled. "If Norman was on second before the rain delay, he would go to third," Northrup said. "If he was on first, he would go to second. " Laughing, Northrup said: "Norm had more fun than anybody. "
Cash was also noted for never wearing a batting helmet during his playing career, being one of the few players who was permitted not to do so after helmets were mandated in 1971. Champions Major League Baseball World Series MVP Roberto Clemente All-Star Game, July 13 at
Later life
After retiring from baseball, Cash signed with the Detroit Caesars, a professional softball team and played two seasons (1977-1978). The Detroit Caesars were a professional softball team that began play in the American Professional Slow Pitch Softball League (APSPL in 1977 the first of three Professional softball leagues The Caesars played in the American Professional Slow Pitch Softball League (APSPL), winning leagues titles in both seasons with Norm. The team was owned by Mike Ilitch who would later become the owner of the Detroit Tigers. Michael "Mike" Ilitch, born Michael Iliev or Ilievski on July 20 1929 in Detroit Michigan is an The Caesars had extensive talent from the amateur softball leagues, and both Cash and fellow former-Tiger Jim Northrup played part-time roles.
Cash was a broadcaster for ABC's baseball broadcasts in 1976, and also was an announcer for Tigers cable broadcasts from 1981 to 1983. Major League Baseball on ABC is the De facto title of a program that televises Major League Baseball games on the American Broadcasting Company Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees (4-0 Johnny Bench, MVP Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar)
In October 1986, Cash drowned in a fatal accident off Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan when he slipped while aboard a boat, fell, and struck his head. Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. His body was discovered about 11 a. m. in 15 feet of water off Beaver Island. He is buried in Pine Lake Cemetery, West Bloomfield, Michigan. West Bloomfield Township is a Charter township and suburb of Detroit in Oakland County in the U
On April 23, 2005, the high school and Little League baseball field in Post, Texas was dedicated to Cash. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at 2005 Major League Baseball season Headline events of the year Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the World Series Little League Baseball is the name of a Non-profit organization in the United States which organizes local children's leagues of baseball and Softball Post is a city in Garza County, Texas, United States. The population was 3708 at the 2000 Census. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. [3]
See also
- 1961 Detroit Tigers season
- 1968 Detroit Tigers season
- Top 500 home run hitters of all time
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- Chicago White Sox all-time roster
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
- BaseballLibrary - biography and career highlights
- Article on Cash from Baseball Digest, Sept. 2001
- New York Times Obituary
| Preceded by Pete Runnels |
American League Batting Champion 1961 |
Succeeded by Pete Runnels |
| Preceded by none |
AL Comeback Player of the Year 1965 |
Succeeded by Boog Powell |
| Preceded by Clyde Wright |
AL Comeback Player of the Year 1971 |
Succeeded by Luis Tiant |
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