Ernest Gordon Phelps (April 19, 1908 – December 10, 1992) born in Odenton, Maryland, United States was a

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

for the Washington Senators (1931),

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

(1933–34),

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...

(1935–41) and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

(1942). His .367 batting average in 1936 remains the highest for any catcher in the modern era (1901–present). He began his professional career with the Hagerstown Hubs of the Blue Ridge League in 1930. He set several all-time seasonal marks for the Blue Ridge League that year: at bats (466), hits (175), extra base hits (62) and total bases (300). He appeared briefly (3 games) at the major league level for the Washington Senators in 1931, but he did not stay permanently until he began playing with the Chicago Cubs in 1933. He played 726 major league games in 11 seasons, batting .310 (657-for-2117) including 19 triples and 54 home runs, 345 RBI, a .362 on-base percentage, and a .472 slugging percentage. Phelps was named to the National League All-Star Team from 1938 to 1940, and helped the Dodgers win the 1941 National League pennant. He died in his hometown at the age of 84.

Sources

, 2007. Format: Hardback, 767 pp. {{DEFAULTSORT:Phelps, Babe 1908 births 1992 deaths Major League Baseball catchers Washington Senators (1901–1960) players 20th-century American sportsmen Chicago Cubs players Brooklyn Dodgers players Pittsburgh Pirates players National League All-Stars People from Odenton, Maryland Baseball players from Anne Arundel County, Maryland Hagerstown Hubs players Chattanooga Lookouts players Parkersburg Parkers players Youngstown Tubers players Youngstown Buckeyes players Albany Senators players

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Further reading