Bill McAfee
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William Fort McAfee, Jr. (September 7, 1907 – July 8, 1958) was an American baseball
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
and politician. He played
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
from 1930 to 1934 for the
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 ...
,
Boston Braves The Boston Braves were a Major League Baseball club that originated in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, and played from 1871 to 1952. Afterwards they moved to History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee, Milwaukee (and became the Milwaukee Braves). ...
, Washington Senators, and
St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they ...
. He appeared in 83 major league games, all but seven as a relief pitcher, and compiled a record of 10-4 with an ERA of 5.69. He had his best season in 1932 when he was the starting pitcher in five games and compiled a 6-1 record and 3.92 ERA for the Senators. McAfee had played college baseball for the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
from 1927 to 1929 and participated in the
Michigan Wolverines baseball The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games ...
team's 13-game tour of Japan in the fall of 1929. He also played minor league baseball in the
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
for the
Reading Keystones The Reading Fightin Phils (also called the Reading Fightins) are a Minor League Baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Northeast Division of the Eastern League. The team plays their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Re ...
,
Newark Bears The Newark Bears were an American independent league professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They were a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and, later, the Canadian American Association of Professional Bas ...
,
Montreal Royals The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team in Montreal, Quebec, during 1897–1917 and 1928–1960. A member of the International League, the Royals were the top farm club ( Class AAA) of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1939; pi ...
, and
Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Fie ...
. A native of
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, McAfee later returned to his home state. He was elected and served as the mayor of
Albany, Georgia Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in Southwest Geo ...
. He died in a plane crash near
Culpeper, Virginia Culpeper (formerly Culpeper Courthouse, earlier Fairfax) is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat and part of the Washington–Baltimore–Arlington, DC–MD–VA–WV–PA Combined Statistical ...
in 1958.


Early years

McAfee was born in
Smithville, Georgia Smithville is a city in Lee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 593 in 2020. It is part of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan statistical area. History A post office was established at Smithville in 1871. The community was named a ...
in 1907. At the time of the
1910 United States Census The 1910 United States census, conducted by the Census Bureau on April 15, 1910, determined the resident population of the United States to be 92,228,496, an increase of 21 percent over the 76,212,168 persons enumerated during the 1900 census ...
, he was living in Smithville with his father William Fort McAfee, Sr. and two older sisters, Hilda and Mary. His father was a Georgia native and a widower. By 1920, the family had moved to
Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
. The family consisted of McAfee's father, his second wife Lucy, stepmother to McAfee and his two older sisters; and a younger half-brother (age two). His father was employed as manager for International Harvester Company. McAfee played baseball and other sports in high school.


University of Michigan

McAfee enrolled at the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
and played baseball for the
Michigan Wolverines baseball The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games ...
team in 1928 and 1929. In September 1929, he traveled to Japan with the Michigan baseball team for a month at the invitation of
Meiji University is a Private university, private research university in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Originally founded as Meiji Law School () by three lawyers in 1881, it became a university in April 1920. As of May 2023, Meiji has 32,261 undergradu ...
. This was part of a series of interactions between the universities since after World War I. The team played against the Meiji and other university baseball teams during its month's stay, winning 11 of 13 games on its tour of the country. The team returned from Japan in October 1929 aboard the , sailing from Ray Fisher, Ernest McCoy, Louis Kubicek, and Ray Nebelung. McAfee was also a member of Michigamua and the
Theta Delta Chi Theta Delta Chi () is a social fraternity that was founded in 1847 at Union College, New York, United States. While nicknames differ from institution to institution, the most common nicknames for the fraternity are TDX, TDC, Thete, Theta Delt, an ...
fraternity while at Michigan. He graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in 1930.


Professional baseball

At six feet, two inches, McAfee was considered "a giant" in the early 1930s. The tall right-handed pitcher began his
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
career with the
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 ...
. He made his major league debut on May 12, 1930, two weeks after graduating from the University of Michigan. McAfee pitched only one inning for the Cubs over the course of two games. In one inning of work for the Cubs, he faced 10 batters and allowed three hits, two bases on balls, one wild pitch, and five unearned runs. Despite the rocky start, he did not allow an earned run and compiled a 0-0 record and 0.00 ERA with the Cubs. After his brief stint with the Cubs, McAfee spent most of the 1930 season with the
Reading Keystones The Reading Fightin Phils (also called the Reading Fightins) are a Minor League Baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Northeast Division of the Eastern League. The team plays their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Re ...
in the
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
. He appeared in 21 games for the Keystones and compiled a 7-8 record with a 6.22 ERA. In October 1930, the Cubs traded McAfee to the
Boston Braves The Boston Braves were a Major League Baseball club that originated in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, and played from 1871 to 1952. Afterwards they moved to History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee, Milwaukee (and became the Milwaukee Braves). ...
in exchange for Bobby Smith. In April 1930, ''The Sporting News'' reported on the expectations for McAfee: "McAfee did not show much promise in the conditioning search at St. Pete, but before the team left he was going along on high, illMcKechnie spoke glowingly of his fast ball, curve, control and his pitching sagacity. It's almost too much to expect McAfee to fill Bobby Smith's shoes, but McKechnie will be a bit disappointed if McAfee does not step in as a regular starter." McAfee appeared in 18 games for the Braves during the 1931 season, all but one as a relief pitcher. He compiled a 0-1 records with a 6.37 ERA. McAfee spent most of the 1932 season as the property of the
Boston Braves The Boston Braves were a Major League Baseball club that originated in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, and played from 1871 to 1952. Afterwards they moved to History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee, Milwaukee (and became the Milwaukee Braves). ...
, but playing under option with the
Montreal Royals The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team in Montreal, Quebec, during 1897–1917 and 1928–1960. A member of the International League, the Royals were the top farm club ( Class AAA) of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1939; pi ...
in the
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
. He appeared in 23 games for the Royals, compiling an 8-9 record with a 4.70 ERA. McAfee joined the Washington Senators in August 1932. A trade had been announced to send McAfee and two other players to the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
for Baxter Jordan, but Senators' owner
Clark Griffith Clark Calvin Griffith (November 20, 1869 – October 27, 1955, ), nicknamed "the Old Fox", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, manager and team owner. He began his MLB playing career with the St. Louis Browns (1891), Boston Re ...
noted that McAfee had been optioned three times and claimed McAfee by the waiver route. In two months with the team, he compiled a 6-1 record with a 3.92
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) in eight game (five as starter). During the 1933 season, Washington Senators manager
Joe Cronin Joseph Edward Cronin (October 12, 1906 – September 7, 1984) was an American professional baseball player, Manager (baseball), manager and executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop, most notably as a member of the Bost ...
used McAfee to replace
Firpo Marberry Frederick "Firpo" Marberry (November 30, 1898 – June 30, 1976) was an American right-handed starting pitcher, starting and relief pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1923 to 1936, most notably with the Washington Senators (1901–60), Washing ...
"as chief of the relief pitching brigade." However, McAfee's ERA soared to 6.62, the highest of his major league career, in 61-2/3 innings with the Senators in 1933. Even so, he compiled a 3-2 record in 1933. In June 1933, McAfee punched a spectator in Cleveland after being pulled from a game; McAfee had been "razzed" throughout the game by the "leather-lunged rooter." At the beginning of August 1933, McAfee was sent to the
Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Fie ...
in a deal for Ed Chapman. He appeared in 17 games for the Red Wings, compiling a 1-4 record with a 5.37 ERA. At the end of the 1933 season, the Red Wings sent McAfee to the
Columbus Red Birds The Columbus Red Birds were a top-level minor league baseball team that played in Columbus, Ohio, in the American Association from 1931 through 1954. The Columbus club, a member of the Association continuously since 1902, was previously known as ...
in the American Association. On February 15, 1934, the
St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they ...
acquired him from Columbus. During the 1934 season, McAfee appeared in 28 games for the Browns, all as a relief pitcher. He compiled a 1-0 record with a 5.84 ERA. This season was also notable in that McAfee set a current mark for the lowest single-season strikeout rate among qualified major-league relievers ever, at 3.8%. In February 1935, McAfee announced that he was retiring from baseball to pursue a business career in Chicago with his father.


Later years and family

After retiring from baseball, McAfee returned to his home state and lived in
Albany, Georgia Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in Southwest Geo ...
. He was the co-owner of a truck and tractor company, a distributor for
International Harvester The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated IH or International) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household equipment, and more. It wa ...
, and was active in promoting Little League and PONY League baseball in Albany. He was also elected as the mayor of Albany in 1956 and again in 1958. He held the position at the time of his death. McAfee was active in securing funding to construct the
Southwest Georgia Regional Airport Southwest Georgia Regional Airport is an airport four miles southwest of Albany, in Dougherty County, Georgia, in the United States. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''primary commercial ser ...
terminal which was posthumously named in his honor in 1959. McAfee was married to Lillian Foote McAfee. They had a son, William Fort McAfee III (1937–2011), and a daughter, Linda (McAfee) Halford. In July 1958, McAfee died in a plane crash near
Culpeper, Virginia Culpeper (formerly Culpeper Courthouse, earlier Fairfax) is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat and part of the Washington–Baltimore–Arlington, DC–MD–VA–WV–PA Combined Statistical ...
. He was traveling with friends, including the president of the Citizens' and Southern Bank of Albany, in a twin-engined plane to the
1958 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 1958 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 25th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 8, ...
in Baltimore. He was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Albany.baseball-almanac.com
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See also

* List of mayors of Albany, Georgia


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:McAfee, Bill 1907 births 1958 deaths 20th-century mayors of places in Georgia (U.S. state) Mayors of Albany, Georgia Major League Baseball pitchers Chicago Cubs players Boston Braves players Washington Senators (1901–1960) players St. Louis Browns players 20th-century American sportsmen Michigan Wolverines baseball players Montreal Royals players Newark Bears (International League) players Reading Keystones players Rochester Red Wings players Accidental deaths in Virginia Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state) American athlete-politicians People from Lee County, Georgia Sportspeople from Albany, Georgia Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1958 Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States