Roger Maxwell "Doc" Cramer (July 22, 1905 – September 9, 1990) was an American
center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
and left-handed batter in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...
who played for four
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
teams from 1929 to 1948.
Career
A mainstay at the top of his team's
lineup
Lineup, line up or line-up may refer to:
Groupings
* A queue area of waiting people
* A police lineup, or identity parade, of suspects
* The roster of a sports team at a given time
** Batting order (baseball) in baseball
** The starting position i ...
for many years, Cramer led the American League in
at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
s a record seven times and in singles five times. He hit over .300 eight times, primarily with the
Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oakl ...
and
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eig ...
, and retired among the league's career leaders in
hits
Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block
* ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998
* ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album s ...
(10th, 2705),
games played
Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.
Baseball ...
(10th, 2239) and at bats (5th, 9140). One of the few major leaguers to play regularly in center field after turning 40, he also ended his career among the major leagues' all-time leaders in games in center field (3rd, 2031) and outfield
putout
In baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by ''PO'' or '' fly out'' when appropriate) is awarded to a defensive player who (generally while in secure possession of the ball) records an out by one of the following methods:
* Tagging a runner wit ...
s (4th, 5412), and ranked seventh in AL history in total games in the outfield (2142).
Born in
Beach Haven, New Jersey
Beach Haven is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey located on Long Beach Island (LBI) and bordering the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 1,170,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.
After starting his career in semipro ball in New Jersey in 1928, he was signed by the Philadelphia Athletics and hit .404 to win the Blue Ridge League batting championship in 1929. He played with the Athletics' powerful championship teams of 1929–1931, breaking in gradually, though in the postseason for the A's he appeared only twice, as a
pinch-hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, American ...
, in the
1931 World Series
The 1931 World Series featured the two-time defending champion Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals beat the Athletics in seven games, a rematch and reversal of fortunes of the previous World Series.
The same two ...
. After he hit .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 on July 13, 1935, became the only AL player to do it twice). He scored 100 runs in a season for the first time in 1933, and 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 as the star players on the financially struggling team were sent on to other teams.
Al Simmons
Aloysius Harry Simmons (May 22, 1902 – May 26, 1956), born Alois Szymanski, was an American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Bucketfoot Al", he played for two decades in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and had his best year ...
and
Jimmy Dykes
James Joseph Dykes (November 10, 1896 – June 15, 1976) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a third and second baseman from through , most notably as a member of the Philadelp ...
were sold to the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
on the same day in September 1932, and
Lefty Grove
Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove (March 6, 1900 – May 22, 1975) was an American professional baseball pitcher. After having success in the minor leagues during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in Major League Baseball with the American League's ...
and
Mickey Cochrane
Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane (April 6, 1903 – June 28, 1962), nicknamed "Black Mike", was an American professional baseball player, manager and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detr ...
were traded away after the 1933 season.
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory Foxx (October 22, 1907 – July 21, 1967), nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red ...
was traded to the Red Sox in December 1935, and Cramer joined him a month later.
Batting leadoff, Cramer was a spray singles hitter, sometimes stretching them into doubles—although he was a not much of a base-stealer. He hit over .300 every year from 1937 to 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
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
exactly one year later after hitting .273. He was on the All-Star team five times (1935, 1937–40).
Two years after hitting over .300 for the last time with the 1943 Tigers, Cramer played 140 games in center field at age 40 in 1945 (albeit during World War II, when many regular players were in military service), and finally enjoyed significant play in the Fall Classic that year, leading the Tigers in the
1945 World Series
The 1945 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1945 season. The 42nd edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion Chicago Cubs. The ...
with a .379 batting average, scoring seven runs and knocking in four, to help them win the Series 4–3 over the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
. He scored two runs and had one RBI in both Games 5 and 7. In his final seasons he was often used as a pinch-hitter, and he led the league with nine pinch-hits in 1947 before ending his career with four in 1948.
He was not known as a power-hitter, and liked to tell people about the time he was walked so the opposing pitcher could pitch to
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...
. On September 30, 1945, in St. Louis, the Tigers had men on second and third in the 9th, down 3–2. Cramer was walked to load the bases and set up a force play, but Greenberg followed with a grand slam that won the pennant for the Tigers. Interviewed by Donald Honig in the 1970s, Cramer told of how he would tease Greenberg: "So anywhere I go and Hank is there, I always say, 'You know, once they walked me to get to Hank Greenberg' — and never tell 'em what happened, and then Hank always jumps up and says, 'Hey, tell 'em what happened.' But I never do; I just leave it at that."
In his 20-season career, Cramer batted .296 with 2705 hits, 1357 runs, 37
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...
on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...
in 2239 games. Defensively, he compiled a career .979
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
. By team, he batted .308 for the Athletics, .302 for the Red Sox, .282 for the Tigers and .273 for the Senators. He rarely struck out, leading the AL four times in at strikeouts-per-at-bats and finishing in the top four five other seasons. His 2031 games in center field placed him behind only
Tris Speaker
Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he compiled a career bat ...
(2690) and
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the la ...
(2194) in major league history. His 2705 hits are the most of any player retired before 1975 who has not been elected to the
Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball ...
Nellie Fox
Jacob Nelson “Nellie” Fox (December 25, 1927 – December 1, 1975) was an American professional baseball player. Fox was one of the best second basemen of all time, and the third-most difficult hitter to strike out in Major League Baseball (M ...
, who often credited Cramer with making him a major league hitter.
Cramer had worked as a carpenter before entering the major leagues, and continued to work as a carpenter during the off-seasons of his playing career. After leaving baseball, he resumed working full time as a carpenter and home builder.
He died in the Manahawkin section of
Stafford Township, New Jersey
Stafford Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 28,617, an increase of 2,082 (+7.8%) from the 2010 census count of 26,535, which in turn reflected an ...
, at 85 years of age, where a street, Doc Cramer Boulevard, is named in his honor. A youth baseball tournament, the Doc Cramer Invitational Baseball Tournament, used to be held in Manahawkin every July.
List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
In baseball, a triple is a hit in which the batter advances to third base in one play, with neither the benefit of a fielding error nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice. Triples were more common in baseball's dead-ball era, whe ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
Listed are all Major League Baseball (MLB) players with 1,000 or more career runs scored. Players in bold face are active as of the 2022 Major League Baseball season.
Key
List
*Stats updated through the 2022 season.
Through the end of th ...
*
List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
In baseball, completing the cycle is the accomplishment of hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. In terms of frequency, the cycle is roughly as common as a no-hitter; ''Baseball Digest'' calls it "one of the ra ...
*
List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
In baseball, a hit is credited to a batter when he reaches first base – or any subsequent base – safely after hitting a fair ball, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice. One hundred seventeen different players have record ...
References
* ''The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia'' – Gary Gillette, Peter Gammons, Pete Palmer. Publisher: Sterling Publishing, 2005. Format: Paperback, 1824pp. Language: English.