Cliff Mapes
Encyclopedia
Clifford Franklin Mapes (March 13, 1922 – December 5, 1996) was a professional baseball
player. He played five seasons Major League Baseball
as an outfielder
for the New York Yankees
, St. Louis Browns
, and Detroit Tigers
.
prior to the season. He never played for the Indians, and was later drafted by the New York Yankees
in the 1946 Rule 5 Draft
. After a season in the minors, Mapes was recalled to the Major League level, where he saw limited time as a backup to an outfield that contained Joe DiMaggio
, Tommy Henrich
, and Johnny Lindell
. Mapes hit
.250, with 12 runs batted in
, and his first career home run
.
In his second season, Mapes saw regular time as a starter. He hit .247 with seven home runs and 38 runs batted in, but also led the team in strikeout
s in helping the Yankees claim the American League
pennant. He was the team's starting right fielder
against the Brooklyn Dodgers, and he helped the team win the 1949 World Series
, the team's first World Series en route to five consecutive world championships.
In , Mapes led the team in strikeouts for the second consecutive season. His playing time remained the same, but his power numbers improved from a year earlier. Mapes hit batted .247 with 12 home runs and 61 runs batted in, but also grounded into a team-high 14 double play
s. The Yankees finished the season with the American League pennant once again, but Mapes saw little time in the postseason; Mapes only appeared in one game as the Yankees won the 1950 World Series
in a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies
.
As Mapes' numbers started to decrease in , including a batting average which fell to .216, the Yankees decided to cut ties with him. He was purchased by the St. Louis Browns
on July 31, 1951. After a moderate season with the Browns, he was traded with Matt Batts
, Dick Littlefield
, and Ben Taylor
to the Detroit Tigers
for Gene Bearden
, Bob Cain
, and Dick Kryhoski
. In , for the Tigers, Mapes hit a career-low .197, and was traded back to the Browns, with Neil Berry and cash, for Jake Crawford
. However, instead of choosing to play for the team that had traded him a year earlier, Mapes decided to end his professional baseball career. He played his final game on September 28, 1952.
Mapes wore number 3 for the Yankees until that number was retired in honor of Babe Ruth
. Mapes then wore number 13 before switching to number 7. When Mapes was traded by the Yankees in 1951, Mickey Mantle took uniform number 7. Mapes, thus, is mainly remembered as the Yankee who wore both Babe Ruth's and Mickey Mantle's numbers.
On December 5, 1996, Mapes died in Pryor, Oklahoma, at the age of 74.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player. He played five seasons Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, and Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
Professional career
Mapes, who was listed with a height of , and a weight of 205 lb (93 kg), was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
prior to the season. He never played for the Indians, and was later drafted by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the 1946 Rule 5 Draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
. After a season in the minors, Mapes was recalled to the Major League level, where he saw limited time as a backup to an outfield that contained Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
, Tommy Henrich
Tommy Henrich
Thomas David "Tommy" Henrich , nicknamed "The Clutch" and "Old Reliable", was a Major League Baseball right fielder. He played his entire baseball career for the New York Yankees . He led the American League in triples twice and in runs scored once, also hitting 20 or more home runs four times...
, and Johnny Lindell
Johnny Lindell
John Harlan Lindell was an American professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder and pitcher in the Major League Baseball from to and from to . Lindell played for the New York Yankees, St...
. Mapes hit
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.250, with 12 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, and his first career home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
.
In his second season, Mapes saw regular time as a starter. He hit .247 with seven home runs and 38 runs batted in, but also led the team in strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s in helping the Yankees claim the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
pennant. He was the team's starting right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
against the Brooklyn Dodgers, and he helped the team win the 1949 World Series
1949 World Series
The 1949 World Series featured the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in five games for their second defeat of the Dodgers in three years, and the twelfth championship in team history...
, the team's first World Series en route to five consecutive world championships.
In , Mapes led the team in strikeouts for the second consecutive season. His playing time remained the same, but his power numbers improved from a year earlier. Mapes hit batted .247 with 12 home runs and 61 runs batted in, but also grounded into a team-high 14 double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
s. The Yankees finished the season with the American League pennant once again, but Mapes saw little time in the postseason; Mapes only appeared in one game as the Yankees won the 1950 World Series
1950 World Series
The 1950 World Series was the 47th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as 1950 champions of the National League and the New York Yankees, as 1950 American League champions, competed to win a best-of-seven...
in a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
As Mapes' numbers started to decrease in , including a batting average which fell to .216, the Yankees decided to cut ties with him. He was purchased by the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
on July 31, 1951. After a moderate season with the Browns, he was traded with Matt Batts
Matt Batts
Matthew Daniel Batts was a Major League Baseball catcher who played from through for the Boston Red Sox , St. Louis Browns , Detroit Tigers , Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds . Batts batted and threw right-handed...
, Dick Littlefield
Dick Littlefield
Richard Bernard "Dick" Littlefield was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for nine teams between 1950 and 1958.Born in Detroit, Michigan, he died there at age 71....
, and Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor (first baseman)
Benjamin Eugene Taylor was an American Major League Baseball first baseman.Born in Metropolis, Illinois, Taylor originally signed as a free agent in 1944 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1949, he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the Minor League Draft. He would be returned to the Dodgers the...
to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
for Gene Bearden
Gene Bearden
Henry Eugene "Gene" Bearden was a left-handed knuckleball pitcher in Major League Baseball who completed a remarkable rookie season by closing out the Cleveland Indians' last World Series championship in 1948....
, Bob Cain
Bob Cain
Robert Max Cain [Sugar] was a left-handed pitcher who played Major League Baseball from 1949 to 1954. Cain was born in Longford, Kansas and raised in Salina....
, and Dick Kryhoski
Dick Kryhoski
Richard David Kryhoski was a first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for five different teams between 1949 and 1955. Listed at 6' 2", 200 lb., Kryhoski batted and threw left-handed. He was born and raised in Leonia, New Jersey.Kryhoski attended at Upsala College in East Orange, New...
. In , for the Tigers, Mapes hit a career-low .197, and was traded back to the Browns, with Neil Berry and cash, for Jake Crawford
Jake Crawford
Rufus "Jake" Crawford was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played in 7 games for the St. Louis Browns in ....
. However, instead of choosing to play for the team that had traded him a year earlier, Mapes decided to end his professional baseball career. He played his final game on September 28, 1952.
Mapes wore number 3 for the Yankees until that number was retired in honor of Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
. Mapes then wore number 13 before switching to number 7. When Mapes was traded by the Yankees in 1951, Mickey Mantle took uniform number 7. Mapes, thus, is mainly remembered as the Yankee who wore both Babe Ruth's and Mickey Mantle's numbers.
On December 5, 1996, Mapes died in Pryor, Oklahoma, at the age of 74.
External links
- Cliff Mapes at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...