Doc Cramer
Encyclopedia
Roger Maxwell Cramer [Doc] (July 22, 1905 – September 9, 1990) was an American
center fielder
and left-handed batter in Major League Baseball
who played for four American League
teams from 1929 to 1948.
for many years, Cramer led the American League in at bat
s a record seven times and in singles
five times. He batted
over .300 several times, primarily with the Philadelphia Athletics
and Boston Red Sox
, and retired among the league's career leaders in hits
(10th, 2705), games played
(10th, 2239) and at bats (5th, 9140). One of the few major leaguers to play regularly in center field at age 40, he also ended his career among the major leagues' all-time leaders in games in center field (3rd, 2031) and outfield putout
s (4th, 5412), and ranked seventh in AL history in total games in the outfield (2142).
Born in Beach Haven, New Jersey
, Cramer was nicknamed "Flit," which was the name of a popular insecticide
, by sportswriter Jimmy Isaminger for his great ability to judge fly ball
s; in other words, he was death to flies. Indeed, he led AL outfielders in putouts in and .
After he began playing semi-pro 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 -1931, breaking in gradually, though in the postseason he only made two pinch-hitting appearances in the 1931 World Series
. After hitting .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 later became the only AL player to do it twice (on July 13, 1935)). He scored 100 runs
in a season for the first time in 1933. He also hit for the cycle
on June 10, 1934. In , Cramer set a team record among left-handed hitters with 202 hits, and topped it in 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, leading to the star players on the financially struggling team being sent to other teams. Al Simmons
and Jimmy Dykes
were sold to the Chicago White Sox
on the same day in September 1932, and Lefty Grove
and Mickey Cochrane
were traded away after the 1933 season. Jimmie Foxx
was traded to the Red Sox in December 1935, and Cramer joined him a month later.
Cramer was a spray leadoff hitter who mostly slapped singles and sometimes stretched singles into doubles
-- although he was a non-factor as a base stealer. He batted 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 . He was traded to the Washington Senators
on December 12 of that year, and was sent to the Detroit Tigers
exactly one year later after hitting .273. He was selected for the All-Star
game five times (1935, 1937–40).
Two years after hitting over .300 for the last time with the 1943 Tigers, in 1945 Cramer played 140 games in center field at age 40 (albeit during World War II
, when many regular players were in military service), and finally enjoyed significant play in the Fall Classic. In the 1945 World Series
he led the team with a .379 batting average, scoring seven runs and batting in
four, to help his team to win the Series 4-3 against the Chicago Cubs
. He had two runs and an RBI in Game 5, and again in Game 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 games in .
Cramer 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
. The Tigers had men on second and third, and they walked Cramer to load the bases and set up a force play. Greenberg followed by hitting a grand slam. 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." (Donald Honig, "Baseball When the Grass Was Real" (1975), p. 207)
In his 20-season career, Cramer batted .296 with 2705 hits, 1357 runs, 37 home run
s, 842 RBI, 396 doubles, 109 triples
, 62 stolen base
s, and a .340 on base percentage
in 2239 games. By team, he batted .308 for the Athletics, .302 for the Red Sox, .282 for the Tigers, and .273 for the Senators. Cramer rarely struck out, leading the AL four times in at bats-per-striketouts, and finishing in the top four five other seasons. His 2031 games in center field placed him behind only Tris Speaker
(2690) and Ty Cobb
(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.
As a White Sox batting coach
from 1951 to 1953, Cramer tutored the young second baseman
Nellie Fox
; frequently, Fox credited Cramer with making him a major league hitter.
Cramer died in Manahawkin, New Jersey
at 85 years of age. There is a street there named in his honor (Doc Cramer Blvd.). There was also formerly a youth baseball tournament, the Doc Cramer Invitational Baseball Tournament, held in Manahawkin every July.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
and left-handed batter in 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...
who played for four 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...
teams from 1929 to 1948.
Career
A mainstay at the top of his team's lineupBatting order (baseball)
The batting order, or batting lineup, in baseball is the sequence in which the nine members of the offense take their turns in batting against the pitcher. The batting order is the main component of a team's offensive strategy. The batting order is set by the manager before the game begins...
for many years, Cramer led the American League in at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s a record seven times and in singles
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
five times. He batted
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 :...
over .300 several times, primarily with the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, and retired among the league's career leaders in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(10th, 2705), games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(10th, 2239) and at bats (5th, 9140). One of the few major leaguers to play regularly in center field at age 40, he also ended his career among the major leagues' all-time leaders in games in center field (3rd, 2031) and outfield putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s (4th, 5412), and ranked seventh in AL history in total games in the outfield (2142).
Born in Beach Haven, New Jersey
Beach Haven, New Jersey
Beach Haven is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States. The borough is located on Long Beach Island and borders the Atlantic Ocean...
, Cramer was nicknamed "Flit," which was the name of a popular insecticide
Insecticide
An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
, by sportswriter Jimmy Isaminger for his great ability to judge fly ball
Types of batted balls in baseball
In baseball, a batted ball is any ball that, after a pitch, is contacted by the batter's bat. One or more of several terms are used to describe a batted ball, depending on how it comes off the bat and where in the field it lands....
s; in other words, he was death to flies. Indeed, he led AL outfielders in putouts in and .
After he began playing semi-pro ball in New Jersey in 1928, he was signed by the Philadelphia Athletics and hit .404 to win the Blue Ridge League
Blue Ridge League
The Blue Ridge League was a minor league baseball organization that operated for the better part of sixteen years, from 1915 through 1918, and 1920 to 1930....
batting championship in 1929. He played with the Athletics' powerful championship teams of -1931, breaking in gradually, though in the postseason he only made two pinch-hitting appearances in the 1931 World Series
1931 World Series
In the 1931 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Athletics in seven games, a rematch and reversal of fortunes of the 1930 World Series.The same two teams faced off during the 1930 World Series and the Athletics were victorious...
. After hitting .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 later became the only AL player to do it twice (on July 13, 1935)). He scored 100 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
in a season for the first time in 1933. He also hit for the cycle
Hitting for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
on June 10, 1934. In , Cramer set a team record among left-handed hitters with 202 hits, and topped it in with 214 – still the Athletics franchise record for a left-handed batter; he finished eighth in the 1935 MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
voting. But the fortunes of the A's declined just as Cramer was becoming a solid, everyday player, leading to the star players on the financially struggling team being sent to other teams. Al Simmons
Al Simmons
Aloysius Harry Simmons , born Aloisius Szymanski in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was an American baseball player. He played for two decades in the major leagues as an outfielder, and had his best years as a member of Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics during the 1930's...
and Jimmy Dykes
Jimmy Dykes
James Joseph Dykes was an American third and second baseman, manager and coach in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox from 1918 to 1939...
were sold to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
on the same day in September 1932, and Lefty Grove
Lefty Grove
Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove was a 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 Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox, winning 300 games in his 17-year MLB career...
and Mickey Cochrane
Mickey Cochrane
Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane was a professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers...
were traded away after the 1933 season. Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
was traded to the Red Sox in December 1935, and Cramer joined him a month later.
Cramer was a spray leadoff hitter who mostly slapped singles and sometimes stretched singles into doubles
Double (baseball)
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, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
-- although he was a non-factor as a base stealer. He batted 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 . He was traded to the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
on December 12 of that year, and was sent 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...
exactly one year later after hitting .273. He was selected for the All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
game five times (1935, 1937–40).
Two years after hitting over .300 for the last time with the 1943 Tigers, in 1945 Cramer played 140 games in center field at age 40 (albeit during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when many regular players were in military service), and finally enjoyed significant play in the Fall Classic. In the 1945 World Series
1945 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 2:Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 3:Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan...
he led the team with a .379 batting average, scoring seven runs and batting 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...
four, to help his team to win the Series 4-3 against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. He had two runs and an RBI in Game 5, and again in Game 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 games in .
Cramer 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
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
. The Tigers had men on second and third, and they walked Cramer to load the bases and set up a force play. Greenberg followed by hitting a grand slam. Interviewed by Donald Honig
Donald Honig
Donald Martin Honig is a novelist, historian and editor who mostly writes about baseball.While a member of the Bobo Newsom Memorial Society, an informal group of writers, Honig attempted to get Lawrence Ritter to write a sequel to The Glory of their Times. Ritter declined but gave Honig his blessing...
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." (Donald Honig, "Baseball When the Grass Was Real" (1975), p. 207)
In his 20-season career, Cramer batted .296 with 2705 hits, 1357 runs, 37 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...
s, 842 RBI, 396 doubles, 109 triples
Triple (baseball)
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 nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 62 stolen base
Stolen base
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...
s, and a .340 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
in 2239 games. By team, he batted .308 for the Athletics, .302 for the Red Sox, .282 for the Tigers, and .273 for the Senators. Cramer rarely struck out, leading the AL four times in at bats-per-striketouts, and finishing in the top four five other seasons. His 2031 games in center field placed him behind only Tris Speaker
Tris Speaker
Tristram E. Speaker , nicknamed "Spoke" and "The Grey Eagle", was an American baseball player. Considered one of the best offensive and defensive center fielders in the history of Major League Baseball, he compiled a career batting average of .345 , and still holds the record of 792 career doubles...
(2690) and Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
(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.
As a White Sox batting coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
from 1951 to 1953, Cramer tutored the young second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
Nellie Fox
Nellie Fox
Jacob Nelson Fox was a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Chicago White Sox. Fox was born in St. Thomas Township, Pennsylvania. He was selected as the MVP of the American League in...
; frequently, Fox credited Cramer with making him a major league hitter.
Cramer died in Manahawkin, New Jersey
Manahawkin, New Jersey
Manahawkin is a census-designated place and unincorporated area contained within Stafford Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. Manahawkin translates to 'land of good corn' although this has been disputed by recent scholars claiming that it translate to “fertile land sloping into...
at 85 years of age. There is a street there named in his honor (Doc Cramer Blvd.). There was also formerly a youth baseball tournament, the Doc Cramer Invitational Baseball Tournament, held in Manahawkin every July.
See also
- 1945 Detroit Tigers season1945 Detroit Tigers seasonThe Detroit Tigers was the team's 45th since they entered the American League in 1901. The team won the American League pennant, then went on to win the 1945 World Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 3. It was the second World Series championship for the Tigers...
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
External links
- Doc Cramer 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:...
Sources
- Baseball Library
- The Baseball Page
- Retrosheet
- The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia – Gary Gillette, Peter Gammons, Pete Palmer. Publisher: Sterling Publishing, 2005. Format: Paperback, 1824pp. Language: English. ISBN 1-4027-4771-3