Earle Combs
Encyclopedia
Earle Bryan Combs was an American
professional baseball
player, who played his entire career for the New York Yankees
(‑). Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team (often referred to as Murderers' Row
). He is one of six players on that team who have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; the other five are Waite Hoyt
, Herb Pennock
, Tony Lazzeri
, Lou Gehrig
, and Babe Ruth
.
Nicknamed "the Kentucky Colonel", Combs was known as a great gentleman on and off the field. Miller Huggins
once said: "If you had men like Combs on your ballclub, you could go to bed every night and sleep like a baby." Joe McCarthy (another longtime Yankee manager) said: "They wouldn't pay baseball managers much a salary if they all presented as few problems as did Earle Combs." Said Babe Ruth: "Combs was more than a good ballplayer. He was always a first-class gentleman." American sportswriter and baseball historian Fred Lieb
wrote of Combs, "If a vote were taken of the sportswriters as to who their favorite ballplayer on the Yankees would be, Combs would have been their choice." Combs' induction into the Hall of Fame in was by the Veterans Committee
. Upon his induction he said, "I thought the Hall of Fame was for superstars, not just average players like me."
, Kentucky
. He left Pebworth in 1917 to enter Eastern Kentucky State Normal School
(Richmond
, Kentucky
). In those early days, Eastern prepared its students to become teachers. Upon completion of a two-year program, graduates were often employed in rural one-room schools. They were often responsible for forty or more students, (ranging in age from six to the teenage years in grades one through eight) and the work required much management skill.
In his first year at Eastern, he put on a stellar performance in a faculty-student baseball game. Combs was encouraged to join the school team by Dr. Charles Keith (Dean of Men and baseball coach). Reluctant at first, Combs relented. It wasn’t long before Combs' abilities attracted attention outside of Richmond. He batted .591 at Eastern during his last season.
Upon completion of school, Combs went back to his native Owsley County and taught in one-room schoolhouses in both Ida May and Levi.
After he began to teach, Combs continued to play baseball in his spare time. He played for High Splint
(Harlan County coal company team) in the Pine Mountain League (summer of 1921) and batted .444. He also played some semi-pro
baseball for the Lexington
Reos of the Bluegrass League. It was in Lexington (in 1922) that Combs drew the attention of the Louisville Colonels
of the American Association
. Louisville scouted Combs and decided to offer him a contract. The contract provided a salary that exceeded the $37 per month he made as a teacher in Owsley County.
His initial experience with Louisville was unsettling. Combs made several errors in the outfield. The last error gave the opposition the two runs they needed to win the game. About his error that lost the game Combs said, "As I went after the dropped ball I was tempted to keep right on going, climb the fence and not stop running until I got to Pebworth." Combs was distraught after the game. He had married Ruth McCollum, (his high school sweetheart) the year before and was concerned about his future.
Joe McCarthy, the manager of the Colonels and later his manager with the Yankees, knew what Combs could do and told him, "Look, if I didn't think you belonged in centerfield on this club, I wouldn't put you there. And I'm going to keep you there." Combs responded. He batted .344 in and .380 in for the Colonels and also displayed a reputation for speedy ball-hawking in the outfield and reckless base stealing on offense.
won a spirited bidding war and bought Combs' contract for $50,000 (equal to $630,409 in 2008, according to the Federal Reserve's calculator). This was a rather large sum at that time, but it bore fruit for the Yankees as Combs proved an immediate success in New York. In his rookie season (summer of ), Combs played center field and batted .400 before he sustained a fractured ankle sliding into home plate at Cleveland
's League Park
on June 15, 1924. With the exception of one pinch-hitting appearance, Combs saw no more action that rookie season.
The following year, manager Miller Huggins
made Combs the Yankees' lead off
hitter. He held this position for the remaining eleven years of his playing career. Combs hit
.342 and scored 117 runs
in . In his best year (1927), Combs batted .356 with 231 hits, 131 runs scored, 36 doubles, and 23 triples.
Combs suffered a serious accident in July 1934. On a day when temperatures exceeded 100 degrees at St. Louis' Sportsman's Park
, Combs crashed into the outfield wall as he chased a fly ball. He suffered a fractured skull, a broken shoulder and damaged his knee. He was reportedly near death for several days and remained in the hospital for more than two months. The next season, he attempted a comeback, but suffered another serious injury. That injury (coupled with the knowledge that the Yankees were set to bring up a rookie center fielder named Joe DiMaggio
the next season) led to Combs' decision to retire at the age of 36. He was offered a coaching job with the Yankees in and instructed his replacement (DiMaggio) on the nuances of Yankee Stadium's outfield.
Over his career, Combs hit .325, had an on-base average of .397, averaged nearly 200 hits, 75 walks, and only 31 strikeouts a season. He was a part of three World Series
championships (in 1927
, 1928
and 1932
). He also set the Yankees' team record for most triples in a season (23 in 1927). Combs batted no lower than .299 in any of his eleven seasons and scored no fewer than 113 runs from through .
In four World Series, he batted .350 with a .443 on-base average. Combs averaged 17 triples a season and had a lifetime fielding percentage seven points better than the league average. After his retirement as a player, Combs remained in the game for almost two decades. His coaching stint with the Yankees lasted through the 1944 season. He was also a coach
for the St. Louis Browns
, Boston Red Sox
(-), and the Philadelphia Phillies
.
and remained very active. He served as the Kentucky state banking commissioner during Gov. A. B. 'Happy' Chandler’s
second administration (1955–1959), and served on (Eastern's
’s) Board of Regents from 1959 until 1975. In November, 1962 he laid the foundation stone for Earle B. Combs Hall (a dormitory at Eastern). In June of 1970, the Little League field at Irvine-McDowell Park
in Richmond was named in his honor. In 2006, Combs was inducted as a charter member of Eastern’s Athletics Hall of Fame and the University provides an athletic scholarship in his honor each year.
Combs and his wife Ruth (1902–1989) had three sons (Earle, Jr., Charles, and Donald). After a long illness, he died on July 21, 1976 (age 77) in Richmond, Kentucky
. He is interred in the Richmond
Cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
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, who played his entire career 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...
(‑). Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team (often referred to as Murderers' Row
Murderers' Row
Murderers’ Row was the nickname given to the New York Yankees baseball team of the late 1920s, in particular the first six hitters in the 1927 team lineup: Earle Combs, Mark Koenig, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel and Tony Lazzeri....
). He is one of six players on that team who have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; the other five are Waite Hoyt
Waite Hoyt
Waite Charles Hoyt was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, one of the dominant pitchers of the 1920s, and the winningest pitcher for the New York Yankees during that decade...
, Herb Pennock
Herb Pennock
Herbert Jefferis Pennock was a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher best known for his time spent with the star-studded New York Yankee teams of the mid to late 1920s and early 1930s. Pennock won two World Series championships with the Red Sox and then four World Series championships with the...
, Tony Lazzeri
Tony Lazzeri
Anthony Michael "Tony" Lazzeri was an American Major League Baseball player during the 1920s and 1930s, predominantly with the New York Yankees. He was part of the famed "Murderers' Row" Yankee batting lineup of the late 1920s , along with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Bob Meusel...
, Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
, and 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...
.
Nicknamed "the Kentucky Colonel", Combs was known as a great gentleman on and off the field. Miller Huggins
Miller Huggins
Miller James Huggins , nicknamed "Mighty Mite", was a baseball player and manager. He managed the powerhouse New York Yankee teams of the 1920s and won six American League pennants and three World Series championships....
once said: "If you had men like Combs on your ballclub, you could go to bed every night and sleep like a baby." Joe McCarthy (another longtime Yankee manager) said: "They wouldn't pay baseball managers much a salary if they all presented as few problems as did Earle Combs." Said Babe Ruth: "Combs was more than a good ballplayer. He was always a first-class gentleman." American sportswriter and baseball historian Fred Lieb
Fred Lieb
Frederick Lieb was an American sportswriter and baseball historian. He and his wife Mary were especially close to Lou Gehrig. Walter Brennan's character in the movie The Pride of the Yankees was loosely based on him...
wrote of Combs, "If a vote were taken of the sportswriters as to who their favorite ballplayer on the Yankees would be, Combs would have been their choice." Combs' induction into the Hall of Fame in was by the Veterans Committee
Veterans Committee
The Veterans Committee is the popular name of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players, a committee of the U.S...
. Upon his induction he said, "I thought the Hall of Fame was for superstars, not just average players like me."
Early Years
Combs was born in Pebworth, Owsley CountyOwsley County, Kentucky
Owsley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 4,858. Its county seat is Booneville. The county is named for William Owsley, the Governor of Kentucky from 1844 to 1848. It is a prohibition or dry county...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. He left Pebworth in 1917 to enter Eastern Kentucky State Normal School
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
(Richmond
Richmond, Kentucky
There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. Of all households, 34.7% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
). In those early days, Eastern prepared its students to become teachers. Upon completion of a two-year program, graduates were often employed in rural one-room schools. They were often responsible for forty or more students, (ranging in age from six to the teenage years in grades one through eight) and the work required much management skill.
In his first year at Eastern, he put on a stellar performance in a faculty-student baseball game. Combs was encouraged to join the school team by Dr. Charles Keith (Dean of Men and baseball coach). Reluctant at first, Combs relented. It wasn’t long before Combs' abilities attracted attention outside of Richmond. He batted .591 at Eastern during his last season.
Upon completion of school, Combs went back to his native Owsley County and taught in one-room schoolhouses in both Ida May and Levi.
After he began to teach, Combs continued to play baseball in his spare time. He played for High Splint
Highsplint, Kentucky
Highsplint is a former coal mining town with extinct post office in Harlan County, Kentucky, United States. It was named for the High Splint Coal Company which operated a mine in the town. Highsplint's first post office was established on February 7, 1918, with John D. Casey as postmaster.-External...
(Harlan County coal company team) in the Pine Mountain League (summer of 1921) and batted .444. He also played some semi-pro
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
baseball for the Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
Reos of the Bluegrass League. It was in Lexington (in 1922) that Combs drew the attention of the Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels (minor league baseball team)
The Louisville Colonels was the name of several minor league baseball teams that played in Louisville, Kentucky, in the 20th century. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels.-Twentieth century minor league teams:...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
. Louisville scouted Combs and decided to offer him a contract. The contract provided a salary that exceeded the $37 per month he made as a teacher in Owsley County.
Joe McCarthy, the manager of the Colonels and later his manager with the Yankees, knew what Combs could do and told him, "Look, if I didn't think you belonged in centerfield on this club, I wouldn't put you there. And I'm going to keep you there." Combs responded. He batted .344 in and .380 in for the Colonels and also displayed a reputation for speedy ball-hawking in the outfield and reckless base stealing on offense.
Major League Years
In 1924, the New York YankeesNew 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...
won a spirited bidding war and bought Combs' contract for $50,000 (equal to $630,409 in 2008, according to the Federal Reserve's calculator). This was a rather large sum at that time, but it bore fruit for the Yankees as Combs proved an immediate success in New York. In his rookie season (summer of ), Combs played center field and batted .400 before he sustained a fractured ankle sliding into home plate at Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
's League Park
League Park
League Park was a baseball park located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was situated at the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and E. 66th Street in the Hough neighborhood. It was home to the National League Cleveland Spiders, the American League Cleveland Indians, and the Cleveland...
on June 15, 1924. With the exception of one pinch-hitting appearance, Combs saw no more action that rookie season.
The following year, manager Miller Huggins
Miller Huggins
Miller James Huggins , nicknamed "Mighty Mite", was a baseball player and manager. He managed the powerhouse New York Yankee teams of the 1920s and won six American League pennants and three World Series championships....
made Combs the Yankees' lead off
Lead off
In baseball, the term lead off or lead-off has two distinct meanings:- On the bases :In baseball, to lead off, or to take a lead, refers to the position a baserunner takes just prior to a pitch, a short distance away from the base he occupies. A "lead" can also refer to that distance. A typical...
hitter. He held this position for the remaining eleven years of his playing career. Combs 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 :...
.342 and scored 117 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 . In his best year (1927), Combs batted .356 with 231 hits, 131 runs scored, 36 doubles, and 23 triples.
Combs suffered a serious accident in July 1934. On a day when temperatures exceeded 100 degrees at St. Louis' Sportsman's Park
Sportsman's Park
Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From...
, Combs crashed into the outfield wall as he chased a fly ball. He suffered a fractured skull, a broken shoulder and damaged his knee. He was reportedly near death for several days and remained in the hospital for more than two months. The next season, he attempted a comeback, but suffered another serious injury. That injury (coupled with the knowledge that the Yankees were set to bring up a rookie center fielder named 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...
the next season) led to Combs' decision to retire at the age of 36. He was offered a coaching job with the Yankees in and instructed his replacement (DiMaggio) on the nuances of Yankee Stadium's outfield.
Over his career, Combs hit .325, had an on-base average of .397, averaged nearly 200 hits, 75 walks, and only 31 strikeouts a season. He was a part of three World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championships (in 1927
1927 World Series
In the 1927 World Series, the New York Yankees swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in four games. This was the first sweep of a National League team by an American League team....
, 1928
1928 World Series
In the 1928 World Series, the New York Yankees swept the St. Louis Cardinals in four games. Along with , this was the first time a team had swept consecutive Series....
and 1932
1932 World Series
The 1932 World Series was played between the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs , with the Yankees holding home field advantage. The Yankees swept the Cubs, four games to none...
). He also set the Yankees' team record for most triples in a season (23 in 1927). Combs batted no lower than .299 in any of his eleven seasons and scored no fewer than 113 runs from through .
In four World Series, he batted .350 with a .443 on-base average. Combs averaged 17 triples a season and had a lifetime fielding percentage seven points better than the league average. After his retirement as a player, Combs remained in the game for almost two decades. His coaching stint with the Yankees lasted through the 1944 season. He was also a 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...
for 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...
, 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 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...
.
Life after baseball
After retiring from baseball in 1954, Earle returned to his 400-acre farm in Madison CountyMadison County, Kentucky
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2008, the population was 82,192. Its county seat is Richmond. The county is named for Virginia statesman James Madison, who later became the fourth President of the United States. This is also where famous pioneer Daniel...
and remained very active. He served as the Kentucky state banking commissioner during Gov. A. B. 'Happy' Chandler’s
Happy Chandler
Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, Sr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1951 and...
second administration (1955–1959), and served on (Eastern's
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
’s) Board of Regents from 1959 until 1975. In November, 1962 he laid the foundation stone for Earle B. Combs Hall (a dormitory at Eastern). In June of 1970, the Little League field at Irvine-McDowell Park
Irvine-McDowell Park
Irvine-McDowell Park is a 20-acre city park located in Richmond, Kentucky. The park includes a playground, picnic shelter, tennis courts, an outdoor basketball court and four softball and baseball fields. Earle B. Combs Field is located there. Located at 345 Lancaster Avenue in Richmond, the park...
in Richmond was named in his honor. In 2006, Combs was inducted as a charter member of Eastern’s Athletics Hall of Fame and the University provides an athletic scholarship in his honor each year.
Combs and his wife Ruth (1902–1989) had three sons (Earle, Jr., Charles, and Donald). After a long illness, he died on July 21, 1976 (age 77) in Richmond, Kentucky
Richmond, Kentucky
There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. Of all households, 34.7% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had...
. He is interred in the Richmond
Richmond, Kentucky
There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. Of all households, 34.7% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had...
Cemetery.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples records
External links
- earlecombs.com - Official website
- The Baseball Biography Project
- Earle Combs at Find a Grave.com