Norm Cash
Encyclopedia
Norman Dalton Cash was an American
first baseman
in Major League Baseball
who spent almost his entire career with the Detroit Tigers
. An outstanding power hitter, his 377 career home run
s were the fourth most by an American League
left-handed hitter when he retired, behind Babe Ruth
, Ted Williams
and Lou Gehrig
; his 373 home runs with the Tigers rank second in franchise history behind his teammate Al Kaline
(399). He also led the AL in assists
three times and fielding percentage
twice; he ranked among the all-time leaders in assists (4th, 1317) and double play
s (10th, 1347) upon his retirement, and was fifth in AL history in games at first base (1943). He was known to fans and teammates during his playing days as "Stormin' Norman."
, Garza County, Texas
, and attended (what was then) Sul Ross State Teachers College, where he was All-Lone Star Conference in football
as well as playing baseball; he was drafted by the Chicago Bears
as a running back in 1955, but declined to play pro football. After signing with the Chicago White Sox
in 1955, he spent 1957 in the military and made his debut with the team in , seeing limited play as an outfielder and pinch hitter. He appeared in 58 games for the pennant-winners, but the midseason acquisition of Ted Kluszewski
left him on the bench, and he was hitless in four pinch-hitting appearances in the World Series
. In December of that year he was traded to the Cleveland Indians
in an eight-player deal that brought Minnie Miñoso back to Chicago, but the Indians general manager
Frank Lane
traded Cash to Detroit for Steve Demeter
, who would play only four more games; both Chicago and Cleveland were haunted by Cash for the next 15 years, as he won a batting title
and a World Series
ring in a Detroit uniform.
In 1960, Cash grounded into no double plays, the first American League player to accomplish that since league records on this stat were started in 1940.
He enjoyed his breakout season in , leading the AL with a .361 average and 41 home runs (6th in the AL), 132 runs batted in
(4th), 119 runs scored
(4th), 124 walks
(2nd) for a .488 on base percentage
(1st), and 354 total bases
(2nd) for a .662 slugging average (2nd); but his season was overshadowed by the 61 home runs of Roger Maris
, and teammate Rocky Colavito
finished with more home runs and RBI. Still, his .361 average would be the highest by any major league player in the 1960s. The Tigers finished 101-61 for their best regular season record since 1934, and scored the most runs in baseball, though they finished second in the AL, eight games behind the New York Yankees
; Cash was 4th in the MVP
voting. In addition, Cash later admitted to using an illegal corked bat
during the 1961 season, demonstrating how he had drilled a hole in his bats and filled it with a mixture of sawdust, cork and glue. His 1961 statistics turned out to be career highs which he rarely approached again – in later years, he never reached 100 runs or 100 RBI, and never batted above .283. His 118-point drop to a .243 average in was the largest ever by a batting champion.
Cash later said of the 1961 season: "It was a freak. Even at the time, I realized that. Everything I hit seemed to drop in, even when I didn't make good contact. I never thought I'd do it again."
Pitcher Mickey Lolich
once asked Cash why he never hit for a high average after that season. "He told me, `Jim Campbell
pays me to hit home runs,'" said Lolich, referring to the team's general manager in those years. "Norm then said, `I can get hits if I want to, just watch tomorrow.' The next day he went 3-for-4."
On June 11, 1961, Cash becomes 1st Detroit Tiger to hit a ball out of Tiger Stadium. Cash hit the ball over Tiger Stadium's right field roof four times in his career.
On June 27, 1963, he played an entire game at 1B without a chance, as the Minnesota Twins won 10-6.http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1963/B06270MIN1963.htm
Even on his own team, Cash was overshadowed by his future Hall-of-Fame roommate Kaline. But although his batting average fell off sharply after 1961, Cash hit 30 or more homers four more times, and at least 20 in ten of the next eleven seasons; he also finished second in the league in home runs three times (1962 Killebrew, 1965 T.Conigliaro, and 1971 Bill Melton), with the Tigers finishing among the AL's top three scoring teams every year from 1961 through 1968.
Cash was also considered one of the better defensive first baseman of the 1960s, leading the league in putout
s (1961), fielding percentage (1964, 1967) and assists (1965–67).
In the 1968 World Series
, Cash hit .385 (10-26) with one home run. With 2 out in the 7th inning of Game 7, Cash singled to start a 3-run rally that broke a scoreless tie and propelled the team to its first title since 1945. He later hit a home run to give Detroit a 1-0 lead in Game 1 of the 1972 American League Championship Series
, though the Tigers went on to lose both the game and the series.
He was released by the Tigers in August after hitting .228 in 53 games.
, 41 triples
, 43 stolen base
s, a .374 on base percentage, and a .488 slugging average in 2089 games. He holds Tigers career defensive records at first base in games (1912), putouts (14,926), assists (1303), and double plays (1328), having broken the marks set by Hank Greenberg
and Rudy York
.
Cash summed up his success as follows: "I owe my success to expansion pitching, a short right-field fence, and my hollow bats." Later in his career, Cash claimed he used a corked bat
in 1961, even showing Sports Illustrated
how he made one.
On July 15, 1973, as Nolan Ryan
was working on his second career no-hitter, Cash went to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth (after striking out his previous three at bats), holding a table leg from the clubhouse instead of a regulation bat. The stunt drew immediate action by the umpire, who ordered Cash to use a legal bat. Cash popped out using a regulation bat to end the game. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070612&content_id=2021545&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Ernie Harwell
, the Tigers' announcer, had called it a piano leg in his broadcast, leading to the more popular version of the prank.
Teammate Jim Northrup told the story as follows: "In his last at-bat, Norm walked up to the plate with a table leg from the locker room. The plate umpire, Ron Luciano
, says, `You can't use that up here.' Cash says, `Why not, I won't hit him anyway.' He then gets a bat, strikes out on three pitches, and walking away he says to Luciano, `See, I told ya.'"
"When you mention Norm Cash, I just smile," said Al Kaline
, who had a locker adjacent to Cash's for years. "He was just a fun guy to be around and a great teammate. He always came ready to play."
Once Cash was trapped between first and second base about to be tagged out. He stopped in his tracks and formed a "T" with his hands to call time-out. There was also a time when Cash missed a foul ball in the stands, turned a little boy's cap around, stuck his hand into the young fan's popcorn box and said, "Thanks, kid," as the boy looked up in bewilderment.
One trick Cash frequently tried, occurred when play resumed after a rain delay, Northrup recalled. "If Norman was on second before the rain delay, he would go to third," Northrup said. "If he was on first, he would go to second." Northrup said: "Norm had more fun than anybody."
Cash was also noted for never wearing a batting helmet during his playing career, being one of the few players who was permitted not to do so after helmets were mandated in .
, a professional softball team, and played two seasons (1977–1978). The Caesars played in the American Professional Slow Pitch Softball League (APSPL), winning league titles in both seasons with Cash. The team was owned by Mike Ilitch
who would later become the owner of the Detroit Tigers. The Caesars had extensive talent from the amateur softball leagues, and both Cash and fellow former-Tiger Jim Northrup played part-time roles.
Cash was a broadcaster for ABC's baseball broadcasts in , and also was an announcer for Tigers cable broadcasts from 1981 to 1983.
In October 1986, Cash drowned
in an accident off Beaver Island
in northern Lake Michigan
when he slipped while aboard a boat, fell, and struck his head. His body was discovered about 11 a.m. in 15 feet of water off Beaver Island
. He is buried in Pine Lake Cemetery, West Bloomfield, Michigan.
On April 23, 2005, the high school and Little League
baseball field in Post, Texas
was dedicated to Cash. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
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 spent almost his entire career with 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...
. An outstanding power hitter, his 377 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...
s were the fourth most by an 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...
left-handed hitter when he retired, behind 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...
, Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
and 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...
; his 373 home runs with the Tigers rank second in franchise history behind his teammate Al Kaline
Al Kaline
Albert William "Al" Kaline is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kaline played his entire 22-year baseball career with the Detroit Tigers. Kaline still works for the Tigers as a front office official. Because of his lengthy career and...
(399). He also led the AL in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
three times and fielding percentage
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...
twice; he ranked among the all-time leaders in assists (4th, 1317) and 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 (10th, 1347) upon his retirement, and was fifth in AL history in games at first base (1943). He was known to fans and teammates during his playing days as "Stormin' Norman."
Early life and career
Cash was born in JusticeburgJusticeburg, Texas
Justiceburg is an unincorporated community in Garza County, Texas, United States. It is located along the Double Mountain Fork Brazos River, 15 miles southeast of the county seat, Post.-Geography:...
, Garza County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and attended (what was then) Sul Ross State Teachers College, where he was All-Lone Star Conference in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
as well as playing baseball; he was drafted by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as a running back in 1955, but declined to play pro football. After signing with 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...
in 1955, he spent 1957 in the military and made his debut with the team in , seeing limited play as an outfielder and pinch hitter. He appeared in 58 games for the pennant-winners, but the midseason acquisition of Ted Kluszewski
Ted Kluszewski
Theodore Bernard "Big Klu" Kluszewski was a Major League first baseman from 1947 through 1961. He batted and threw left-handed.-Career:...
left him on the bench, and he was hitless in four pinch-hitting appearances in the World Series
1959 World Series
The 1959 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers beating the American League champion Chicago White Sox, four games to two. It was the first pennant for the White Sox in 40 years . They would have to wait until 2005 to win another championship...
. In December of that year he was traded to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland 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...
in an eight-player deal that brought Minnie Miñoso back to Chicago, but the Indians general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
Frank Lane
Frank Lane
Frank Lane was an American executive in professional baseball, most notably serving as a general manager in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox, St...
traded Cash to Detroit for Steve Demeter
Steve Demeter
Stephen Demeter is a former United States Major League Baseball third baseman who played for two seasons. He played for the Detroit Tigers in 1959 and the Cleveland Indians in 1960 and was a fixture of the Rochester Red Wings teams of the mid-1960s, hitting 272 minor league home runs.-External...
, who would play only four more games; both Chicago and Cleveland were haunted by Cash for the next 15 years, as he won a batting title
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 :...
and a 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...
ring in a Detroit uniform.
Detroit Tigers
Cash filled the middle of the Tigers lineup for 15 seasons as part of one of the sport's top offenses.In 1960, Cash grounded into no double plays, the first American League player to accomplish that since league records on this stat were started in 1940.
He enjoyed his breakout season in , leading the AL with a .361 average and 41 home runs (6th in the AL), 132 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...
(4th), 119 runs scored
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...
(4th), 124 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
(2nd) for a .488 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...
(1st), and 354 total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
(2nd) for a .662 slugging average (2nd); but his season was overshadowed by the 61 home runs of Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
, and teammate Rocky Colavito
Rocky Colavito
Rocco Domenico "Rocky" Colavito, Jr. is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Cleveland Indians. He wore a #6, #7 or #21 jersey during his MLB career...
finished with more home runs and RBI. Still, his .361 average would be the highest by any major league player in the 1960s. The Tigers finished 101-61 for their best regular season record since 1934, and scored the most runs in baseball, though they finished second in the AL, eight games behind 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...
; Cash was 4th in the 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. In addition, Cash later admitted to using an illegal corked bat
Corked bat
In baseball, a corked bat is a specially modified baseball bat that has been filled with cork or other lighter, less dense substances to make the bat lighter without losing much power. A lighter bat gives a hitter a quicker swing and may improve the hitter's timing...
during the 1961 season, demonstrating how he had drilled a hole in his bats and filled it with a mixture of sawdust, cork and glue. His 1961 statistics turned out to be career highs which he rarely approached again – in later years, he never reached 100 runs or 100 RBI, and never batted above .283. His 118-point drop to a .243 average in was the largest ever by a batting champion.
Cash later said of the 1961 season: "It was a freak. Even at the time, I realized that. Everything I hit seemed to drop in, even when I didn't make good contact. I never thought I'd do it again."
Pitcher Mickey Lolich
Mickey Lolich
Michael Stephen Lolich is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1962 until 1979 who played the majority of his career with the Detroit Tigers.-Baseball career:...
once asked Cash why he never hit for a high average after that season. "He told me, `Jim Campbell
Jim Campbell (baseball executive)
James A. "Jim" Campbell was an American baseball executive in Major League Baseball. He served 43 seasons with the Detroit Tigers organization, 27 of them as either general manager or president....
pays me to hit home runs,'" said Lolich, referring to the team's general manager in those years. "Norm then said, `I can get hits if I want to, just watch tomorrow.' The next day he went 3-for-4."
On June 11, 1961, Cash becomes 1st Detroit Tiger to hit a ball out of Tiger Stadium. Cash hit the ball over Tiger Stadium's right field roof four times in his career.
On June 27, 1963, he played an entire game at 1B without a chance, as the Minnesota Twins won 10-6.http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1963/B06270MIN1963.htm
Even on his own team, Cash was overshadowed by his future Hall-of-Fame roommate Kaline. But although his batting average fell off sharply after 1961, Cash hit 30 or more homers four more times, and at least 20 in ten of the next eleven seasons; he also finished second in the league in home runs three times (1962 Killebrew, 1965 T.Conigliaro, and 1971 Bill Melton), with the Tigers finishing among the AL's top three scoring teams every year from 1961 through 1968.
Cash was also considered one of the better defensive first baseman of the 1960s, leading the league in 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 (1961), fielding percentage (1964, 1967) and assists (1965–67).
In the 1968 World Series
1968 World Series
The 1968 World Series featured the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Tigers winning in seven games for their first championship since 1945, and the third in their history...
, Cash hit .385 (10-26) with one home run. With 2 out in the 7th inning of Game 7, Cash singled to start a 3-run rally that broke a scoreless tie and propelled the team to its first title since 1945. He later hit a home run to give Detroit a 1-0 lead in Game 1 of the 1972 American League Championship Series
1972 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 7, 1972 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaGame 1 pitted ace pitchers Catfish Hunter for the A's and Mickey Lolich for the Tigers, and, as expected, both were brilliant...
, though the Tigers went on to lose both the game and the series.
He was released by the Tigers in August after hitting .228 in 53 games.
Career statistics
Cash was a career .271 hitter with 377 home runs, 1103 RBI, 1046 runs, 1820 hits, 241 doublesDouble (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....
, 41 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....
, 43 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, a .374 on base percentage, and a .488 slugging average in 2089 games. He holds Tigers career defensive records at first base in games (1912), putouts (14,926), assists (1303), and double plays (1328), having broken the marks set by 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...
and Rudy York
Rudy York
Preston Rudolph York was a Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Athletics . York was born in Ragland, Alabama...
.
Cash summed up his success as follows: "I owe my success to expansion pitching, a short right-field fence, and my hollow bats." Later in his career, Cash claimed he used a corked bat
Corked bat
In baseball, a corked bat is a specially modified baseball bat that has been filled with cork or other lighter, less dense substances to make the bat lighter without losing much power. A lighter bat gives a hitter a quicker swing and may improve the hitter's timing...
in 1961, even showing Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
how he made one.
Relationship with fans and players
Apart from his batting accomplishments, Cash was a favorite with his teammates, the media, and Tiger fans. He was known for his hard-living and his sense of humor.On July 15, 1973, as Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
was working on his second career no-hitter, Cash went to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth (after striking out his previous three at bats), holding a table leg from the clubhouse instead of a regulation bat. The stunt drew immediate action by the umpire, who ordered Cash to use a legal bat. Cash popped out using a regulation bat to end the game. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070612&content_id=2021545&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Ernie Harwell
Ernie Harwell
William Earnest "Ernie" Harwell was an American sportscaster, known for his long career calling play-by-play of Major League Baseball games. For 55 years, 42 of them with the Detroit Tigers, Harwell called the action on radio and/or television...
, the Tigers' announcer, had called it a piano leg in his broadcast, leading to the more popular version of the prank.
Teammate Jim Northrup told the story as follows: "In his last at-bat, Norm walked up to the plate with a table leg from the locker room. The plate umpire, Ron Luciano
Ron Luciano
Ronald Michael Luciano was an American Major League Baseball umpire from 1969 to 1979 in the American League...
, says, `You can't use that up here.' Cash says, `Why not, I won't hit him anyway.' He then gets a bat, strikes out on three pitches, and walking away he says to Luciano, `See, I told ya.'"
"When you mention Norm Cash, I just smile," said Al Kaline
Al Kaline
Albert William "Al" Kaline is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kaline played his entire 22-year baseball career with the Detroit Tigers. Kaline still works for the Tigers as a front office official. Because of his lengthy career and...
, who had a locker adjacent to Cash's for years. "He was just a fun guy to be around and a great teammate. He always came ready to play."
Once Cash was trapped between first and second base about to be tagged out. He stopped in his tracks and formed a "T" with his hands to call time-out. There was also a time when Cash missed a foul ball in the stands, turned a little boy's cap around, stuck his hand into the young fan's popcorn box and said, "Thanks, kid," as the boy looked up in bewilderment.
One trick Cash frequently tried, occurred when play resumed after a rain delay, Northrup recalled. "If Norman was on second before the rain delay, he would go to third," Northrup said. "If he was on first, he would go to second." Northrup said: "Norm had more fun than anybody."
Cash was also noted for never wearing a batting helmet during his playing career, being one of the few players who was permitted not to do so after helmets were mandated in .
Later life
After retiring from baseball, Cash signed with the Detroit CaesarsDetroit Caesars
The Detroit Caesars were a professional softball team that began play in the American Professional Slow Pitch Softball League in 1977, the first of three professional softball leagues.-History:...
, a professional softball team, and played two seasons (1977–1978). The Caesars played in the American Professional Slow Pitch Softball League (APSPL), winning league titles in both seasons with Cash. The team was owned by Mike Ilitch
Mike Ilitch
Michael "Mike" Ilitch Sr. is an American entrepreneur and owner of the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers. In addition to his sports ownerships, he is the founder and owner of Little Caesars Pizza since 1959, which has become an international fast food franchise...
who would later become the owner of the Detroit Tigers. The Caesars had extensive talent from the amateur softball leagues, and both Cash and fellow former-Tiger Jim Northrup played part-time roles.
Cash was a broadcaster for ABC's baseball broadcasts in , and also was an announcer for Tigers cable broadcasts from 1981 to 1983.
In October 1986, Cash drowned
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
in an accident off Beaver Island
Beaver Island (Lake Michigan)
Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan and part of the Beaver Island archipelago. Once home to a unique American monarchy, the island is now a popular tourist and vacation destination....
in northern Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
when he slipped while aboard a boat, fell, and struck his head. His body was discovered about 11 a.m. in 15 feet of water off Beaver Island
Beaver Island (Lake Michigan)
Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan and part of the Beaver Island archipelago. Once home to a unique American monarchy, the island is now a popular tourist and vacation destination....
. He is buried in Pine Lake Cemetery, West Bloomfield, Michigan.
On April 23, 2005, the high school and Little League
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
baseball field in Post, Texas
Post, Texas
Post is a city in and the county seat of Garza County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,708 at the 2000 census.There are many ranchers and civic boosters in Garza County, among them Giles McCrary, a former mayor who operates the OS Museum, a hybrid of exhibits from both the American West...
was dedicated to Cash. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.
See also
- 1961 Detroit Tigers season1961 Detroit Tigers seasonThe Detroit Tigers won 101 games but finished in second place, eight games behind the Yankees. The team's 1961 record tied the 1934 Tigers team record of 101 wins, and only twice in team history have the Tigers won more games: 1968 and 1984 .- Offseason :On January 1, the Tigers' home park,...
- 1968 Detroit Tigers season1968 Detroit Tigers seasonThe Detroit Tigers won the 1968 World Series, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 3. The 1968 baseball season, known as the "Year of the Pitcher," was the Tigers' 68th since they entered the American League in 1901, their eighth pennant, and third World Series championship...
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- Alpine CowboysAlpine CowboysThe Alpine Cowboys are a professional baseball team based in Alpine, Texas, in the Big Bend region of West Texas. The Cowboys are a franchise of the Pecos League, which is not affiliated with Major or Minor League Baseball...
External links
- BaseballLibrary - biography and career highlights