Billy Werber

From SoSH

William Murray Werber (born June 20, 1908 in Berwyn, Maryland) was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 25, 1930 with the New York Yankees. Werber had an 11-year career as a third baseman and spent four seasons with the Boston Red Sox from 1933 to 1936. He hit .271 with 78 home runs and 539 RBI in 1295 games.

Contents 1 Overall Career 2 Werber's Moments in the Sun 3 Achievements 4 Trivia 5 Transactions 6 External Links

Overall Career

After appearing in only four games for the Yankees in 1930, Werber was sent to the minor leagues. He returned to New York in 1933 but was soon traded to the Red Sox where he played the season as a utility infielder at shortstop, second and third base.

In 1934, Werber was installed as Boston's starting third baseman. He responded with a career-high .321 batting average, including 200 hits; led the American League with 40 stolen bases, and posted double digits in doubles (41), triples (10) and home runs (11). Following two more successful seasons with Boston, Werber was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics in a trade that sent Pinky Higgins to Boston.

Werber went on to win a World Series ring with the Reds in 1940 before ending his career with the New York Giants in 1941.

Following his retirement from baseball, Werber went on to a successful life in the business world. His contributions to civic and philanthropic causes earned him honors from his alma mater, Duke University

Werber's Moments in the Sun

• Appeared in the 1939 and 1940 World Series with the Reds.
• He was the first player to hit four consecutive doubles in one AL game (7/17/35) and on May 13, 1940 became the only man to do so in both leagues.

Achievements

• NL Runs Scored Leader (1939)
• 3-time AL Stolen Bases Leader (1934, 1935 & 1937)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 3 (1934, 1939 & 1940)

Trivia

• Werber, the first All-American basketball player at Duke University, signed with the Yankees after his senior year.
• He was the first player to bat in a televised game, leading off for the Reds against Brooklyn, August 26, 1939.
• Once stole home in the ninth inning to give the A's a 7-6 win over the Senators.
• The last living teammate of Babe Ruth.
• Inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1961.
• Regarded as one of the most aggresive baserunners of the 1930s, Werber won the AL basestealing title with the Red Sox in 1934 and 1935 and tied for it while with the A's in 1937.

Transactions

• May 12, 1933: Purchased by the Boston Red Sox from the New York Yankees.
• December 9, 1936: Traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Philadelphia Athletics for Pinky Higgins.
• March 16, 1939: Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the Philadelphia Athletics.
• December 10, 1941: Purchased by the New York Giants from the Cincinnati Reds.

External Links

• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis