Del Ennis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Del Ennis |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Ennis in 1953
|
|||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: June 8, 1925 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
|||
| Died: February 8, 1996 (aged 70) Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| April 28, 1946, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 14, 1959, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .284 | ||
| Hits | 2,063 | ||
| Home runs | 288 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,284 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Delmer Ennis (born June 8, 1925 – died February 8, 1996) was an American professional baseball player. He was an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Del played from 1946 to 1959 for several teams. These included the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago White Sox.
From 1949 to 1957, Del Ennis was one of the best players in the National League (NL). He had more runs batted in (RBI) than almost anyone else. He also ranked high in home runs. In 1950, Ennis led the NL with 126 RBI. This helped the Phillies win their first championship in 35 years. He held the Phillies' record for career home runs for many years.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Del Ennis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents were George and Agnes Ennis. He played both baseball and football in high school. Scouts noticed his talent in baseball.
A scout for the Philadelphia Phillies saw Ennis hit two long home runs. The scout, Jocko Collins, wanted to sign him. Del was not sure he was ready for a baseball career. In 1942, he signed with the Phillies. But the league stopped playing due to World War II.
Ennis signed again in 1943. He played well for a Phillies minor league team. He hit .348 with 19 home runs. In September 1943, Del joined the United States Navy. He served in the Pacific Ocean during the war. He also played baseball on a Navy team with other famous players.
Del Ennis was a Petty Officer Third Class. Playing with major league players in the Navy helped him get better. He was discharged from the Navy in April 1946. Soon after, he joined the Phillies' main team.
Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies
Del Ennis made his MLB debut on April 28, 1946. He quickly became the starting left fielder for the Phillies. On May 5, he hit his first two home runs in one game. On his birthday, June 8, 1946, he broke up a perfect game attempt. He hit a single with only four outs left.
Fans in Philadelphia held a special "Del Ennis Night" for him. Over 36,000 people came to the game. Ennis helped the Phillies win that night. He was known for hitting home runs and hard line drives. He was also a good outfielder and fast on the bases.
Just eleven weeks after his first game, Ennis was chosen for the All-Star team. He was the first Phillies rookie to do so. He also won the first ever Sporting News Rookie Award. He finished his first season batting .313 with 17 home runs.
In 1948, Ennis hit 30 home runs and drove in 95 runs. This was a new Phillies record for right-handed batters. In 1949, he hit .302 with 25 homers and 110 RBI.
The 1950 "Whiz Kids" Season
Del Ennis had his best season in 1950. He hit .311 with a career-high 31 home runs. He also led the league with 126 RBI. He was a key player on the 1950 Phillies team. This team was called the "Whiz Kids." They won the National League championship. It was the Phillies' first championship since 1915.
The Phillies played in the World Series that year. They lost to the New York Yankees. Ennis finished fourth in the Most Valuable Player Award voting.
From 1952 to 1955, Ennis continued to play very well. He had four seasons with over 20 home runs and 100 RBI. He was also named to the All-Star team in 1951 and 1955. In 1956, he became the Phillies' all-time home run leader. He held this record until 1980.
On August 25, 1955, the Phillies honored Ennis. They celebrated him for driving in more runs than any other player in team history. Fans gave him many gifts, including a car and a TV. The Phillies won both games that day. Ennis added four RBI to his record.
Del Ennis was the first Phillies player in the modern era to reach 1,000 runs batted in. His 259 home runs with the Phillies rank third in team history. His 1,124 RBIs also rank third. Phillies broadcasters often called him "Ding Dong Del" or "Ennis the Menace."
Later Career
In 1956, Ennis broke another Phillies record. He played more games with the team than anyone before him. Before the 1957 season, the Phillies traded Ennis to the St. Louis Cardinals. He played well in 1957. He had a .286 batting average, 26 home runs, and 105 RBI. He finished second in the league in RBI.
His performance dropped in 1958. In 1959, he played for the Cincinnati Redlegs and the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox won their league championship that year. Ennis was traded to the White Sox in May 1959. He played as their starting left fielder for a short time. He had some game-winning hits for them.
However, Ennis was released by the White Sox in June 1959. This ended his 14-season career. He did not play in the 1959 World Series.
In his career, Ennis had a .284 batting average. He hit 288 home runs and had 2,063 hits. He also had 1,284 RBI and scored 985 runs. He played in 1,903 games. He was also a good defensive player.
Sometimes, fans in Philadelphia were very tough on Del Ennis. Even when he made a mistake, they would react strongly. For example, in one game in 1954, he dropped a fly ball. Three runs scored because of it. The fans were very upset. But later in the same game, Ennis hit a home run. This home run won the game for the Phillies. This showed his ability to bounce back.
Later Life
After he stopped playing baseball, Del Ennis owned a bowling alley. It was called Del Ennis Lanes. He also raised greyhound race dogs. He even named some of his dogs after his famous 1950 "Whiz Kids" teammates.
Ennis also coached baseball for a year at Penn State University. In 1983, he was named to the Philadelphia Phillies Centennial Team. There is a special plaque honoring him on the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame at the Phillies' ballpark.
Memories from Del Ennis
Del Ennis shared some memories about his career:
- "I didn't expect to stay with the Phillies at first. I didn't have spring training in 1946. But I got into the starting lineup. In my second game, I hit a double with the bases loaded to win the game."
- He took great care of his bats. "I used to put my bats in linseed oil all winter. Then I would dry them out before spring training. This made them harder." He said he and teammate Andy Seminick used the same bat all year in 1950.
- He remembered a game where he hit three home runs and seven RBI. But he popped out his fourth time up. "They booed the daylights out of me," he said.
- He also talked about how pitchers played in his time. "Pitchers would throw close to you. We didn't wear helmets back then."
Del Ennis passed away in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, at age 70. He died from complications of diabetes.
Baseball Achievements
- On June 2, 1949, the Phillies hit five home runs in one inning. Ennis hit one of them. This tied a major league record.
- In September 1952, Ennis hit a home run in the 17th inning. This won the game for the Phillies.
- He drove in six runs in a single game on July 30, 1953.
- On July 23, 1955, he hit three home runs in one game. He drove in all 7 runs for the Phillies.
- Three times in his career, Ennis broke up a no-hit game. This means he got the first hit against a pitcher who had not allowed any hits yet.
1950 Season Highlights
- Del Ennis's salary in 1950 was $30,000. This was the highest ever paid to a Phillies player at that time.
- He hit home runs in four straight games twice in 1950.
- On July 27, he hit a grand slam and had seven RBI against the Chicago Cubs. The Phillies won 13–3.
- On July 30, he hit his second grand slam in three days. He also hit a two-run homer in another game that day. He had 41 RBI in July, a new Phillies record for a single month.
- On August 16, Ennis hit his 26th home run of the season. This helped the Phillies beat the Boston Braves.
- On August 21, Ennis got his 100th RBI of the season. This helped the Phillies win and keep their lead in the league.
- On September 15, Ennis had five hits in a doubleheader. He had a three-RBI double in one game. The Phillies won both games.
- On September 24, Ennis hit a home run and three singles. He had four RBI. This helped the Phillies win a close game as they neared the end of their championship season.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
