Enos Slaughter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Enos Slaughter |
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Slaughter with the Cardinals in 1948
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: April 27, 1916 Roxboro, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Died: August 12, 2002 (aged 86) Durham, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 19, 1938, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 1959, for the Milwaukee Braves | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .300 | ||
| Hits | 2,383 | ||
| Home runs | 169 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,304 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1985 | ||
| Election Method | Veterans Committee | ||
Enos Bradsher Slaughter (born April 27, 1916 – died August 12, 2002) was a famous American baseball player. People often called him "Country". He played as a right fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 19 seasons.
Enos Slaughter played for four different major league teams. He is best known for his time with the St. Louis Cardinals. He made a very famous play in the 1946 World Series, scoring the winning run for the Cardinals. He was chosen as an All-Star ten times. Enos Slaughter is honored in both the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.
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Early Life
Enos Slaughter was born in Roxboro, North Carolina. This is where he got his nickname, "Country." In 1935, a baseball scout named Billy Southworth discovered him. Billy signed Enos to play for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Baseball Career
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Enos Slaughter began his professional baseball career in 1935. His first team was the Martinsville Manufacturers. Later, while playing in the minor leagues for a team in Columbus, Georgia, something important happened. Enos was running from the outfield to the dugout. He slowed down as he got closer to the infield.
His manager, Eddie Dyer, noticed this. He told Enos, "Son, if you're tired, we'll try to get you some help." From that day on, Enos Slaughter ran everywhere he went on a baseball field. He was known for his incredible hustle. In 1937, he had a great year for Columbus, getting 245 hits and scoring 147 runs.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Enos Slaughter was a left-handed batter and a right-handed thrower. He was famous for his smooth swing. This made him a very reliable "contact" hitter, meaning he often made good contact with the ball. During his major league career, Enos had 2,383 hits. He also hit 169 home runs and had 1,304 RBI (Runs Batted In) in 2,380 games.
He played for 19 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, and Milwaukee Braves. During this time, he was a ten-time All-Star. He also played in five World Series championships. His 1,820 games played ranks fifth in Cardinals' history.
World War II Service
Enos Slaughter served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a sergeant and taught physical education. He helped create baseball teams for soldiers in places like Tinian and Saipan. These games were very popular and helped boost the spirits of the troops. Sometimes, more than 20,000 people would watch these games.
The Famous "Mad Dash"
Right after returning from his military service in 1946, Enos had an amazing season. He led the National League with 130 RBI. He also helped the Cardinals win the 1946 World Series against the Boston Red Sox. In the final game of that series, Enos made a legendary play.
In the eighth inning, he was on first base. His teammate Harry Walker hit the ball. Enos started running towards home plate from first base. This famous play is known as "Mad Dash." He scored the winning run after a delayed throw by the Red Sox' Johnny Pesky. This play was later named one of baseball's greatest moments.
Enos Slaughter was well-known for his intense playing style. He always ran hard, even on walks to first base. Other famous players like Pete Rose and David Eckstein later copied this habit.
Playing Style and Incidents
Enos Slaughter was a very competitive player. He was known for his rough playing style. In one game, he accidentally injured Jackie Robinson with his shoe spikes. This caused a cut on Robinson's leg. Enos said that the injury was not on purpose. He explained that it was just part of his tough way of playing the game. Other people who watched the game at the time also said it was an accident.
Later Years with the Yankees
When Enos Slaughter played for the New York Yankees, he didn't play as often. However, he was excellent as a pinch hitter. A pinch hitter is a player who bats in place of another player. In Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, he played left field. His teammate Don Larsen pitched a perfect game in that game, which the Yankees won 2–0. At 40 years old, Enos was the oldest player in that game.
After Baseball
Enos Slaughter stopped playing major league baseball in 1959. After that, he became a player-manager for the Houston Buffs in 1960. He also managed the Raleigh Capitals in 1961. From 1971 to 1977, Enos coached baseball at Duke University. He also helped many good causes, like the Duke Children's Classic.
Family and Later Life
Enos Slaughter had four daughters: Gaye, Patricia, Rhonda, and Sharon. His cousin, Henry Slaughter, was a well-known southern gospel musician. Enos also helped mentor Lou Brock when Lou joined the Cardinals.
Enos Slaughter passed away on August 12, 2002, at the age of 86. He had been battling a type of cancer called non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He was buried at Allensville United Methodist Church in Person County, North Carolina.
Awards and Honors
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| Enos Slaughter's number 9 was retired by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996. |
Enos Slaughter was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985. This is one of the highest honors a baseball player can receive.
The St. Louis Cardinals honored him by retiring his jersey number 9. This means no other Cardinals player will ever wear that number again. They did this on September 6, 1996.
In 1999, the Cardinals put up a statue of Enos Slaughter. The statue shows his famous "Mad Dash" play. Enos often attended events at Busch Stadium II to honor other great Cardinals players.
In 2013, Enos Slaughter was honored with the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award. This award recognized his service in the United States Army Air Force during World War II.
In January 2014, the Cardinals announced that Enos Slaughter would be part of the first group of players inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum.
See Also
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
