Gene Green (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gene Green |
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| Outfielder / Catcher | |||
| Born: June 26, 1933 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Died: May 23, 1981 (aged 47) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 10, 1957, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 1963, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .267 | ||
| Home runs | 46 | ||
| Runs batted in | 160 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Gene Leroy Green (born June 26, 1933 – died May 23, 1981) was an American Major League Baseball player. He played as an outfielder and catcher. Gene Green played for seven seasons in the MLB.
He played for several teams during his career. These included the St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and Cincinnati Reds. He batted and threw with his right hand. He was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 200 pounds.
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Gene Green's Baseball Journey
Gene Green was born in Los Angeles. The St. Louis Cardinals signed him in 1952. He spent six years playing in the Cardinals' minor league system. During this time, he hit more than 20 home runs four times.
Starting in the Major Leagues
Green was called up to the St. Louis Cardinals in September 1957. In 1958, he played his best season with the Cardinals. He played in 137 games, which was his career high. He also had 124 hits and a .281 batting average. He played 71 games in right field and 48 games as a catcher.
In 1959, Green played in only 30 games for St. Louis. He spent most of that season in the minor leagues. Later that year, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles kept him in their Triple-A team for most of 1960. He was called up in September and played one game as a starting right fielder.
Playing for the Washington Senators
In 1961, two new teams joined the American League. One of these was a new expansion team, the Washington Senators. This gave Green a chance to play in the big leagues again. The Senators chose him in the expansion draft.
Green led the 1961 Senators team in home runs with 18. This was his personal best. He also had a high slugging percentage of .489. He started 75 games as a catcher and 21 games in right field. His 62 runs batted in (RBIs) were also a career high.
Moving to the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds
After the 1961 season, Green was traded to the Cleveland Indians. This trade happened on October 5, just after the season ended. He was traded along with pitcher Dick Donovan and infielder Jim Mahoney. In return, the Senators received centerfielder Jimmy Piersall.
For the 1962 Indians, Green played as a utility player and pinch hitter. He hit 11 home runs in only 143 at bats. This means he hit a home run about every 13 times he batted. His batting average was .281, matching his 1958 season.
In 1963, Green had a tougher start with Cleveland. By August 1, he was batting only .205 with two home runs. He was then traded to the Cincinnati Reds for catcher Sammy Taylor. He played limited games for the Reds, batting .226. This was his last year in the major leagues. Green played in the minor leagues in 1964 before ending his professional baseball career.
Gene Green passed away in St. Louis, Missouri, when he was 47 years old.
Gene Green's Baseball Stats
Gene Green was a good player who could hit for power. He was often used as a pinch hitter during his career.
Career Highlights and Numbers
Here are some of his career totals:
- He played in 408 games.
- He had 307 hits.
- He hit 46 home runs.
- He had 160 RBIs.
- His career batting average was .267.
Some of his best games included:
- A four-hit game on June 8, 1958, against the Philadelphia Phillies. He hit two doubles and two singles.
- Thirteen three-hit games. One impressive game was on June 27, 1961, against the Indians. He hit two home runs and a single, which led to five RBIs.
- Another great game was on August 12, 1962, against his old team, the Senators. He hit two home runs and had four RBIs.
