Ralph Garr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ralph Garr |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: December 12, 1945 Monroe, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 3, 1968, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 4, 1980, for the California Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .306 | ||
| Home runs | 75 | ||
| Runs batted in | 408 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Ralph Allen Garr (born December 12, 1945), known as "Road Runner", is a former American baseball player. He was also a scout and coach. Ralph played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1968 to 1980. He is best known for his time with the Atlanta Braves. He also played for the Chicago White Sox and California Angels.
Ralph Garr had his best year in 1974. He was chosen as an All-Star for the National League (NL). He also won the NL batting title that year. Ralph was known for hitting the ball to all parts of the outfield. He hit for a .300 batting average or better five times in his career. In 2006, Ralph Garr was added to the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame.
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Ralph Garr's Early Life and College Baseball
Ralph Garr was born in Monroe, Louisiana. As a kid, he shined shoes at a local barber shop. After finishing high school in Ruston, Louisiana, he went to Grambling State University. This is a historically black college in Grambling, Louisiana.
In 1967, Ralph played second baseman for the Grambling State Tigers baseball team. He led the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics with an amazing .585 batting average. This helped his team finish with a 35–1 record. His great playing was even mentioned in Sports Illustrated magazine. Around the same time, the Atlanta Braves chose him in the third round of the 1967 Major League Baseball draft.
Starting His Baseball Career
Ralph Garr was a very fast runner and a good contact hitter. However, he was not as strong as an infielder. So, in 1968, he became an outfielder with the Shreveport Braves. He played in the outfield for the rest of his career. After two seasons in the minor leagues, Ralph joined the major leagues in September 1968.
He played in 11 games for the Braves. He was mostly used as a pinch hitter (someone who bats instead of another player) or a pinch runner (someone who runs the bases instead of another player). He didn't play in the field in these games. In 1969, he started the season as the Braves' main left fielder. This happened because Rico Carty was injured. When Carty came back, Ralph played some more games in September. Overall, he batted .222 in 22 games.
Ralph made the Braves team again in 1970. He played in 16 games through May. He was still known for not being the best defensive player. He then went back to the minor leagues. There, he had a great season, batting .386. He also had seven home runs and 39 stolen bases. He returned to Atlanta in September and batted .302.
Becoming the "Road Runner"
In 1970, Rico Carty got hurt and missed the entire 1971 season. Ralph Garr took this chance to shine. He batted over .400 for a while and earned the nickname "Road Runner" because of his speed. On May 17, he hit two home runs against the New York Mets. The second one won the game for the Braves.
Ralph became very popular with fans in Atlanta. The Braves even got permission to use the Looney Tunes character Road Runner on the scoreboard. A calliope (a type of organ) behind right field would go "beep-beep" every time Ralph reached first base. By the end of the season, Ralph's batting average was .343. This was the second best in the National League. He also scored 101 runs.
In 1972, Ralph's defense was still a weakness. He made 11 errors. Because of this, he lost his starting job when Rico Carty returned. Still, he played in 134 games and had a .325 batting average. This was again the second best in the league. At the end of the season, Carty was traded. This opened a permanent spot for Ralph.
Ralph had another strong year in 1973. He batted .299, hit 11 home runs, and stole 35 bases. In 1974, he had the best season of his career. He almost batted .400 for much of the first half of the season. He had 149 hits by the All-Star break. This is still a record today. He was chosen for the National League All-Star team. He finished the season with the best batting average in the league at .353. He also led the NL in hits (214) and triples (17).
After his amazing 1974 season, Ralph wanted a big raise for 1975. The Braves and Ralph went to arbitration to decide his salary. Ralph won and became the highest-paid player on the team. He was the first player in major league history to double his salary through arbitration.
In 1975, Ralph's batting average dropped to .278. However, he led the league in triples (11) for the second year in a row. On December 12, 1975, Ralph Garr was traded to the Chicago White Sox.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
In 1976, Ralph Garr's role with the Chicago White Sox was similar to his time with the Braves in 1972. He didn't have one regular outfield position. He split his playing time between all three outfield spots. He batted .300 that year.
In 1977, the White Sox improved a lot. Ralph Garr batted .300 again. His defense also got better, with a career high .987 fielding percentage.
Ralph had a tougher year in 1978, with lower numbers in most areas. His defense was also becoming an issue again.
In 1979, Ralph started the season in left field. But soon, other players began to share his position. On September 20, Ralph's contract was sold to the California Angels.
Ralph played as a designated hitter for the California Angels. He batted .167 in that role. He was released from the team on June 6, 1980.
Life After Baseball
After retiring from baseball, Ralph Garr became a part-owner of a doughnut shop in Houston, Texas. In 1984, he looked for a job in baseball. Hank Aaron, a baseball legend and Ralph's former teammate, offered him a job. Ralph became a scout and a base-running coach for the Braves' minor league teams.
Ralph Garr was honored by being inducted into several Hall of Fames:
- Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1985
- Grambling State University Alumni Hall of Fame in 1991
- Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame in 2006
- International League Hall of Fame in 2008
In the 2012 movie Trouble with the Curve, a fictional scout character is said to have signed Ralph Garr. However, the real scout who signed Ralph was Mel Didier.
Career Statistics
In his 13 seasons, Ralph Garr played in 1,317 games. He had a career batting average of .306. He scored 717 runs, hit 212 doubles, 64 triples, and 75 home runs. He also had 408 runs batted in and 172 stolen bases. His career fielding percentage was .968 while playing all three outfield positions.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
