Skeeter Webb facts for kids

James Laverne "Skeeter" Webb (born November 4, 1909 – died July 8, 1986) was an American baseball player. He was an infielder, meaning he played positions like shortstop or second base. Skeeter played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 12 seasons, from 1932 to 1948. He played for several teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Philadelphia Athletics. One of his biggest achievements was winning the World Series with the Detroit Tigers in 1945.

Early Life

Skeeter Webb was born in Meridian, Mississippi, in 1909. He went to the University of Mississippi, where he joined a group called Sigma Nu.

Playing Baseball

Starting with the Cardinals

Skeeter began his journey in Major League Baseball on July 20, 1932, when he was 23 years old. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals. However, he only played in one game that year and didn't get a chance to bat.

Time in the Minor Leagues

After his short time with the Cardinals, Skeeter didn't play in the major leagues again for six years. From 1932 to 1937, he played for six different minor league teams. These included the Springfield Senators and the Cedar Rapids Raiders. In 1935, while playing for Cedar Rapids, he had his best batting average of .320.

Playing for the Cleveland Indians

In April 1938, Skeeter joined the Cleveland Indians. In 1939, he played in 81 games as a shortstop for the Indians. He had a batting average of .264, which was his highest in the major leagues. That same year, he also played for the Buffalo Bisons in the International League.

Time with the Chicago White Sox

Skeeter was traded to the Chicago White Sox in January 1940. He mostly played second base for them. His batting average dropped to .237 in 1940. For a few years, he was a utility infielder, meaning he could play different positions when needed.

In 1944, many experienced players were away, so Skeeter became the White Sox's starting shortstop. However, his batting average was .211 that year.

Winning the World Series with the Detroit Tigers

At the end of the 1944 season, Skeeter was traded to the Detroit Tigers. He became their starting shortstop in 1945, which was a special year because the Tigers won the 1945 World Series.

Skeeter played in 104 games for the Tigers in 1945. His batting average was .199, which was not very high. Even with his low batting average, Skeeter played in all seven games of the 1945 World Series as the Tigers' shortstop.

In the World Series, he hit .185, getting 5 hits in 27 chances. But he did score five runs for his team. In Game 7, Skeeter played his best, scoring two runs and making the final play that won the series for the Tigers.

A sports writer praised Skeeter after the World Series. They said that even though he wasn't a star during the regular season, he played better than any other infielder in the World Series. He made amazing plays and didn't make any mistakes. He also hit the ball better than he had all season.

In 1946 and 1947, Skeeter stayed with the Tigers as a backup second baseman.

Finishing with the Philadelphia Athletics

Skeeter finished his major league career playing for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1948. He played in 23 games and had a batting average of .148, his lowest. His last game was on August 31, 1948.

Playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs

In 1949, Skeeter played for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the International League. He played in 49 games for them.

Career Highlights

During his 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, Skeeter Webb played in 699 games. He played 368 games at shortstop, 282 at second base, and 7 at third base. His career batting average was .219.

Later Life

After he stopped playing baseball, Skeeter Webb moved back to Mississippi. He was married to Olive O'Neill. Her father, Steve O'Neill, was the manager of the Detroit Tigers from 1943 to 1948. Skeeter and Olive had two sons, John and James Jr., and two daughters, Carol Ann and Pam. Skeeter Webb passed away in Meridian, Mississippi, in 1986.