Willie Tasby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Willie Tasby |
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| Center fielder | |||
| Born: January 8, 1933 Shreveport, Louisiana |
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| debut | |||
| September 9, 1958, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 2, 1963, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .250 | ||
| Home runs | 46 | ||
| Runs batted in | 174 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Willie Tasby Jr. (born January 8, 1933) is an American former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder who played in 583 games in Major League Baseball (MLB). Willie played for the Baltimore Orioles (1958–1960), Boston Red Sox (1960), Washington Senators (1961–1962), and Cleveland Indians (1962–1963).
He mostly played as a center fielder, appearing in that position 459 times out of his 545 total defensive games. Willie Tasby was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. However, he went to McClymonds High School in Oakland, California. This school is famous for other great athletes like Bill Russell and Frank Robinson. He also studied at Laney College in Oakland.
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Willie Tasby's Baseball Journey
Willie Tasby was a right-handed player. He threw the ball with his right hand and batted with his right hand. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 170 pounds.
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Willie began his baseball career in 1950. He started in the minor leagues, which are lower-level teams where players develop their skills before reaching the major leagues. He played for a team called the St. Louis Browns, which later became the Baltimore Orioles. Willie spent nine seasons in the team's "farm system." This is like a training program for young players.
He finally made his big league debut on September 18, 1958. He played 18 games for the Orioles at the end of that season.
A Strong Start in the Major Leagues
In 1959, Willie Tasby had a great year. He played in 142 games and had a batting average of .250. He also hit 13 home runs. He was the main center fielder for the Orioles.
Even though the Orioles finished in sixth place that year, Willie's first full season was impressive. He was chosen for the first-ever Topps All-Star Rookie Team. Another famous player, Willie McCovey, was also on that team.
Moving to New Teams
In 1960, the Orioles played much better. They were trying to win the American League championship until late in the season. However, in June, they lost four games in a row to the Detroit Tigers.
On June 9, Willie Tasby's time with the Orioles ended. After losing two games in a row, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox immediately put Willie in their lineup. He played well, hitting for a career-best .281 batting average.
Willie's good performance for the Red Sox caught the attention of other teams. He was chosen in a special "expansion draft" by the new Washington Senators team.
Playing for the Washington Senators
The 1961 season with the new Washington Senators looked promising for Willie. He started 134 games as the center fielder. He hit a career-high 17 home runs and had 63 RBI (runs batted in) in 141 games.
However, the Senators then got another famous center fielder, Jimmy Piersall. After playing only 11 games for Washington in 1962, Willie was traded again. On May 5, he went to the Cleveland Indians. In return, the Senators received two pitchers, Steve Hamilton and Don Rudolph.
Willie played 127 games over two partial seasons with the Cleveland Indians. These were his final games in the major leagues.
Willie Tasby's Career Numbers
Overall, Willie Tasby had 467 hits in the major leagues. He hit 61 doubles, ten triples, and 46 home runs. His career batting average was .250, and he had 174 runs batted in.
Images for kids
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Willie Tasby in 1961
