Walt Judnich: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|American baseball player}} |
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|position=[[Center fielder]] |
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|birth_date={{birth date|1916|1|24|}} |
|birth_date={{birth date|1916|1|24|}} |
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|birth_place=[[San Francisco, California]] |
|birth_place=[[San Francisco, California]], U.S. |
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|death_date={{Death date and age|1971|7|10|1916|1|24}} |
|death_date={{Death date and age|1971|7|10|1916|1|24}} |
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|death_place=[[Glendale, California]] |
|death_place=[[Glendale, California]], U.S. |
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'''Walter Franklin Judnich''' (January 24, 1916 – July 10, 1971) was an [[Americans|American]] professional [[baseball]] player. A [[center fielder]], Judnich played in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) for seven seasons with the [[St. Louis Browns]], [[Cleveland Indians]], and [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]. In 790 career games, Judnich recorded a [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] of .281 and accumulated 90 [[home run]]s and 420 [[runs batted in]] (RBI). |
'''Walter Franklin Judnich''' (January 24, 1916 – July 10, 1971) was an [[Americans|American]] professional [[baseball]] player. A [[center fielder]], Judnich played in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) for seven seasons with the [[St. Louis Browns]], [[Cleveland Indians]], and [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]. In 790 career games, Judnich recorded a [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] of .281 and accumulated 90 [[home run]]s and 420 [[runs batted in]] (RBI). |
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Born in [[San Francisco, California]], Judnich began his career with the [[New York Yankees]], spending five seasons in the organization. The St. Louis Browns acquired him in 1940 and he was plugged into the starting lineup. He was the starting center fielder for three seasons. After the 1942 season, he joined the [[United States Air |
Born in [[San Francisco, California]], Judnich began his career with the [[New York Yankees]], spending five seasons in the organization. The St. Louis Browns acquired him in 1940 and he was plugged into the starting lineup. He was the starting center fielder for three seasons. After the 1942 season, he joined the [[United States Army Air Forces]] to serve in [[World War II]]. When he returned to baseball in 1946, he was no longer an everyday player, and in 1947 the Browns turned him into a [[first baseman]]. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1948, where he served as a [[Utility player (baseball)|utility player]] and was a member of the [[1948 World Series]] champions. He was sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1949, then spent the next six seasons in the [[Pacific Coast League]] before retiring from the game in 1955. |
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==Early life and career== |
==Early life and career== |
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Born and raised in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], Judnich grew up wanting to be a baseball player, playing semi-pro baseball on a team sponsored by the [[Mission Reds]].<ref name=judnich>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52486083/feature-piece-on-st-louis-browns/|first=Ray J.|last=Gillespie|title=Judnich Says Two Fellows Named Fred Have Helped His Hitting By Correcting Stance At Bat|work=[[St. Louis Star and Times]]|date=July 27, 1940|page=8|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}</ref> He graduated from [[Mission High School (San Francisco, California)|Mission High School]] in 1935, and signed with the [[New York Yankees]] organization by |
Born and raised in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], Judnich grew up wanting to be a baseball player, playing semi-pro baseball on a team sponsored by the [[Mission Reds]].<ref name=judnich>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52486083/feature-piece-on-st-louis-browns/|first=Ray J.|last=Gillespie|title=Judnich Says Two Fellows Named Fred Have Helped His Hitting By Correcting Stance At Bat|work=[[St. Louis Star and Times]]|date=July 27, 1940|page=8|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}</ref> He graduated from [[Mission High School (San Francisco, California)|Mission High School]] in 1935, and signed with the [[New York Yankees]] organization by Yankees scout [[Joe Devine (scout)|Joe Devine]] after participating in a baseball training camp in Oakland, which included future MLB players [[Tiny Bonham]] and [[Len Gabrielson (first baseman)|Len Gabrielson]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Eight Rookies Leave Oakland For Seasoning|work=[[La Grande Observer]]|date=April 2, 1935|page=5}}</ref> Judnich spent the 1935 season with the [[Minor_League_Baseball#Pre-1963_classifications|Class C]] [[Akron Yankees]], where he had a .274 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] in 109 games. The following year, he played for the Class B [[Norfolk Tars]], and hit .303 with 24 [[home run]]s in 143 games. In 1937, he was again promoted to the [[Oakland Oaks (PCL)|Oakland Oaks]] of the [[Pacific Coast League]] (PCL), where he hit .316 with 14 [[triple (baseball)|triples]] in 175 games. Judnich spent 1938 with the [[Kansas City Blues (American Association)|Kansas City Blues]] of the [[American Association (20th century)|American Association]], and hit .273 in 150 games. Judnich played for the [[Newark Bears (International League)|Newark Bears]] of the [[International League]] in 1939, and had a .284 batting average.<ref name=brm>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=judnic001wal|title=Wally Judnich Minor League Statistics & History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC|access-date=May 30, 2020}}</ref> Before the 1940 season began, Judnich was sold to the [[St. Louis Browns]] after not being offered a major league contract; as the Yankees had [[Joe DiMaggio]] as an everyday center fielder, Judnich was considered expendable.<ref>{{cite news|title=Walt Judnich Sold to Browns by Yanks|work=[[Akron Beacon Journal]]|date=January 31, 1940|page=17}}</ref> |
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==St. Louis Browns and military service== |
==St. Louis Browns and military service== |
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Judnich entered the major leagues in 1940 with the Browns, and after impressing the Browns in [[spring training]], made his major league debut on April 16. By the halfway point of the season, he was being touted as a future star by manager [[Fred Haney]] thanks to his ability to hit home runs as well as his hitting in the clutch.<ref>{{cite news|title=Walt Judnich, Yankee Castoff, Proving Valuable to Browns|first=Felix R.|last=McKnight|work=[[Eau Claire Leader-Telegram]]|date=July 11, 1940|page=10}}</ref> In his [[rookie]] season with the Browns, Judnich had 24 home runs, 89 RBIs, 7 triples, and 97 [[run (baseball)|runs scored]], all of which would end up being career highs. He also had a .303 batting average in 137 games, which included a batting average of .360 after the [[1940 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]], and finished 18th in [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting]] with six votes.<ref name=br>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/judniwa01.shtml|title=Wally Judnich Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC| |
Judnich entered the major leagues in 1940 with the Browns, and after impressing the Browns in [[spring training]], made his major league debut on April 16. By the halfway point of the season, he was being touted as a future star by manager [[Fred Haney]] thanks to his ability to hit home runs as well as his hitting in the [[clutch hitter|clutch]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Walt Judnich, Yankee Castoff, Proving Valuable to Browns|first=Felix R.|last=McKnight|work=[[Eau Claire Leader-Telegram]]|date=July 11, 1940|page=10}}</ref> In his [[rookie]] season with the Browns, Judnich had 24 home runs, 89 RBIs, 7 triples, and 97 [[run (baseball)|runs scored]], all of which would end up being career highs. He also had a .303 batting average in 137 games, which included a batting average of .360 after the [[1940 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]], and finished 18th in [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting]] with six votes.<ref name=br>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/judniwa01.shtml|title=Wally Judnich Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC|access-date=May 30, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=judniwa01&t=b&year=1940|title=Wally Judnich 1940 Batting Gamelogs|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC|access-date=May 30, 2020}}</ref> |
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[[File:Walt Judnich 1941.jpeg|thumb|left|Judnich, circa 1941]] |
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In 1941, Judnich started off the season in a slump, and partway through the season he had a batting average under .200.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sophomore Jinx Reaps Bumper Crop in '41|first=Hy|last=Turkin| |
In 1941, Judnich started off the season in a slump, and partway through the season he had a batting average under .200.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sophomore Jinx Reaps Bumper Crop in '41|first=Hy|last=Turkin|author-link=Hy Turkin|work=[[New York Daily News]]|date=June 22, 1941|page=275}}</ref> He remained in the starting lineup for the Browns and rebounded by the end of the season, finishing with a .284 batting average, 14 homers, 40 [[double (baseball)|doubles]], and 83 RBIs in a career-high 146 games.<ref name=br/> Judnich remained as the starting center fielder for 1942. His performance for the season included hitting two home runs and five RBIs in a 9–0 win against the New York Yankees on September 10.<ref>{{cite news|title=Browns Blank Yankees, 9–0|work=[[The Danville Morning News]]|date=September 11, 1942|page=2}}</ref> For the season, he hit 17 home runs, seventh in the [[American League]], with 82 RBIs and a .313 average, a career-high. He was one of only seven players in the [[American League]] to reach the .300 mark in the season, and was the only Browns player to do so.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ted Williams Paced A.L. Batters In Five Departments|work=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]|date=December 21, 1942|page=2B}}</ref> Judnich also finished 16th in MVP voting with 14 votes.<ref name=br/> |
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In March 1943, Judnich was called to serve in the military for [[World War II]]. He was married in June 1941, but passed on deferment to enlist.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Sports Patrol|first=Paul|last=Scheffels|work=[[The Indianapolis Star]]|date=March 1, 1943|page=16}}</ref> He served in the [[United States Air |
In March 1943, Judnich was called to serve in the military for [[World War II]]. He was married in June 1941, but passed on deferment to enlist.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Sports Patrol|first=Paul|last=Scheffels|work=[[The Indianapolis Star]]|date=March 1, 1943|page=16}}</ref> He served in the [[United States Army Air Forces]] and was stationed at [[McClellan Field]], where he was certified as a [[marksman]] and promoted to [[corporal]] in October. He also took part in an Army-Navy baseball game and a benefit game against players from the Pacific Coast League, which raised $25,000 ({{Inflation|US|25000|1943|fmt=eq}}) for the servicemen.<ref name=war>{{cite web|url=http://baseballinwartime.com/player_biographies/judnich_walt.htm|title=Walt Judnich|publisher=Baseball in Wartime|date=February 15, 2008|access-date=May 30, 2020}}</ref> The following year, he was transferred alongside Joe DiMaggio to [[Hickam Field]] in Hawaii, and also played for the Seventh Air Force baseball team. In one exhibition game, Judnich hit five consecutive home runs and 12 RBIs in a 30–2 victory for his team.<ref>{{cite news|first=Charles|last=Fowler|title=Walt Judnich Clouts Five Homers|work=[[The Honolulu Advertiser]]|date=August 28, 1944|page=8}}</ref> He spent 1945 stationed at [[Camp Beale]] in California before being discharged on November 30.<ref name=war/> |
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Judnich returned to the starting lineup for the [[1946 St. Louis Browns season]], but he did not have the same power as he did before military service. In July, manager [[Luke Sewell]] benched Judnich for [[Al Zarilla]] for a few games in an attempt to reverse Judnich's struggles.<ref>{{cite news|first=Dent|last=McSkimming| |
Judnich returned to the starting lineup for the [[1946 St. Louis Browns season]], but he did not have the same power as he did before military service. In July, manager [[Luke Sewell]] benched Judnich for [[Al Zarilla]] for a few games in an attempt to reverse Judnich's struggles.<ref>{{cite news|first=Dent|last=McSkimming|author-link=Dent McSkimming|title=Zarilla Sparks Browns to 11-4 Win Over Macks|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=July 14, 1946|page=19}}</ref> He finished the season with a .262 batting average, 15 home runs and 72 RBIs in 132 games, but did perform better in night games, where he had a .309 batting average.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cardinals, Tigers Cop Night Champion|work=[[The Sporting News]]|date=November 27, 1946|page=14}}</ref> In 1947, new Browns manager [[Muddy Ruel]] converted Judnich's position to [[first baseman]] in an attempt to get [[Paul Lehner]], the team's other center fielder, in the lineup every day.<ref>{{cite news|first=Harry|last=Grayson|author-link=Harry Grayson|title=Brownies in Need of Philadelphia Lawyer|work=[[The Star Press|Muncie Evening Press]]|date=May 20, 1947|page=10}}</ref> Judnich played nearly every day as well, despite disliking playing first base and preferring to play in the outfield, only missing a few games to return home to witness the birth of his son.<ref name=judnich/><ref>{{cite news|first=Dent|last=McSkimming|title=Brownie Punch Missing Along With Absentees; Witte Fails as a Sub|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=June 26, 1947|page=12C}}</ref> He finished the season with a .258 batting average, 18 home runs, and 64 RBIs in 144 appearances.<ref name=br/> |
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==Later life and career== |
==Later life and career== |
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On November 20, 1947, the Browns traded Judnich and [[Bob Muncrief]] to the [[Cleveland Indians]] for $25,000, [[Joe Frazier (baseball)|Joe Frazier]], [[Dick Kokos]], and [[Bryan Stephens]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Browns At It Again - Trade Muncrief And Judnich To Indians|work=[[St. Louis Star and Times]]|date=November 20, 1947|page=32|first=Ray|last=Nelson}}</ref> Originally projected to be the starting center fielder, the acquisition of [[Thurman Tucker]] later that offseason led to Judnich becoming a utility player. He split time between center field, right field, and first base, backing up Tucker, [[Allie Clark]], and [[Eddie Robinson (baseball)|Eddie Robinson]], respectively, depending on the pitching matchup on a given day.<ref>{{cite news|title=Judnich's Play At First Gives Indians Big Lift|first=Charles|last=Heaton| |
On November 20, 1947, the Browns traded Judnich and [[Bob Muncrief]] to the [[Cleveland Indians]] for $25,000, [[Joe Frazier (baseball)|Joe Frazier]], [[Dick Kokos]], and [[Bryan Stephens]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Browns At It Again - Trade Muncrief And Judnich To Indians|work=[[St. Louis Star and Times]]|date=November 20, 1947|page=32|first=Ray|last=Nelson}}</ref> Originally projected to be the starting center fielder, the acquisition of [[Thurman Tucker]] later that offseason led to Judnich becoming a utility player. He split time between center field, [[right field]], and first base, backing up Tucker, [[Allie Clark]], and [[Eddie Robinson (baseball)|Eddie Robinson]], respectively, depending on the pitching matchup on a given day.<ref>{{cite news|title=Judnich's Play At First Gives Indians Big Lift|first=Charles|last=Heaton|author-link=Chuck Heaton|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|date=September 9, 1948|page=16}}</ref> In 79 games, Judnich hit .257 with two home runs and 29 RBIs. In the [[1948 World Series]], he hit .077 (1-for-13) with a run and one RBI in four games.<ref name=br/> On February 9, 1949, the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] purchased Judnich's contract from the Indians to give them extra depth at first base, and he started the season on the major league roster as a result.<ref>{{cite news|title=Walt Judnich|work=[[The Pittsburgh Press]]|date=April 21, 1949|page=70}}</ref> He only played in ten games for the Pirates, hitting .229, and in May his contract was sold to the [[San Francisco Seals (baseball)|San Francisco Seals]] of the PCL, ending his major league career.<ref>{{cite news|title=Walt Judnich Sold To Seals|work=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]]|date=May 14, 1949|page=12}}</ref> |
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Judnich spent the rest of 1949 with the Seals, and had a .269 batting average and 18 home runs in 116 games. In 1950, he joined the [[Seattle Rainiers]]. In 166 games, Judnich had a .285 batting average with 19 home runs and 84 RBIs.<ref name=brm/> Judnich got off to a hot start for Seattle in 1951, and after the first two months of the season he had a .381 batting average, which led the Pacific Coast League.<ref>{{cite news|title=Walt Judnich Splurges to .381, Leads Coast Batters|work=[[Corvallis Gazette-Times]]|date=June 5, 1951|page=9}}</ref> In 147 games, Judnich had a .329 batting average with 21 home runs and 102 RBIs, en route to Seattle winning the Pacific Coast League championship. While a member of the Rainiers, he spent the winter playing for the [[Leones de Ponce (baseball)|Leones de Ponce]] in Puerto Rico.<ref>{{cite news|title=Puerto Rican Race Tightens; Mayaguez Adds O.B. Imports|work=The Sporting News|date=December 12, 1951|page=17|first=Santiago|last=Llorens}}</ref> Judnich returned to the Rainiers in 1952, finishing the season with a .287 batting average, 15 home runs, and 105 RBIs in 177 games, and he followed that up in 1953 with a .298 average, 16 home runs, and 101 RBIs in 147 games.<ref name=brm/> |
Judnich spent the rest of 1949 with the Seals, and had a .269 batting average and 18 home runs in 116 games. In 1950, he joined the [[Seattle Rainiers]]. In 166 games, Judnich had a .285 batting average with 19 home runs and 84 RBIs.<ref name=brm/> Judnich got off to a hot start for Seattle in 1951, and after the first two months of the season he had a .381 batting average, which led the Pacific Coast League.<ref>{{cite news|title=Walt Judnich Splurges to .381, Leads Coast Batters|work=[[Corvallis Gazette-Times]]|date=June 5, 1951|page=9}}</ref> In 147 games, Judnich had a .329 batting average with 21 home runs and 102 RBIs, en route to Seattle winning the Pacific Coast League championship. While a member of the Rainiers, he spent the winter playing for the [[Leones de Ponce (baseball)|Leones de Ponce]] in Puerto Rico.<ref>{{cite news|title=Puerto Rican Race Tightens; Mayaguez Adds O.B. Imports|work=The Sporting News|date=December 12, 1951|page=17|first=Santiago|last=Llorens}}</ref> Judnich returned to the Rainiers in 1952, finishing the season with a .287 batting average, 15 home runs, and 105 RBIs in 177 games, and he followed that up in 1953 with a .298 average, 16 home runs, and 101 RBIs in 147 games.<ref name=brm/> |
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After the 1953 season, the [[Portland Beavers]] purchased Judnich's contract from Seattle, as Seattle was looking to keep their team young and replace the 37-year old.<ref>{{cite news|title=Wellman In For Judnich?|work=[[The Province]]|date=December 16, 1953|page=21|first=Eric|last=Whitehead}}</ref> In 156 games for Portland, he hit .272 with 18 home runs and 81 RBIs. Judnich began the following season with Portland, and played in 25 before his contract was sold to the San Francisco Seals, where he had a .282 average in 112 games.<ref name=brm/> After the season, the Seals sent Judnich to the [[Louisville Colonels (minor league baseball)|Louisville Colonels]], but Judnich did not want to leave the west coast, and refused the move, retiring from baseball as a result.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sold Four Hogs|work=[[The Charlotte Observer]]|date=April 8, 1956|page=25}}</ref> |
After the 1953 season, the [[Portland Beavers]] purchased Judnich's contract from Seattle, as Seattle was looking to keep their team young and replace the 37-year old.<ref>{{cite news|title=Wellman In For Judnich?|work=[[The Province]]|date=December 16, 1953|page=21|first=Eric|last=Whitehead}}</ref> In 156 games for Portland, he hit .272 with 18 home runs and 81 RBIs. Judnich began the following season with Portland, and played in 25 games before his contract was sold to the San Francisco Seals, where he had a .282 average in 112 games.<ref name=brm/> After the season, the Seals sent Judnich to the [[Louisville Colonels (minor league baseball)|Louisville Colonels]], but Judnich did not want to leave the west coast, and refused the move, retiring from baseball as a result.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sold Four Hogs|work=[[The Charlotte Observer]]|date=April 8, 1956|page=25}}</ref> |
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After retiring from professional baseball, Judnich moved to [[Glendale, California]], where he lived with his wife and three children. He led a relatively quiet life; when asked of hobbies or interests, he stated during his career, "our fans here aren't interested in those things."<ref name=judnich/> He died at the age of 55, and was interred at [[Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery]] in Glendale.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lee|first=Bill|title=The Baseball Necrology: The Post-Baseball Lives and Deaths of More 7,600 Major League Players and Others|location=Jefferson, N.C.|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|date=2009|isbn=9780786442393|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=13EwCgAAQBAJ |
After retiring from professional baseball, Judnich moved to [[Glendale, California]], where he lived with his wife and three children. He led a relatively quiet life; when asked of hobbies or interests, he stated during his career, "our fans here aren't interested in those things."<ref name=judnich/> He died at the age of 55, and was interred at [[Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery]] in Glendale. His ashes were later relocated to Bayou Meto Cemetery in [[Jacksonville, Arkansas]], which is his wife's hometown.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lee|first=Bill|title=The Baseball Necrology: The Post-Baseball Lives and Deaths of More 7,600 Major League Players and Others|location=Jefferson, N.C.|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|date=2009|isbn=9780786442393|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=13EwCgAAQBAJ|page=449}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:1916 births]] |
[[Category:1916 births]] |
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[[Category:1971 deaths]] |
[[Category:1971 deaths]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Baseball players from San Francisco]] |
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[[Category:Baseball players from California]] |
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[[Category:Major League Baseball center fielders]] |
[[Category:Major League Baseball center fielders]] |
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[[Category:Cleveland Indians players]] |
[[Category:Cleveland Indians players]] |
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[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]] |
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]] |
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[[Category:St. Louis Browns players]] |
[[Category:St. Louis Browns players]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]] |
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[[Category:American people of Slovenian descent]] |
[[Category:American people of Slovenian descent]] |
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[[Category:Burials at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery]] |
[[Category:Burials at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery]] |
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[[Category:United States Army Air Forces soldiers]] |
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Latest revision as of 02:49, 20 November 2023
| Walt Judnich | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Center fielder | |
| Born: January 24, 1916 San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| Died: July 10, 1971 (aged 55) Glendale, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 16, 1940, for the St. Louis Browns | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 12, 1949, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .281 |
| Home runs | 90 |
| Runs batted in | 420 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Walter Franklin Judnich (January 24, 1916 – July 10, 1971) was an American professional baseball player. A center fielder, Judnich played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven seasons with the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates. In 790 career games, Judnich recorded a batting average of .281 and accumulated 90 home runs and 420 runs batted in (RBI).
Born in San Francisco, California, Judnich began his career with the New York Yankees, spending five seasons in the organization. The St. Louis Browns acquired him in 1940 and he was plugged into the starting lineup. He was the starting center fielder for three seasons. After the 1942 season, he joined the United States Army Air Forces to serve in World War II. When he returned to baseball in 1946, he was no longer an everyday player, and in 1947 the Browns turned him into a first baseman. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1948, where he served as a utility player and was a member of the 1948 World Series champions. He was sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1949, then spent the next six seasons in the Pacific Coast League before retiring from the game in 1955.
Early life and career
[edit]Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Judnich grew up wanting to be a baseball player, playing semi-pro baseball on a team sponsored by the Mission Reds.[1] He graduated from Mission High School in 1935, and signed with the New York Yankees organization by Yankees scout Joe Devine after participating in a baseball training camp in Oakland, which included future MLB players Tiny Bonham and Len Gabrielson.[2] Judnich spent the 1935 season with the Class C Akron Yankees, where he had a .274 batting average in 109 games. The following year, he played for the Class B Norfolk Tars, and hit .303 with 24 home runs in 143 games. In 1937, he was again promoted to the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), where he hit .316 with 14 triples in 175 games. Judnich spent 1938 with the Kansas City Blues of the American Association, and hit .273 in 150 games. Judnich played for the Newark Bears of the International League in 1939, and had a .284 batting average.[3] Before the 1940 season began, Judnich was sold to the St. Louis Browns after not being offered a major league contract; as the Yankees had Joe DiMaggio as an everyday center fielder, Judnich was considered expendable.[4]
St. Louis Browns and military service
[edit]Judnich entered the major leagues in 1940 with the Browns, and after impressing the Browns in spring training, made his major league debut on April 16. By the halfway point of the season, he was being touted as a future star by manager Fred Haney thanks to his ability to hit home runs as well as his hitting in the clutch.[5] In his rookie season with the Browns, Judnich had 24 home runs, 89 RBIs, 7 triples, and 97 runs scored, all of which would end up being career highs. He also had a .303 batting average in 137 games, which included a batting average of .360 after the All-Star Game, and finished 18th in Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting with six votes.[6][7]
In 1941, Judnich started off the season in a slump, and partway through the season he had a batting average under .200.[8] He remained in the starting lineup for the Browns and rebounded by the end of the season, finishing with a .284 batting average, 14 homers, 40 doubles, and 83 RBIs in a career-high 146 games.[6] Judnich remained as the starting center fielder for 1942. His performance for the season included hitting two home runs and five RBIs in a 9–0 win against the New York Yankees on September 10.[9] For the season, he hit 17 home runs, seventh in the American League, with 82 RBIs and a .313 average, a career-high. He was one of only seven players in the American League to reach the .300 mark in the season, and was the only Browns player to do so.[10] Judnich also finished 16th in MVP voting with 14 votes.[6]
In March 1943, Judnich was called to serve in the military for World War II. He was married in June 1941, but passed on deferment to enlist.[11] He served in the United States Army Air Forces and was stationed at McClellan Field, where he was certified as a marksman and promoted to corporal in October. He also took part in an Army-Navy baseball game and a benefit game against players from the Pacific Coast League, which raised $25,000 (equivalent to $440,192 in 2023) for the servicemen.[12] The following year, he was transferred alongside Joe DiMaggio to Hickam Field in Hawaii, and also played for the Seventh Air Force baseball team. In one exhibition game, Judnich hit five consecutive home runs and 12 RBIs in a 30–2 victory for his team.[13] He spent 1945 stationed at Camp Beale in California before being discharged on November 30.[12]
Judnich returned to the starting lineup for the 1946 St. Louis Browns season, but he did not have the same power as he did before military service. In July, manager Luke Sewell benched Judnich for Al Zarilla for a few games in an attempt to reverse Judnich's struggles.[14] He finished the season with a .262 batting average, 15 home runs and 72 RBIs in 132 games, but did perform better in night games, where he had a .309 batting average.[15] In 1947, new Browns manager Muddy Ruel converted Judnich's position to first baseman in an attempt to get Paul Lehner, the team's other center fielder, in the lineup every day.[16] Judnich played nearly every day as well, despite disliking playing first base and preferring to play in the outfield, only missing a few games to return home to witness the birth of his son.[1][17] He finished the season with a .258 batting average, 18 home runs, and 64 RBIs in 144 appearances.[6]
Later life and career
[edit]On November 20, 1947, the Browns traded Judnich and Bob Muncrief to the Cleveland Indians for $25,000, Joe Frazier, Dick Kokos, and Bryan Stephens.[18] Originally projected to be the starting center fielder, the acquisition of Thurman Tucker later that offseason led to Judnich becoming a utility player. He split time between center field, right field, and first base, backing up Tucker, Allie Clark, and Eddie Robinson, respectively, depending on the pitching matchup on a given day.[19] In 79 games, Judnich hit .257 with two home runs and 29 RBIs. In the 1948 World Series, he hit .077 (1-for-13) with a run and one RBI in four games.[6] On February 9, 1949, the Pittsburgh Pirates purchased Judnich's contract from the Indians to give them extra depth at first base, and he started the season on the major league roster as a result.[20] He only played in ten games for the Pirates, hitting .229, and in May his contract was sold to the San Francisco Seals of the PCL, ending his major league career.[21]
Judnich spent the rest of 1949 with the Seals, and had a .269 batting average and 18 home runs in 116 games. In 1950, he joined the Seattle Rainiers. In 166 games, Judnich had a .285 batting average with 19 home runs and 84 RBIs.[3] Judnich got off to a hot start for Seattle in 1951, and after the first two months of the season he had a .381 batting average, which led the Pacific Coast League.[22] In 147 games, Judnich had a .329 batting average with 21 home runs and 102 RBIs, en route to Seattle winning the Pacific Coast League championship. While a member of the Rainiers, he spent the winter playing for the Leones de Ponce in Puerto Rico.[23] Judnich returned to the Rainiers in 1952, finishing the season with a .287 batting average, 15 home runs, and 105 RBIs in 177 games, and he followed that up in 1953 with a .298 average, 16 home runs, and 101 RBIs in 147 games.[3]
After the 1953 season, the Portland Beavers purchased Judnich's contract from Seattle, as Seattle was looking to keep their team young and replace the 37-year old.[24] In 156 games for Portland, he hit .272 with 18 home runs and 81 RBIs. Judnich began the following season with Portland, and played in 25 games before his contract was sold to the San Francisco Seals, where he had a .282 average in 112 games.[3] After the season, the Seals sent Judnich to the Louisville Colonels, but Judnich did not want to leave the west coast, and refused the move, retiring from baseball as a result.[25]
After retiring from professional baseball, Judnich moved to Glendale, California, where he lived with his wife and three children. He led a relatively quiet life; when asked of hobbies or interests, he stated during his career, "our fans here aren't interested in those things."[1] He died at the age of 55, and was interred at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale. His ashes were later relocated to Bayou Meto Cemetery in Jacksonville, Arkansas, which is his wife's hometown.[26]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Gillespie, Ray J. (July 27, 1940). "Judnich Says Two Fellows Named Fred Have Helped His Hitting By Correcting Stance At Bat". St. Louis Star and Times. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Eight Rookies Leave Oakland For Seasoning". La Grande Observer. April 2, 1935. p. 5.
- ^ a b c d "Wally Judnich Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ "Walt Judnich Sold to Browns by Yanks". Akron Beacon Journal. January 31, 1940. p. 17.
- ^ McKnight, Felix R. (July 11, 1940). "Walt Judnich, Yankee Castoff, Proving Valuable to Browns". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. p. 10.
- ^ a b c d e "Wally Judnich Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ "Wally Judnich 1940 Batting Gamelogs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ Turkin, Hy (June 22, 1941). "Sophomore Jinx Reaps Bumper Crop in '41". New York Daily News. p. 275.
- ^ "Browns Blank Yankees, 9–0". The Danville Morning News. September 11, 1942. p. 2.
- ^ "Ted Williams Paced A.L. Batters In Five Departments". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. December 21, 1942. p. 2B.
- ^ Scheffels, Paul (March 1, 1943). "The Sports Patrol". The Indianapolis Star. p. 16.
- ^ a b "Walt Judnich". Baseball in Wartime. February 15, 2008. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ Fowler, Charles (August 28, 1944). "Walt Judnich Clouts Five Homers". The Honolulu Advertiser. p. 8.
- ^ McSkimming, Dent (July 14, 1946). "Zarilla Sparks Browns to 11-4 Win Over Macks". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 19.
- ^ "Cardinals, Tigers Cop Night Champion". The Sporting News. November 27, 1946. p. 14.
- ^ Grayson, Harry (May 20, 1947). "Brownies in Need of Philadelphia Lawyer". Muncie Evening Press. p. 10.
- ^ McSkimming, Dent (June 26, 1947). "Brownie Punch Missing Along With Absentees; Witte Fails as a Sub". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 12C.
- ^ Nelson, Ray (November 20, 1947). "Browns At It Again - Trade Muncrief And Judnich To Indians". St. Louis Star and Times. p. 32.
- ^ Heaton, Charles (September 9, 1948). "Judnich's Play At First Gives Indians Big Lift". The Plain Dealer. p. 16.
- ^ "Walt Judnich". The Pittsburgh Press. April 21, 1949. p. 70.
- ^ "Walt Judnich Sold To Seals". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. May 14, 1949. p. 12.
- ^ "Walt Judnich Splurges to .381, Leads Coast Batters". Corvallis Gazette-Times. June 5, 1951. p. 9.
- ^ Llorens, Santiago (December 12, 1951). "Puerto Rican Race Tightens; Mayaguez Adds O.B. Imports". The Sporting News. p. 17.
- ^ Whitehead, Eric (December 16, 1953). "Wellman In For Judnich?". The Province. p. 21.
- ^ "Sold Four Hogs". The Charlotte Observer. April 8, 1956. p. 25.
- ^ Lee, Bill (2009). The Baseball Necrology: The Post-Baseball Lives and Deaths of More 7,600 Major League Players and Others. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company. p. 449. ISBN 9780786442393.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- 1916 births
- 1971 deaths
- Baseball players from San Francisco
- Major League Baseball center fielders
- Cleveland Indians players
- Pittsburgh Pirates players
- St. Louis Browns players
- United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
- American people of Slovenian descent
- Burials at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery
- United States Army Air Forces soldiers