Bill Terry
Encyclopedia
William Harold Terry was a Major League Baseball
first baseman
and manager
. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Terry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
in 1954. In 1999, he ranked number 59 on The Sporting News
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team
. The Giants retired Terry's uniform no. 3 in ; it is posted on the facade of the upper deck in the left field corner of AT&T Park
. Nicknamed "Memphis Bill", he is most remembered for being the last National League
player to hit
.400, a feat he accomplished by batting .401 in .
, Georgia
, Terry made his professional baseball debut in at the age of 16. He began his career as a pitcher
, playing for two separate minor league teams
, the Newnan Cowetas of the Georgia-Alabama League
and the Dothan
club of the FLAG League. With Newnan, he managed an impressive win-loss record of 7-1, with a microscopic 0.60 earned run average
in eight games.
After starting 1916 with Newnan, by the end of the year he had moved up to the class-B Shreveport Gassers
of the Texas League
. He again compiled impressive statistics for his new team, putting up a record of 6-2 with a 1.07 ERA in 11 games with Shreveport. Terry spent all of 1917 with Shreveport, with a record of 14-11 and an ERA of exactly 3.00. By this time, he was also beginning to play more in the field, pitching in 40 games and appearing in 55 other games.
After spending several years playing semi-professionally, Terry was picked up by the Toledo Mud Hens
of the American Association
in . He was now playing in double-A, the highest minor league level of the era. While he was still pitching some, putting up a 9-9 record in 26 games, his hitting was also starting to pick up. In 88 games with Toledo, Terry batted
.336 with 14 home runs.
In , Terry had been converted into a full-time first baseman. In 109 games with Toledo that year, Terry batted .377 with 15 home runs. This gained the notice of the major league New York Giants
, and on September 18 they purchased his contract from the Mud Hens. In an interesting coincidence, Freddie Lindstrom
, another future Hall of Fame player, was purchased from the Mud Hens on the same day.
. In that game, he pinch-hit for Giants pitcher Rosy Ryan
, going 0-for-1. Terry didn't play again until September 30, when he made his first appearance in the starting lineup against the Boston Braves
. Terry got his first major league hit in that game, going 1-for-3 and scoring his first major league run. Terry finished the season with one hit in seven at bat
s in three games.
Terry played all of with the Giants, backing up fellow future Hall of Famer George Kelly at first base for the pennant
-winning team. Terry played in 77 games, 35 at first base and the rest as a pinch-hitter. He batted .239 with 5 home runs and 24 runs batted in. In the World Series
against the Washington Senators
, he batted .429, including a Game 1 home run off Walter Johnson
.
Heinie Groh
suffered an injury early in the season, forcing the team to juggle its lineup a bit. Starting second baseman
Frankie Frisch
was tried at third, but wound up spending most of the season shifting around the infield when Lindstrom was made the starter. Kelly was moved from first base to second, and Terry was installed as the starting first baseman. He hit .319 in 133 games, with 11 homers and 70 RBI.
In , with Lindstrom now established as the starter at third, Frisch was reinstated at second and Kelly moved back to first, sending Terry back into a reserve role. In addition to backing up Kelly, Terry played in 14 games in the outfield. This was the only season in which he played more than one game at a position other than first base. Overall, Terry played 98 games, batting .289 with 5 home runs and 43 RBI.
to the St. Louis Cardinals
for Rogers Hornsby
. Then, on February 9, they traded Kelly to the Reds for outfielder
Edd Roush
, opening a spot once more for Terry in the starting lineup. Terry batted .326 in , with 20 home runs and 121 RBI. He finished 13th in the voting for the National League MVP, and his days of being a backup were behind him for good.
In 1930, Terry had an historic season. He finished first in the National League with a .401 batting average, the first player to hit over .400 since Rogers Hornsby in 1925. It is also the last time to date that anyone in the National League has hit .400. Only Ted Williams
of the American League
's Boston Red Sox
in has hit .400 since. Terry also led the league with 254 hits, which is tied for the most in NL history with the Phillies
' Lefty O'Doul
's 254 in . He also finished 5th in the league in on base percentage
(.452), 7th in slugging percentage (.619), 6th in runs scored with 139 runs, and led the league in putouts and assist
s by a first baseman. While there was no official league MVP award in 1930, Terry won The Sporting News NL MVP
.
s with 20 while batting .349 with 112 RBI, and he finished third in the new BBWAA NL MVP voting. In , Terry set his career high in home runs with 28, batting .350 with 117 RBI. He was also named the team's manager in early June, replacing the legendary John McGraw
. The team finished in sixth place.
, for which Terry was chosen as a starter and in which he got two hits. The Giants once again faced the Senators
in the 1933 World Series
, which they won four games to one. Terry went 6-for-22, hitting a home run in Game 4 off Monte Weaver
. Despite an off-year, Terry still finished fourth in the MVP voting, perhaps gaining votes for managing the team to the championship, the Giants' first since 1922
, the year before Terry's MLB debut.
"Gashouse Gang". In , Terry again got over 200 hits with 203, and batted .341 while finishing sixth in the MVP voting, and managed the team to a third-place finish. In both years he was again selected to start in the All-Star game.
was Terry's last year as a player. Before the season started, the team had purchased Sam Leslie
from the Brooklyn Dodgers
, and Terry the manager split time with the newcomer, with Leslie getting the lion's share. It worked out well for the team, as they again won the pennant, beating the Cardinals by five games. In the World Series
, Terry started all six games, but batted just .240 with no extra base hits. He did have five RBI, but it wasn't enough, as the Giants lost to the New York Yankees
, four games to two.
to the New York Yankees
, four games to one. The team finished third in , but never again finished in the first division
under Terry, finishing fifth, sixth, and fifth in his last three years as manager.
, where he owned an automobile dealership. He purchased the Jacksonville Braves
double-A team in 1958.
s, including a career high of 28 in . Terry retired with 1120 runs scored, 154 home runs, 1078 RBI and a .341 batting average. He also currently holds the record for the highest career batting average for a left-handed hitter in the National League at .341.
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball
All-Century Team. The Giants retired Terry's uniform no. 3 in 1984; it is posted on the facade of the upper deck in the left field corner of AT&T Park
.
Bill Terry is mentioned in the poem "Line-Up for Yesterday
" by Ogden Nash
:
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Terry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in 1954. In 1999, he ranked number 59 on The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
In 1999, the Major League Baseball All-Century Team was chosen by popular vote of fans. To select the team, a panel of experts first compiled a list of the 100 greatest Major League Baseball players from the past century...
. The Giants retired Terry's uniform no. 3 in ; it is posted on the facade of the upper deck in the left field corner of AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
. Nicknamed "Memphis Bill", he is most remembered for being the last National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
player to hit
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.400, a feat he accomplished by batting .401 in .
Early years
Born in AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Terry made his professional baseball debut in at the age of 16. He began his career as a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
, playing for two separate minor league teams
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, the Newnan Cowetas of the Georgia-Alabama League
Georgia-Alabama League
The Georgia-Alabama League was a minor league baseball league that operated in its two namesake states. The circuit first operated from 1913 to 1917, was revived from 1928 to 1930, then returned to operation for a final time from 1946 through 1951. The league's existence thus spanned some 39 years,...
and the Dothan
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
club of the FLAG League. With Newnan, he managed an impressive win-loss record of 7-1, with a microscopic 0.60 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in eight games.
After starting 1916 with Newnan, by the end of the year he had moved up to the class-B Shreveport Gassers
Shreveport Gassers
The Schreveport Gassers were a Texas League baseball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA that played from 1915 to 1924. They were affiliated with the Philadelphia Athletics from 1923 to 1924....
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. He again compiled impressive statistics for his new team, putting up a record of 6-2 with a 1.07 ERA in 11 games with Shreveport. Terry spent all of 1917 with Shreveport, with a record of 14-11 and an ERA of exactly 3.00. By this time, he was also beginning to play more in the field, pitching in 40 games and appearing in 55 other games.
After spending several years playing semi-professionally, Terry was picked up by the Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
in . He was now playing in double-A, the highest minor league level of the era. While he was still pitching some, putting up a 9-9 record in 26 games, his hitting was also starting to pick up. In 88 games with Toledo, Terry batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.336 with 14 home runs.
In , Terry had been converted into a full-time first baseman. In 109 games with Toledo that year, Terry batted .377 with 15 home runs. This gained the notice of the major league New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, and on September 18 they purchased his contract from the Mud Hens. In an interesting coincidence, Freddie Lindstrom
Freddie Lindstrom
Frederick Charles Lindstrom was a National League Baseball player with the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Dodgers from 1924 until 1936...
, another future Hall of Fame player, was purchased from the Mud Hens on the same day.
Starting out in the majors
Terry made his major league debut with the Giants on September 24, 1923 in a game against the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. In that game, he pinch-hit for Giants pitcher Rosy Ryan
Rosy Ryan
Wilfred Patrick Dolan Ryan was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched from 1919–1933, appearing in three consecutive World Series for the New York Giants from 1922-1924. He managed in the minor leagues from 1941–1942 and 1944–1945 and was later a minor league general manager...
, going 0-for-1. Terry didn't play again until September 30, when he made his first appearance in the starting lineup against the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. Terry got his first major league hit in that game, going 1-for-3 and scoring his first major league run. Terry finished the season with one hit in seven at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s in three games.
Terry played all of with the Giants, backing up fellow future Hall of Famer George Kelly at first base for the pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
-winning team. Terry played in 77 games, 35 at first base and the rest as a pinch-hitter. He batted .239 with 5 home runs and 24 runs batted in. In the World Series
1924 World Series
In the 1924 World Series, the Washington Senators beat the New York Giants in seven games. The Giants became the first team to play in four consecutive World Series, winning in 1921–1922 and losing in 1923–1924. Their long-time manager, John McGraw, made his ninth and final World Series appearance...
against the Washington Senators
1924 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators won 92 games, lost 62, and finished in first place in the American League. Fueled by the excitement of winning their first AL pennant, the Senators won the World Series in dramatic fashion, a 12-inning game 7 victory.-Regular season:...
, he batted .429, including a Game 1 home run off Walter Johnson
Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson , nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Washington Senators...
.
Into and out of the starting lineup
In , Giants starting third basemanThird baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Heinie Groh
Heinie Groh
Henry Knight "Heinie" Groh was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball who spent nearly his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants. He was the National League's top third baseman in the late 1910s and early 1920s, and captained championship teams with the Reds and ...
suffered an injury early in the season, forcing the team to juggle its lineup a bit. Starting second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
Frankie Frisch
Frankie Frisch
Francis “Frankie” Frisch , nicknamed the "Fordham Flash" or "The Old Flash", was a German American Major League Baseball player of the early twentieth century....
was tried at third, but wound up spending most of the season shifting around the infield when Lindstrom was made the starter. Kelly was moved from first base to second, and Terry was installed as the starting first baseman. He hit .319 in 133 games, with 11 homers and 70 RBI.
In , with Lindstrom now established as the starter at third, Frisch was reinstated at second and Kelly moved back to first, sending Terry back into a reserve role. In addition to backing up Kelly, Terry played in 14 games in the outfield. This was the only season in which he played more than one game at a position other than first base. Overall, Terry played 98 games, batting .289 with 5 home runs and 43 RBI.
1927: Breakout year
During the following offseason, the Giants made some major changes to their starting lineup. On December 20, 1926, they traded Frisch and pitcher Jimmy RingJimmy Ring
James Joseph "Jimmy" Ring was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals . Ring batted and threw right-handed.Ring was used sparingly by the Cincinnati Reds from 1917-18...
to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
for Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
. Then, on February 9, they traded Kelly to the Reds for outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Edd Roush
Edd Roush
Edd J. Roush was a Major League Baseball player who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He played the majority of his career in center field....
, opening a spot once more for Terry in the starting lineup. Terry batted .326 in , with 20 home runs and 121 RBI. He finished 13th in the voting for the National League MVP, and his days of being a backup were behind him for good.
History in the making
Over the next two seasons, Terry continued to produce for the Giants, batting .326 again in with 101 RBI, and then .372 in with 117 RBI. In both years, he finished in the top ten in the NL in a number of statistical categories and in 1929 he finished 3rd in the MVP voting. All of this led to what is generally considered Terry's best season ever, .In 1930, Terry had an historic season. He finished first in the National League with a .401 batting average, the first player to hit over .400 since Rogers Hornsby in 1925. It is also the last time to date that anyone in the National League has hit .400. Only Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
's Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in has hit .400 since. Terry also led the league with 254 hits, which is tied for the most in NL history with the Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
' Lefty O'Doul
Lefty O'Doul
Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul was an American Major League Baseball player who went on to become an extraordinarily successful manager in the minor leagues, and also a vital figure in the establishment of professional baseball in Japan.-Player:Born in San Francisco, California, O'Doul began his...
's 254 in . He also finished 5th in the league in on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
(.452), 7th in slugging percentage (.619), 6th in runs scored with 139 runs, and led the league in putouts and assist
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
s by a first baseman. While there was no official league MVP award in 1930, Terry won The Sporting News NL MVP
The Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award
The Sporting News established The Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award in 1929. The award was given annually to the player judged by TSN baseball experts as being the most valuable in each league. The awards were discontinued in 1946....
.
Player-manager
While Terry never again reached the lofty heights of 1930, he had another excellent season in . He led the league in runs scored with 121 and in tripleTriple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
s with 20 while batting .349 with 112 RBI, and he finished third in the new BBWAA NL MVP voting. In , Terry set his career high in home runs with 28, batting .350 with 117 RBI. He was also named the team's manager in early June, replacing the legendary John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
. The team finished in sixth place.
1933: World championship
In , Terry's first full season as manager, the team won the National League pennant and the World Series. Although, as a player, Terry missed a month early in the season with an injury, he still hit .322. It was also the first season of the All-Star GameMajor League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, for which Terry was chosen as a starter and in which he got two hits. The Giants once again faced the Senators
1933 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators was a season in American baseball. They won 99 games, lost 53, and finished in first place in the American League. It was their third, and last, pennant of their existence. The team was managed by Joe Cronin and played home games at Griffith Stadium...
in the 1933 World Series
1933 World Series
The 1933 World Series featured the New York Giants and the Washington Senators, with the Giants winning in five games for their first championship since , and their fourth overall....
, which they won four games to one. Terry went 6-for-22, hitting a home run in Game 4 off Monte Weaver
Monte Weaver
Montie Morton Weaver was a Major League Baseball player who played as a pitcher from 1931-1939...
. Despite an off-year, Terry still finished fourth in the MVP voting, perhaps gaining votes for managing the team to the championship, the Giants' first since 1922
1922 New York Giants season
- Roster:- Starters by position:Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in-Other batters:Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg...
, the year before Terry's MLB debut.
Career winding down
In Terry came back to put up big numbers once more, finishing second in the NL in batting at .354 and in hits with 213 while finishing seventh in the MVP voting. Terry managed the team to a second-place finish, just two games behind the pennant-winning St. Louis Cardinals1934 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 53rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 43rd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 95-58 during the season and finished first in the National League...
"Gashouse Gang". In , Terry again got over 200 hits with 203, and batted .341 while finishing sixth in the MVP voting, and managed the team to a third-place finish. In both years he was again selected to start in the All-Star game.
was Terry's last year as a player. Before the season started, the team had purchased Sam Leslie
Sam Leslie
Samuel Andrew Leslie was a first baseman for Major League Baseball's New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers from 1929 to 1938....
from the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, and Terry the manager split time with the newcomer, with Leslie getting the lion's share. It worked out well for the team, as they again won the pennant, beating the Cardinals by five games. In the World Series
1936 World Series
The 1936 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the New York Giants, with the Yankees winning in six games to earn their fifth championship....
, Terry started all six games, but batted just .240 with no extra base hits. He did have five RBI, but it wasn't enough, as the Giants lost to the New York Yankees
1936 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 34th season in New York and its 36th season overall. The team finished with a record of 102-51, winning their 8th pennant, finishing 19.5 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers. New York was managed by Joe McCarthy. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium...
, four games to two.
Remaining managerial career
Terry continued to manage the Giants until . The Giants won another pennant in , but they lost another World Series1937 World Series
The 1937 World Series featured the defending champion New York Yankees and the New York Giants in a rematch of the 1936 Series. The Yankees won the Series in five games for their second championship in a row and their sixth in fifteen years. It also broke a tie that they had reached in 1936, with...
to the New York Yankees
1937 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was their 35th season. The team finished with a record of 102-52, winning their 9th pennant, finishing 13 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers. New York was managed by Joe McCarthy. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series, they beat the New York Giants...
, four games to one. The team finished third in , but never again finished in the first division
First division (baseball)
First division is a term that has had various meanings, at various times, in the sport of baseball, but originally referred to the rankings within a league...
under Terry, finishing fifth, sixth, and fifth in his last three years as manager.
Ownership career
After retiring from playing and managing, Terry settled in Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, where he owned an automobile dealership. He purchased the Jacksonville Braves
Jacksonville Braves
The Jacksonville Braves were a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They played in the South Atlantic League for eight seasons, from 1953 to 1960, and were the Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves Major League Baseball team during that time...
double-A team in 1958.
Playing career summary
Over his 14-year career, Terry posted seven seasons with 100 or more runs, six seasons with 100 or more RBI, six seasons with at least 200 hits, and nine consecutive seasons batting .320 or higher, from through . He also showed some pop, posting three seasons with at least 20 home runHome run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, including a career high of 28 in . Terry retired with 1120 runs scored, 154 home runs, 1078 RBI and a .341 batting average. He also currently holds the record for the highest career batting average for a left-handed hitter in the National League at .341.
Baseball honors
Terry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in . In 1999, he ranked number 59 on The Sporting NewsThe Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
All-Century Team. The Giants retired Terry's uniform no. 3 in 1984; it is posted on the facade of the upper deck in the left field corner of AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
.
Bill Terry is mentioned in the poem "Line-Up for Yesterday
Line-Up for Yesterday
Line-Up for Yesterday: An ABC of Baseball Immortals is a poem written by Ogden Nash for the January 1949 issue of SPORT Magazine. In the poem, Nash dedicates each letter of the alphabet to an iconic Major League Baseball player...
" by Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash
Frederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".-Early life:Nash was born in Rye, New York...
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See also
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions