Fred Hatfield
Encyclopedia
Fred James Hatfield nicknamed "Scrap Iron"http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=hatfifr01, was a Major League Baseball
infielder
who played 9 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Boston Red Sox
(1950–1952), Detroit Tigers
(1952–1956), Chicago White Sox
(1956–1957), Cleveland Indians
(1958), and Cincinnati Redlegs
(1958).
Born in Lanett, Alabama
, Hatfield signed by the Boston Red Sox
as an amateur free agent in 1942. Hatfield played in 722 games and had a career batting average
of .242 with an on base percentage
of .332. He had 493 hits, 248 bases on balls, and 165 RBIs.
Hatfield played in the infield, with 408 games at 3rd base, 179 games at 2nd base, and 27 games at shortstop.
Hatfield was among the American League
leaders in being hit by pitch
in 1952, 1954, 1956, and 1957. He was also among the league leaders in 1955 for sacrifice hit
s and intentional walks. Hatfield died in 1998 at age 73 in Tallahassee, Florida
.
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...
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
who played 9 seasons in the Major Leagues with the 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"...
(1950–1952), Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(1952–1956), Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(1956–1957), Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(1958), and Cincinnati Redlegs
Cincinnati 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....
(1958).
Born in Lanett, Alabama
Lanett, Alabama
Lanett is a city in Chambers County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 7,897. Lanett, originally called Bluffton, is located in eastern Alabama, on the Chattahoochee River, southwest of Atlanta, Georgia...
, Hatfield signed by the 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"...
as an amateur free agent in 1942. Hatfield played in 722 games and had a career batting average
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 :...
of .242 with an 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...
of .332. He had 493 hits, 248 bases on balls, and 165 RBIs.
Hatfield played in the infield, with 408 games at 3rd base, 179 games at 2nd base, and 27 games at shortstop.
Hatfield was among 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...
leaders in being hit by pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
in 1952, 1954, 1956, and 1957. He was also among the league leaders in 1955 for sacrifice hit
Sacrifice hit
In baseball, a sacrifice bunt is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball in a manner that allows a runner on base to advance to another base. The batter is almost always sacrificed but sometimes reaches base due to an error or fielder's choice...
s and intentional walks. Hatfield died in 1998 at age 73 in Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
.