Birdie Cree
Encyclopedia
William Franklin "Birdie" Cree (October 23, 1882 - November 8, 1942) was a Major League Baseball
outfielder. He spent his entire 8 year career with the New York Highlanders, which would become the New York Yankees
. Statistically, Cree's best comparison would be Homer Smoot
.
Born in Khedive, Pennsylvania
, Cree was a small man at 5'6" and 150 pounds. He threw and batted right-handed, and he also attended Penn State University.
Prior to the Major Leagues, Cree played in the High Hat League, then went to play ball in Burlington, Vermont
and Williamsport, Pennsylvania
.
Cree made his Major League debut on September 17, 1908 at the age of 25. He was a solid outfielder until 1911, when he had an extraordinary season. He had or tied career highs in every major category, with the highlights being 22 triples (which tied him for 32nd all-time in a season and the most in a season for a right-hander in the AL
), 48 stolen base
s and a .348 batting average
. He was third in the league in stolen bases and because of his great performance, he was tied with Hall of Famer Tris Speaker
for 6th highest in the voting for MVP
. As a matter of fact, he was the only non-Hall of Fame player in the top six for the MVP voting. He also hit his only career grand slam in 1911.
Cree was on pace for another amazing season in 1912, but his season was cut short by a wrist injury from a Buck O'Brien pitch and he only played a total of 50 games. He hit .332 in that time. On April 22, 1910 Cree was hit in the head by a pitch thrown by Walter Johnson.
Cree never again lived up to his amazing 1911 season, playing over 100 games only once in the remaining four years of his career. Rejecting baseball disdainfully, he ended his career early on September 21, 1915 with a .292 career batting average, 132 stolen bases and 62 triples. In the field, Cree had a career .962 fielding percentage
. Cree retired from baseball because, "I had no intention of going to the bush leagues". After baseball
, he entered the world of banking. Jack Warhop
and Ed Sweeney
had been teammates of Cree for eight seasons, longer than any other teammates.
On November 8, 1942 at the age of 60, Cree died in Sunbury, Pennsylvania
after fighting a long illness. He was laid to rest in Pomfret Manor Cemetery
in Sunbury. At the time of his death, he was a cashier at the First National Bank of Sunbury.
and cash to Baltimore of the International League
for Cree. He was sold to Baltimore after a mediocre 1913 season with the Yankees, and the Yankees wanted him back.
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...
outfielder. He spent his entire 8 year career with the New York Highlanders, which would become the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. Statistically, Cree's best comparison would be Homer Smoot
Homer Smoot
Homer Vernon Smoot , nicknamed "Doc," was an American professional baseball. He played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball, for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, from 1902 until 1906, primarily as a center fielder. He threw right-handed but batted left-handed.Born in...
.
Born in Khedive, Pennsylvania
Khedive, Pennsylvania
Khedive is an unincorporated community in Greene County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located at an elevation of 1,020 feet ....
, Cree was a small man at 5'6" and 150 pounds. He threw and batted right-handed, and he also attended Penn State University.
Prior to the Major Leagues, Cree played in the High Hat League, then went to play ball in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
and Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
.
Cree made his Major League debut on September 17, 1908 at the age of 25. He was a solid outfielder until 1911, when he had an extraordinary season. He had or tied career highs in every major category, with the highlights being 22 triples (which tied him for 32nd all-time in a season and the most in a season for a right-hander in the AL
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...
), 48 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s and a .348 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 :...
. He was third in the league in stolen bases and because of his great performance, he was tied with Hall of Famer Tris Speaker
Tris Speaker
Tristram E. Speaker , nicknamed "Spoke" and "The Grey Eagle", was an American baseball player. Considered one of the best offensive and defensive center fielders in the history of Major League Baseball, he compiled a career batting average of .345 , and still holds the record of 792 career doubles...
for 6th highest in the voting for MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
. As a matter of fact, he was the only non-Hall of Fame player in the top six for the MVP voting. He also hit his only career grand slam in 1911.
Cree was on pace for another amazing season in 1912, but his season was cut short by a wrist injury from a Buck O'Brien pitch and he only played a total of 50 games. He hit .332 in that time. On April 22, 1910 Cree was hit in the head by a pitch thrown by Walter Johnson.
Cree never again lived up to his amazing 1911 season, playing over 100 games only once in the remaining four years of his career. Rejecting baseball disdainfully, he ended his career early on September 21, 1915 with a .292 career batting average, 132 stolen bases and 62 triples. In the field, Cree had a career .962 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. Cree retired from baseball because, "I had no intention of going to the bush leagues". After baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, he entered the world of banking. Jack Warhop
Jack Warhop
John Milton Warhop born in Hinton, West Virginia was a pitcher for the New York Highlanders/New York Yankees ....
and Ed Sweeney
Ed Sweeney
Edward Francis Sweeney was a Major League Baseball catcher who played for the New York Yankees from 1908–1915 and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1919 when he had 4 hits in 42 at bats...
had been teammates of Cree for eight seasons, longer than any other teammates.
On November 8, 1942 at the age of 60, Cree died in Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Sunbury is a city in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, just downstream of the confluence of its main and West branches. The population was 9,905 at the 2010 census...
after fighting a long illness. He was laid to rest in Pomfret Manor Cemetery
Pomfret Manor Cemetery
Pomfret Manor Cemetery is a cemetery located in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Notable people buried there are Herbert Wesley Cummings, John Black Packer, Isaac Clinton Kline, Birdie Cree and Simon Peter Wolverton.-External links:**...
in Sunbury. At the time of his death, he was a cashier at the First National Bank of Sunbury.
Transaction
On July 6, 1914, the Yankees sent Bill HoldenBill Holden (baseball)
William Paul Holden is a former right-handed Major League Baseball outfielder who played in 1913 and 1914 for the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds....
and cash to Baltimore of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
for Cree. He was sold to Baltimore after a mediocre 1913 season with the Yankees, and the Yankees wanted him back.