Buck Jordan
Encyclopedia
Baxter Byerly Jordan (January 16, 1907 - March 18, 1993) was a first baseman
in Major League Baseball
who played for the New York Giants
(1927–1929), Washington Senators
(1931), Boston Braves
(1932-1937[start]), Cincinnati Reds
(1937[end]-1938[start]) and Philadelphia Phillies
(1938[end]). Jordan batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Cooleemee, North Carolina
.
A solid defensive first baseman and basically a line-drive hitter, Jordan posted high batting average
s in the minor leagues
, but his lack of power made him nothing to be feared at major league level. After playing in part of three seasons with the Giants and Senators, he became a regular with the Boston Braves in 1933 as he twice topped .300, with a career-high .323 in 1936. After that he averaged .290 in the next three seasons, that included stints with the Reds and Phillies. Twice he collected eight hits in a doubleheader, for the Braves in 1935 and with the Phillies in 1938.
In a ten-season career, Jordan was a .299 hitter with 17 home run
s and 281 RBI
in 811 games played
.
Jordan died in Salisbury, North Carolina
, at age 86.
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...
in 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...
who played for the 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....
(1927–1929), Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
(1931), 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....
(1932-1937[start]), Cincinnati Reds
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....
(1937[end]-1938[start]) and Philadelphia 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...
(1938[end]). Jordan batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Cooleemee, North Carolina
Cooleemee, North Carolina
Cooleemee is a town in Davie County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 905 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cooleemee is located at ....
.
A solid defensive first baseman and basically a line-drive hitter, Jordan posted high 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 :...
s in the minor leagues
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...
, but his lack of power made him nothing to be feared at major league level. After playing in part of three seasons with the Giants and Senators, he became a regular with the Boston Braves in 1933 as he twice topped .300, with a career-high .323 in 1936. After that he averaged .290 in the next three seasons, that included stints with the Reds and Phillies. Twice he collected eight hits in a doubleheader, for the Braves in 1935 and with the Phillies in 1938.
In a ten-season career, Jordan was a .299 hitter with 17 home run
Home 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 and 281 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 811 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
.
Jordan died in Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
, at age 86.