Buzz Arlett
Encyclopedia
Russell Loris Arlett also known as Buzz Arlett, was an American baseball
player of German
descent. Sometimes called "the Babe Ruth
of the minor leagues
." Like Ruth, Arlett was a large man (6'4" and 230 pounds (104 kg)) who began his career as a pitcher
before becoming his league's dominant home run hitter. He is the all time minor league home run king in the United States.
's Oakland Oaks
as a right-handed spitball
pitcher. He received his nickname "Buzz" because he was known to cut through opposing batters like a buzz saw. He won 99 games as pitcher.
In 1923, Buzz became a full-time outfielder
. As a batter, Arlett was the best slugger of the Pacific Coast League, often leading the league in batting statistics and setting several records. In his 13 years in the PCL, Arlett set league records with 251 home run
s and 1135 runs batted in.
In 1929 (considered to be his best season as a batter), Arlett hit 39 home runs, earned a .374 batting average
and drove in 189 runs. He played only for the Oakland Oaks until the 1930 season.
On January 26, 1931, the Philadelphia Phillies
bought Arlett's contract from Oakland. Arlett played the entire 1931 season for Philadelphia and it would be his only year in the major leagues
. Already 32 years old, Arlett had an impressive season as a hitter but was regarded as a poor fielder. Although Arlett began his career at about 185 pounds, he had gained approximately 50 pounds during his career and had become a sluggish fielder. He was used sparingly in 94 games as an outfielder and only 13 as first baseman. Although he earned a .313 batting average and hit 18 home runs - fourth in the National League
- his lackluster fielding led the Phillies to use him as a pinch-hitter
for much of the season.
In 1932, Philadelphia sold Arlett's contract to the Baltimore Orioles
of the International League
. Playing for the Orioles in 1932, Arlett twice hit four home runs in a single game. On June 2, 1932, he hit home runs in consecutive at bats against the team from Reading, Pennsylvania
. He repeated the feat on July 4, 1932, again against Reading, hitting a grand slam
batting right-handed and three more home runs batting left-handed. He led the league that year with 54 home runs and 144 runs batted in. Arlett's record of 54 home runs in 1932 is the second-highest annual total in International League history, and through the 2003 season no International League batter has equalled or surpassed Arlett's 54 home runs.
In 1933, Buzz led the league again with 39 home runs for the Orioles.
In 1934, Arlett briefly started the season with the Birmingham Barons
and then moved to the Minneapolis Millers
of the American Association
. During his season with the Millers, he hit 41 home runs that year with 132 runs batted in and earned a .319 batting average.
In 1935, He raised his batting average to .360 hitting 25 home runs and driving in 101 runs.
In 1936, Buzz hit .316, but was limited to only 193 at bats.
In 1937, Arlett played briefly for the Syracuse Chiefs, but then retired. He returned to Minneapolis to settle with his family.
Buzz finished his career as the all time minor league home run and RBI king with career totals of 432 home runs and 1786 runs batted in. He now ranks second in both categories among all minor-league players (He was surpassed by Hector Espino
for HRs and Nick Cullop
for RBIs http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Buzz_Arlett.) In his career as a minor-league player, Arlett earned a .341 batting average and a .604 slugging percentage. Arlett retired with a 108-93 record and a 3.42 earned-run average
as a minor-league pitcher.
In 1927, Buzz married his first wife Frances, but they separated in 1932, and divorced in 1936. Buzz and Frances never had any children. In court papers, Buzz listed "desertion" as the cause for divorce. In 1936, Buzz married Vivian Johnson who was secretary to Minneapolis Millers owner, Mike Kelly. They had two children: a son and a daughter.
After retiring from baseball, Artlett owned and operated a successful restaurant and bar in Minneapolis called Arlett's Place. Artlett's Place sponsored its own baseball team where Buzz would participate as player until the early 1940s.
In 1964, Buzz Arlett died of a heart attack in Minneapolis and was interred at Lakewood Cemetery
. He was survived by his wife, son, daughter, and his older brothers Harry and Dick.
In 1984, the Society for American Baseball Research
voted Arlett the most outstanding player in the history of minor-league 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...
player of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
descent. Sometimes called "the Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
of 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...
." Like Ruth, Arlett was a large man (6'4" and 230 pounds (104 kg)) who 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...
before becoming his league's dominant home run hitter. He is the all time minor league home run king in the United States.
Minor & Major League career
In 1918, Arlett began his professional career by joining his brother (Alexander "Pop" Arlett) on the staff of the Pacific Coast LeaguePacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
's Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (PCL)
The Oakland Oaks were a minor league baseball team in Oakland, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1955, after which the club transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia...
as a right-handed spitball
Spitball
A spitball is an illegal baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of saliva, petroleum jelly, or some other foreign substance....
pitcher. He received his nickname "Buzz" because he was known to cut through opposing batters like a buzz saw. He won 99 games as pitcher.
In 1923, Buzz became a full-time 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...
. As a batter, Arlett was the best slugger of the Pacific Coast League, often leading the league in batting statistics and setting several records. In his 13 years in the PCL, Arlett set league records with 251 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 1135 runs batted in.
In 1929 (considered to be his best season as a batter), Arlett hit 39 home runs, earned a .374 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 :...
and drove in 189 runs. He played only for the Oakland Oaks until the 1930 season.
On January 26, 1931, the 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...
bought Arlett's contract from Oakland. Arlett played the entire 1931 season for Philadelphia and it would be his only year in the major leagues
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...
. Already 32 years old, Arlett had an impressive season as a hitter but was regarded as a poor fielder. Although Arlett began his career at about 185 pounds, he had gained approximately 50 pounds during his career and had become a sluggish fielder. He was used sparingly in 94 games as an outfielder and only 13 as first baseman. Although he earned a .313 batting average and hit 18 home runs - fourth in the 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...
- his lackluster fielding led the Phillies to use him as a pinch-hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
for much of the season.
In 1932, Philadelphia sold Arlett's contract to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (minor league)
The city of Baltimore, Maryland has been home to two minor league baseball teams called the Baltimore Orioles.-Name history:"Orioles" is a traditional name for baseball clubs in Baltimore . It was used by major league teams from 1882 through 1899 in the American Association/National League and by...
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...
. Playing for the Orioles in 1932, Arlett twice hit four home runs in a single game. On June 2, 1932, he hit home runs in consecutive at bats against the team from Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
. He repeated the feat on July 4, 1932, again against Reading, hitting a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
batting right-handed and three more home runs batting left-handed. He led the league that year with 54 home runs and 144 runs batted in. Arlett's record of 54 home runs in 1932 is the second-highest annual total in International League history, and through the 2003 season no International League batter has equalled or surpassed Arlett's 54 home runs.
In 1933, Buzz led the league again with 39 home runs for the Orioles.
In 1934, Arlett briefly started the season with the Birmingham Barons
Birmingham Barons
The Birmingham Barons are a minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox major-league club....
and then moved to the Minneapolis Millers
Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, until 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League.The team played first in Athletic Park and later Nicollet Park.The name Minneapolis...
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...
. During his season with the Millers, he hit 41 home runs that year with 132 runs batted in and earned a .319 batting average.
In 1935, He raised his batting average to .360 hitting 25 home runs and driving in 101 runs.
In 1936, Buzz hit .316, but was limited to only 193 at bats.
In 1937, Arlett played briefly for the Syracuse Chiefs, but then retired. He returned to Minneapolis to settle with his family.
Buzz finished his career as the all time minor league home run and RBI king with career totals of 432 home runs and 1786 runs batted in. He now ranks second in both categories among all minor-league players (He was surpassed by Hector Espino
Héctor Espino
Hector Espino was a Mexican professional outfielder, first baseman and manager.Born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Espino has being considered the greatest player in Mexican League history...
for HRs and Nick Cullop
Nick Cullop (outfielder)
Henry Nicholas Cullop was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball during the 1920s and 1930s. Cullop was better known, however, as a feared batsman in minor league baseball and as a longtime manager at the minor league level. He is the all-time minor league RBI king...
for RBIs http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Buzz_Arlett.) In his career as a minor-league player, Arlett earned a .341 batting average and a .604 slugging percentage. Arlett retired with a 108-93 record and a 3.42 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...
as a minor-league pitcher.
Personal life
Buzz was the youngest of four sons (Alexander, Harry, Leslie "Dick", and Russell) born to German immigrant Beny and his English wife Lillian. He also had a sister Evelyn. During their youth, the Arlett brothers would often play baseball from sunrise till sundown.In 1927, Buzz married his first wife Frances, but they separated in 1932, and divorced in 1936. Buzz and Frances never had any children. In court papers, Buzz listed "desertion" as the cause for divorce. In 1936, Buzz married Vivian Johnson who was secretary to Minneapolis Millers owner, Mike Kelly. They had two children: a son and a daughter.
After retiring from baseball, Artlett owned and operated a successful restaurant and bar in Minneapolis called Arlett's Place. Artlett's Place sponsored its own baseball team where Buzz would participate as player until the early 1940s.
Death & Legacy
In 1945, Buzz was inducted into the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame.In 1964, Buzz Arlett died of a heart attack in Minneapolis and was interred at Lakewood Cemetery
Lakewood Cemetery
Lakewood Cemetery is a large private, non-sectarian cemetery located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is located at 3600 Hennepin Avenue at the southern end of the Uptown area...
. He was survived by his wife, son, daughter, and his older brothers Harry and Dick.
In 1984, the Society for American Baseball Research
Society for American Baseball Research
The Society for American Baseball Research was established in Cooperstown, New York, in August 1971 by Bob Davids of Washington, D.C. The Society's mission is to foster the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball, while generating interest in the game...
voted Arlett the most outstanding player in the history of minor-league baseball.
External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - major league statistics and analysis
- Baseball-Reference.com - minor league stats
- Profile Page for Russell "Buzz" Arlett at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...