Carden Gillenwater
Encyclopedia
Carden Edison Gillenwater (May 13, 1918 - May 10, 2000) was a Major League Baseball
center fielder
. A native of Riceville, Tennessee, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals
(1940), Brooklyn Dodgers (1943), Boston Braves
(1945-1946), and Washington Senators
(1948).
Gillenwater made his major league debut on September 22, 1940 with the St. Louis Cardinals
. He played seven games that season, hitting .160 for the Cardinals. After two years in the minor leagues, he playing in eight games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943.
Gillenwater's best season was 1945 when he was a regular center fielder for the Braves, appearing in 144 games. He hit .288 (149-for-517) with 7 home runs, 72 runs batted in, and 74 runs scored
, and led National League
outfielder
s with 451 putouts and 24 assists
. He also ranked in the league's top ten for bases on balls, on base percentage
, and stolen bases. Gillenwater tied a major league outfield record with 12 putouts in a game in 1946.
He was a part-time player in 1946 and 1948, appearing in a total of 176 games and batting .236. On September 27, 1948 he was traded by the Washington Senators to the Cincinnati Reds
for outfielder Clyde Vollmer
, and never again played in a major league game.
In a total of 335 games he was 261-for-1004 (.260), and 153 walks and three hit by pitch
es pushed his on base percentage
up to .359. He had 11 HR, 114 RBI, scored 129 runs, and had a slugging percentage of .348. In the outfield he handled 869 out of 888 chances
successfully for a .979 fielding percentage
.
Gillenwater died at the age of 81 in Largo, 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...
center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
. A native of Riceville, Tennessee, he played for 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...
(1940), Brooklyn Dodgers (1943), 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....
(1945-1946), and 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...
(1948).
Gillenwater made his major league debut on September 22, 1940 with 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...
. He played seven games that season, hitting .160 for the Cardinals. After two years in the minor leagues, he playing in eight games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943.
Gillenwater's best season was 1945 when he was a regular center fielder for the Braves, appearing in 144 games. He hit .288 (149-for-517) with 7 home runs, 72 runs batted in, and 74 runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, and led 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...
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...
s with 451 putouts and 24 assists
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...
. He also ranked in the league's top ten for bases on balls, 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...
, and stolen bases. Gillenwater tied a major league outfield record with 12 putouts in a game in 1946.
He was a part-time player in 1946 and 1948, appearing in a total of 176 games and batting .236. On September 27, 1948 he was traded by the Washington Senators to the 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....
for outfielder Clyde Vollmer
Clyde Vollmer
Clyde Frederick Vollmer , was an American professional baseball player. An outfielder, he played in 685 Major League games for three teams: the Cincinnati Reds, Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox. During one of his seasons with the Red Sox, his timely hitting earned him the nickname "Dutch the...
, and never again played in a major league game.
In a total of 335 games he was 261-for-1004 (.260), and 153 walks and three 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:...
es pushed his 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...
up to .359. He had 11 HR, 114 RBI, scored 129 runs, and had a slugging percentage of .348. In the outfield he handled 869 out of 888 chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
successfully for a .979 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...
.
Gillenwater died at the age of 81 in Largo, Florida
Largo, Florida
Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Centrally located, it is the crossroads of the county. As of the 2000 census, the City had a total population of 69,371. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was...
.