Cecil Travis
Encyclopedia
Cecil Howell Travis was an American
shortstop
and third baseman
in Major League Baseball
from 1933 to 1947 who spent his entire career with the Washington Senators
. He led the American League
in hits
in before missing nearly the next four seasons due to military service in World War II
. His career batting average
of .314 is a record for AL shortstops, and ranks third among all shortstops behind Honus Wagner
(.327) and Arky Vaughan
(.318).
Travis was born on a farm in Riverdale, Georgia
, the youngest of ten children, and declined a scholarship to Georgia Tech
in favor of a scholarship to a baseball training school. A left-handed batter, he broke in with the Senators in , getting 5 hits in his first game – joining Fred Clarke
as the second and last player to do so – and batting .302 in 18 games at age 19. It remains the last pennant-winning campaign by a Washington team, although Travis did not play in the 5-game World Series
loss to the New York Giants
. The following year he began to take over third base duties from veteran Ossie Bluege
, and batted .319 as the team plummeted to seventh place. He followed with seasons hitting .318, .317, .344 and .335, playing fulltime at shortstop from 1937–39, but the 82-71 team – on which he split time between shortstop and right field
– would remain the only winning squad for which he would play regularly. He led the AL with 29 double play
s at third base in .
In he was named to his first All-Star
team, and placed ninth in the AL's MVP
voting. After slipping to a .292 average in 1939 while suffering two cases of the flu
, he returned with All-Star seasons in 1940 and 1941, hitting .322 and .359 (a distant second in the AL as Ted Williams
batted .406). In the latter year Travis enjoyed his best overall season with career highs of 101 runs batted in
, 106 runs scored
, 39 doubles
, 19 triples
and 7 home run
s, along with his league-best 218 hits, and finished sixth in the MVP vote.
Travis entered the Army
in the winter of 1941-42, and spent most of World War II in the States, playing on military baseball teams. Sent to Europe in late 1944 while serving in the 76th Infantry Division, he suffered a bad case of frostbite
during the Battle of the Bulge
, necessitating an operation to prevent amputation of his feet. Travis received a Bronze Star
for his military service. Although only 31 years old when he returned to baseball, he was not the same player as he had been before the war, and hit .241 in late 1945 and .252 in 1946. He retired after batting .216 in 74 games in . One month before his final game, he was honored with "Cecil Travis Night" at Griffith Stadium
, with General Dwight D. Eisenhower
in attendance.
In his career, Travis had 1544 hits, 665 runs, 657 RBI, 265 doubles, 78 triples, 27 home runs and 23 stolen base
s in 1328 games. He was a Senators scout
until 1956, and then returned to his family farm. He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
in 1975. He died at his home at age 93.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
and third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
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...
from 1933 to 1947 who spent his entire career with the 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...
. He led 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...
in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in before missing nearly the next four seasons due to military service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His 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 .314 is a record for AL shortstops, and ranks third among all shortstops behind Honus Wagner
Honus Wagner
-Louisville Colonels:Recognizing his talent, Barrow recommended Wagner to the Louisville Colonels. After some hesitation about his awkward figure, Wagner was signed by the Colonels, where he hit .338 in 61 games....
(.327) and Arky Vaughan
Arky Vaughan
Joseph Floyd "Arky" Vaughan was a professional baseball player. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1932 and 1948 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Dodgers, primarily a shortstop...
(.318).
Travis was born on a farm in Riverdale, Georgia
Riverdale, Georgia
Riverdale is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 12,478 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Riverdale is located at .-Demographics:...
, the youngest of ten children, and declined a scholarship to Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
in favor of a scholarship to a baseball training school. A left-handed batter, he broke in with the Senators in , getting 5 hits in his first game – joining Fred Clarke
Fred Clarke
Fred Clifford Clarke was a Major League Baseball player from 1894 to and manager from 1897 to 1915. A Hall of Famer, Clarke played for and managed both the Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a left fielder and left-handed batter.Of the nine pennants in Pittsburgh franchise...
as the second and last player to do so – and batting .302 in 18 games at age 19. It remains the last pennant-winning campaign by a Washington team, although Travis did not play in the 5-game World Series
1933 World Series
The 1933 World Series featured the New York Giants and the Washington Senators, with the Giants winning in five games for their first championship since , and their fourth overall....
loss to 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....
. The following year he began to take over third base duties from veteran Ossie Bluege
Ossie Bluege
Oswald Louis "Ossie" Bluege was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Washington Senators from 1922 through 1939...
, and batted .319 as the team plummeted to seventh place. He followed with seasons hitting .318, .317, .344 and .335, playing fulltime at shortstop from 1937–39, but the 82-71 team – on which he split time between shortstop and right field
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
– would remain the only winning squad for which he would play regularly. He led the AL with 29 double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
s at third base in .
In he was named to his first All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
team, and placed ninth in the AL's MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
voting. After slipping to a .292 average in 1939 while suffering two cases of the flu
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
, he returned with All-Star seasons in 1940 and 1941, hitting .322 and .359 (a distant second in the AL as Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
batted .406). In the latter year Travis enjoyed his best overall season with career highs of 101 runs batted in
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...
, 106 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...
, 39 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 19 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and 7 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, along with his league-best 218 hits, and finished sixth in the MVP vote.
Travis entered the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in the winter of 1941-42, and spent most of World War II in the States, playing on military baseball teams. Sent to Europe in late 1944 while serving in the 76th Infantry Division, he suffered a bad case of frostbite
Frostbite
Frostbite is the medical condition where localized damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold. Frostbite is most likely to happen in body parts farthest from the heart and those with large exposed areas...
during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, necessitating an operation to prevent amputation of his feet. Travis received a Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
for his military service. Although only 31 years old when he returned to baseball, he was not the same player as he had been before the war, and hit .241 in late 1945 and .252 in 1946. He retired after batting .216 in 74 games in . One month before his final game, he was honored with "Cecil Travis Night" at Griffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street, and between W Street and Florida Avenue, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had been built on the same site in 1891...
, with General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
in attendance.
In his career, Travis had 1544 hits, 665 runs, 657 RBI, 265 doubles, 78 triples, 27 home runs and 23 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 in 1328 games. He was a Senators scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
until 1956, and then returned to his family farm. He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is located in Macon, Georgia. It is the largest state sports hall of fame in America at .-Exhibitions:The Hall of Fame houses over of exhibit space broken down into sections including Hall of Fame Inductees, High School, collegiate sports, Olympic, Paralympic,...
in 1975. He died at his home at age 93.
Further reading
- Cecil Travis of the Washington Senators: The War-Torn Career of an All-Star Shortstop by Rob KirkpatrickRob Kirkpatrick-Biography:Rob Kirkpatrick was born and raised in upstate New York. He received his Bachelor’s from Rutgers University, his Master’s degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz, and his Doctorate from Binghamton University. After graduate school, he began a career as an acquisitions...
. University of Nebraska Press/Bison Books, 2009. ISBN 978-0-8032-2475-9.
External links
- Cecil Travis of the Washington Senators: The War-Torn Career of an All-Star Shortstop - publisher's book page
- Baseball Hall of Fame candidate profile
- SABR biography
- BaseballLibrary - career highlights
- Retrosheet
- The Baseball Page - biography
- Washington Post obituary
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Only war could keep him from Hall of Fame"
- New York Times obituary
- Baseball Think Factory - discussion of Hall of Fame candidacy