Chuck Workman (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Charles Thomas Workman was a Major League Baseball
outfielder
, third baseman
, and first baseman
. A right-handed hitter, Workman played all or part of six seasons for the Cleveland Indians
, Boston Braves
, and Pittsburgh Pirates
.
of .400 in 5 at bat
s in 2 games. Workman played in the minors
until 1941, when he had no hits in four at bats for the Indians.
In 1943 Workman was signed by the Braves, and was promoted to a starter. That year he hit .249 in 615 at bats in 153 games. The next year Workman hit .208 in 418 at bats in 140 games. In 1945 Workman had his breakout year, hit .274 with 25 home runs. His home run total placed him second in the National League
, and first in home runs per at bat (Workman had one home run for every 20.560 at bats.)
The same year Workman's batting average placed him as third on his team.
In 1946, Workman got off to a slow start, hitting only .167 in his first 48 at bats. The Braves decided to trade him, and Workman was traded on June 12th, 1946 to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Johnny Barrett
. Chuck hit .221 in 145 at bats with the Pirates. After a disappointing 1946, Workman returned to the minor leagues, where he continued to play until 1951.
At the time of his retirement, Workman had a career batting average of .242. He finished with 1749 at bats in 526 games. He drove in
230 runs during his career. Workman hit fifty home runs over the course of his career. His lifetime fielding percentage
was .959.
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
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...
, 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...
, and first baseman
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...
. A right-handed hitter, Workman played all or part of six seasons for the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, 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....
, and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
.
Career
Workman made his major league debut on September 18, 1938 with the Indians at age 23. That year, Workman had a batting averageBatting 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 .400 in 5 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s in 2 games. Workman played in the minors
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...
until 1941, when he had no hits in four at bats for the Indians.
In 1943 Workman was signed by the Braves, and was promoted to a starter. That year he hit .249 in 615 at bats in 153 games. The next year Workman hit .208 in 418 at bats in 140 games. In 1945 Workman had his breakout year, hit .274 with 25 home runs. His home run total placed him second 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...
, and first in home runs per at bat (Workman had one home run for every 20.560 at bats.)
The same year Workman's batting average placed him as third on his team.
In 1946, Workman got off to a slow start, hitting only .167 in his first 48 at bats. The Braves decided to trade him, and Workman was traded on June 12th, 1946 to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Johnny Barrett
Johnny Barrett
John Joseph Barrett was an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1942-1946. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves....
. Chuck hit .221 in 145 at bats with the Pirates. After a disappointing 1946, Workman returned to the minor leagues, where he continued to play until 1951.
At the time of his retirement, Workman had a career batting average of .242. He finished with 1749 at bats in 526 games. He drove 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...
230 runs during his career. Workman hit fifty home runs over the course of his career. His lifetime 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...
was .959.