John Kerr (baseball)
Encyclopedia
John Francis Kerr was a professional baseball
player. He played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball
between 1923 and 1934 with the Detroit Tigers
, Chicago White Sox
, and the Washington Senators
in the American League
, primarily as a second baseman
.
, then went out west to the Pacific Coast League
in 1925. After playing one season with the Salt Lake City Bees and three more with the Hollywood Stars
, he was drafted by the White Sox in the 1928 rule 5 draft
.
in midseason. He batted .258 in his first full major league season, hitting his first major league home run on August 21 off New York Yankees
pitcher
Ed Wells
.
Kerr missed parts of the 1930 season with various injuries, winding up as the backup middle infielder behind Bill Cissell
and Greg Mulleavy
. However, he returned to starting in 1931, batting .268 with a career-high 50 runs batted in
. After the season, he was traded to the Senators with outfielder
Carl Reynolds
in exchange for pitchers Bump Hadley
and Sad Sam Jones
, as well as infielder Jackie Hayes
, who would replace him as the starting second baseman.
and future Hall of Fame shortstop
Joe Cronin
. During his tenure in Washington, he never played more than 51 games. In 1935, he served as a coach for the Senators, but in 1936 he became a player-manager in the Boston Red Sox
organization. He spent the next five seasons playing and managing in the minor leagues, including a brief stint in the Yankees organization in 1940, before retiring after the 1941 season.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player. He played all or part of eight seasons 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...
between 1923 and 1934 with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, and 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...
in 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...
, primarily as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
.
Early career
Kerr made his professional baseball debut in 1923. He split that season and 1924 between the Tigers and the minor leaguesMinor 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...
, then went out west to the Pacific Coast League
Pacific 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...
in 1925. After playing one season with the Salt Lake City Bees and three more with the Hollywood Stars
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early and mid 20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.-Hollywood Stars :...
, he was drafted by the White Sox in the 1928 rule 5 draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
.
White Sox
Kerr became the White Sox starting second baseman in 1929, replacing Bill Hunnefield, who would be traded to the Toledo Mud HensToledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
in midseason. He batted .258 in his first full major league season, hitting his first major league home run on August 21 off New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
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...
Ed Wells
Ed Wells (baseball)
Edwin Lee Wells , nicknamed "Satchelfoot" , was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played 11 seasons in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers , New York Yankees , and St. Louis Browns . Wells was a left-handed pitcher, with a hard fastball and a slow curve...
.
Kerr missed parts of the 1930 season with various injuries, winding up as the backup middle infielder behind Bill Cissell
Bill Cissell
Chalmer William Cissell born in Perryville, Missouri was an American baseball player.Cissell was an infielder for the Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox , Philadelphia Athletics and New York Giants .He finished 15th in voting for the 1928 American League MVP for playing in 125...
and Greg Mulleavy
Greg Mulleavy
Gregory Thomas "Greg" Mulleavy was a shortstop in Major League Baseball. He played in 79 games for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox in 1930, 1932 and 1933....
. However, he returned to starting in 1931, batting .268 with a career-high 50 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...
. After the season, he was traded to the Senators with 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...
Carl Reynolds
Carl Reynolds
Carl Nettles Reynolds was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , St. Louis Browns , Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs . He was born in LaRue, Texas...
in exchange for pitchers Bump Hadley
Bump Hadley
Irving Darius Hadley was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, he played the major leagues for the Washington Senators , Chicago White Sox , St...
and Sad Sam Jones
Sad Sam Jones
Samuel Pond "Sad Sam" Jones was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played in the American League with the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , St. Louis Browns , Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox . A native of Woodsfield, Ohio, Jones batted and threw...
, as well as infielder Jackie Hayes
Jackie Hayes (second baseman)
Minter Carney "Jackie" Hayes was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball player for the Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox .-Early life and career:...
, who would replace him as the starting second baseman.
Later career
Kerr spent the next three seasons on the Senators' bench behind second baseman Buddy MyerBuddy Myer
Charles Solomon "Buddy" Myer was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball from 1925 to 1941.An excellent hitter, he batted .300 or better in eight full seasons, and retired with a career average of .303. He walked more than twice as many times as he struck out...
and future Hall of Fame 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...
Joe Cronin
Joe Cronin
Joseph Edward Cronin was a Major League Baseball shortstop and manager.During a 20-year playing career, he played from 1926–45 for three different teams, primarily for the Boston Red Sox. Cronin was a major league manager from 1933–47...
. During his tenure in Washington, he never played more than 51 games. In 1935, he served as a coach for the Senators, but in 1936 he became a player-manager in the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
organization. He spent the next five seasons playing and managing in the minor leagues, including a brief stint in the Yankees organization in 1940, before retiring after the 1941 season.