Roy Cullenbine
Encyclopedia
Roy Joseph Cullenbine was a Major League Baseball
outfielder
and first baseman
. He played ten years in the Major Leagues for six teams: Detroit Tigers
(1938–1939 and 1945–1947), Brooklyn Dodgers
(1940), St. Louis Browns
(1940–1942), Washington Senators
(1942), New York Yankees
(1942) and Cleveland Indians
(1943–1945) during his ten-year playing career.
, but raised in Detroit, Michigan
, Cullenbine was a switch-hitter and one of the most prolific recipients of bases on balls
in major league history. In his ten year career, he collected almost as many walks (853) as he did hits (1072). Cullenbine was among the American League
leaders in walks
for seven consecutive seasons from 1941-1947. He was once walked four times in the same game by Lefty Gomez
in August 1941. http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Roy_Cullenbine_1915&page=chronology In a game in July 1941 he scored 5 runs in only 2 official at bats.
Driven largely by his ability to draw walks, he had a career on-base percentage of .408, which was 132 points higher than his career batting average
of .276. His .408 career on base percentage ranks 38th best in the history of Major League baseball, higher than many Hall of Fame legends, including Honus Wagner
, Joe DiMaggio
, Willie Mays
, and Hank Aaron.
in 1930. In 1932, legendary scout Wish Egan
saw Cullenbine working out at Navin Field and signed him. Between 1932 and 1937, Cullenbine played in the minor leagues in Shreveport, Louisiana, Greenwood, Mississippi, Springfield, Illinois, Beaumont, Texas, and Toledo, Ohio.
After beginning his major league career playing the 1938 and 1939 seasons for his home town Detroit Tigers
, Cullenbine was among several major league players declared free agents in January 1940 by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis
. Cullenbine received a $25,000 bonus to sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers the following month. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE6DE1739F933A05756C0A967958260
After playing only 84 games for the Dodgers, Cullenbine was traded in May 1940 to the St. Louis Browns
for Joe Gallagher
.
. Cullenbine also collected 98 RBIs, was named to the 1941 American League All Star team, and finished 10th in the American League Most Valuable Player voting.
on June 1. He was then selected off waivers by the New York Yankees
on August 31, 1942. This was a stroke of luck for Cullenbine, as the Yankees won the American League pennant, enabling Cullenbine to play in the 1942 World Series
, where he had a .300 on base percentage and scored 3 runs in a losing effort to the St. Louis Cardinals
.
After the end of the 1942 season, Cullenbine was traded on December 17, 1942 to the Cleveland Indians
, marking the 4th major league team Cullenbine was assigned to in 1942.
, the team with which he began his career. As was the case in 1942, Cullenbine had the good fortune of being traded in 1945 to a team that went on to win the American League pennant.
The 1945 season saw Cullenbine's best numbers in many offensive categories. He led the American League with 113 walks and was 2nd in the AL with a .402 on base percentage. Cullenbine also hit for power in 1945, with 18 home run
s (2nd in the AL), 93 RBIs (2nd in the AL), 51 extra base hit
s (4th in the AL), and a .444 slugging percentage (3rd in the AL).
After leading the Tigers to the pennant, Cullenbine helped the Tigers defeat the Chicago Cubs
in the 1945 World Series
. Despite batting only .227 in the Series, Cullenbine walked 8 times for a .433 on base percentage and scored five runs.
and .477 on base percentage
were career highs. In 1947, he hit a career high 24 home run
s and set a Detroit Tigers
record with 137 walks, while his on base percentage
of .407 was 3rd best in the American League. From July 2–22, 1947, Cullenbine drew walks in 22 consecutive games, breaking the major league record of 19 consecutive games set by Ted Williams
in 1941 and still standing today. http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Roy_Cullenbine_1915&page=chronology However, with only 104 hits Cullenbine's batting average
dropped to .224, leading to his release after the season.
in 1948, only to be released again just three weeks into the season, on April 19, 1948. In spite of the promise of his high on-base percentage, not viewed with the same regard in that era as today, he had never even entered a game.
.
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...
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...
. He played ten years in the Major Leagues for six teams: 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...
(1938–1939 and 1945–1947), Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(1940), St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1940–1942), 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...
(1942), 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...
(1942) and 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...
(1943–1945) during his ten-year playing career.
Career
Born in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, but raised in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Cullenbine was a switch-hitter and one of the most prolific recipients of bases on balls
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
in major league history. In his ten year career, he collected almost as many walks (853) as he did hits (1072). Cullenbine was among 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...
leaders in walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
for seven consecutive seasons from 1941-1947. He was once walked four times in the same game by Lefty Gomez
Lefty Gómez
Vernon Louis "Lefty" Gomez was an American left-handed major league pitcher who played in the American League for the New York Yankees between 1930 and 1942. Considered one of the great pitchers of the day, Gomez was a seven-time All-Star and a five-time World Series Champion with the Yankees...
in August 1941. http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Roy_Cullenbine_1915&page=chronology In a game in July 1941 he scored 5 runs in only 2 official at bats.
Driven largely by his ability to draw walks, he had a career on-base percentage of .408, which was 132 points higher than 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 .276. His .408 career on base percentage ranks 38th best in the history of Major League baseball, higher than many Hall of Fame legends, including 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....
, Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
, Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
, and Hank Aaron.
Early years
Cullenbine grew up in Detroit where he played football at Eastern High School. He served as a batboy for the Detroit TigersDetroit 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...
in 1930. In 1932, legendary scout Wish Egan
Wish Egan
Aloysius Jerome "Wish" Egan was a Major League Baseball player and scout.-Playing career:Born in Evart, Michigan, Egan played three seasons as a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals . He started 3 games for the Tigers in September 1902...
saw Cullenbine working out at Navin Field and signed him. Between 1932 and 1937, Cullenbine played in the minor leagues in Shreveport, Louisiana, Greenwood, Mississippi, Springfield, Illinois, Beaumont, Texas, and Toledo, Ohio.
After beginning his major league career playing the 1938 and 1939 seasons for his home town 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...
, Cullenbine was among several major league players declared free agents in January 1940 by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis was an American jurist who served as a federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and as the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death...
. Cullenbine received a $25,000 bonus to sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers the following month. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE6DE1739F933A05756C0A967958260
After playing only 84 games for the Dodgers, Cullenbine was traded in May 1940 to the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for Joe Gallagher
Joe Gallagher (baseball)
Joseph Emmett Gallagher , nicknamed "Muscles," was an American left and right fielder in Major League Baseball during the and baseball seasons....
.
Breakout season in 1941
In 1941, Cullenbine had a tremendous season for the Browns. He had a .317 batting average, and walked 121 times for a .452 on base percentage—2nd best in the American League behind Ted WilliamsTed 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...
. Cullenbine also collected 98 RBIs, was named to the 1941 American League All Star team, and finished 10th in the American League Most Valuable Player voting.
1942: Four teams and a World Series
After a great year with the Browns in 1941, the 1942 season saw Cullenbine bounced to three different teams. He started the season with the Browns, but was traded to the Washington SenatorsMinnesota 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...
on June 1. He was then selected off waivers by the 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...
on August 31, 1942. This was a stroke of luck for Cullenbine, as the Yankees won the American League pennant, enabling Cullenbine to play in the 1942 World Series
1942 World Series
The 1942 World Series featured the defending champion New York Yankees against the St. Louis Cardinals, with the Cardinals winning the Series in five games for their first championship since and their fourth overall....
, where he had a .300 on base percentage and scored 3 runs in a losing effort to 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...
.
After the end of the 1942 season, Cullenbine was traded on December 17, 1942 to 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...
, marking the 4th major league team Cullenbine was assigned to in 1942.
1943 and 1944: An All-Star for the Cleveland Indians
Cullenbine played the complete 1943 and 1944 seasons for the Indians, putting up solid numbers both years. He batted .289 and .284 with on base percentages of .407 and .380. He was named to the All Star team for a second time in 1944.1945: A World Series Championship with the Tigers
Shortly after the start of the 1945 season, Cullenbine was traded by the Indians to the Detroit TigersDetroit 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...
, the team with which he began his career. As was the case in 1942, Cullenbine had the good fortune of being traded in 1945 to a team that went on to win the American League pennant.
The 1945 season saw Cullenbine's best numbers in many offensive categories. He led the American League with 113 walks and was 2nd in the AL with a .402 on base percentage. Cullenbine also hit for power in 1945, with 18 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 (2nd in the AL), 93 RBIs (2nd in the AL), 51 extra base hit
Extra base hit
In baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
s (4th in the AL), and a .444 slugging percentage (3rd in the AL).
After leading the Tigers to the pennant, Cullenbine helped the Tigers defeat the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in the 1945 World Series
1945 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 2:Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 3:Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan...
. Despite batting only .227 in the Series, Cullenbine walked 8 times for a .433 on base percentage and scored five runs.
1946 and 1947: Solid Offensive Production for Detroit
Cullenbine continued to have solid seasons for the Tigers in 1946 and 1947. In 1946 his .335 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 :...
and .477 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...
were career highs. In 1947, he hit a career high 24 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 set a 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...
record with 137 walks, while 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...
of .407 was 3rd best in the American League. From July 2–22, 1947, Cullenbine drew walks in 22 consecutive games, breaking the major league record of 19 consecutive games set by 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...
in 1941 and still standing today. http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Roy_Cullenbine_1915&page=chronology However, with only 104 hits Cullenbine's 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 :...
dropped to .224, leading to his release after the season.
Retirement
Seeking to rebound from his release by the Tigers, Cullenbine was picked up briefly by the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia 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...
in 1948, only to be released again just three weeks into the season, on April 19, 1948. In spite of the promise of his high on-base percentage, not viewed with the same regard in that era as today, he had never even entered a game.
Passing
Cullenbine died of heart disease at age 77 in 1991. He was buried at the Christian Memorial Cultural Center Cemetery in Rochester Hills, MichiganRochester Hills, Michigan
Rochester Hills is an affluent city in northeast Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 70,995. The city of Rochester is bounded on the north, south, and west by Rochester Hills...
.
See also
- 1945 Detroit Tigers season1945 Detroit Tigers seasonThe Detroit Tigers was the team's 45th since they entered the American League in 1901. The team won the American League pennant, then went on to win the 1945 World Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 3. It was the second World Series championship for the Tigers...
- Detroit Tigers team recordsDetroit Tigers/Team records-Single season records:- Career records :-Tigers hitting for the cycle:* Bobby Veach, September 17, 1920* Bob Fothergill, September 26, 1926* Gee Walker, April 20, 1937* Charlie Gehringer, May 27, 1939* Vic Wertz, September 14, 1947...
- Best batting seasons by a Detroit Tiger