Stubby Greer
Encyclopedia
William Hayden Greer was a player, coach and manager in Minor League Baseball
.
Greer debuted in 1940 with the Midland Cowboys and hit .305/?/.464 with 80 runs in 94 games. In 1941, he moved on to the Big Spring Bombers
and batted .335/?/.524 with 99 runs, 30 doubles, 11 triples, 16 homers, 18 steals and 115 RBI.
In 1942, Greer split time between the Santa Barbara Saints (.319/?/.489, 60 R in 68 games) and the Dayton Ducks
(.259/?/.393). Overall, he scored 108 runs, hit 45 doubles and stole 22 bases. He led the California League
in runs and doubles (26). Stubby then missed the 1943-1945 seasons due to military service, perhaps costing him any shot at the majors.
In 1946, Stubby returned as player-manager of the Abilene Blue Sox
. Greer led the West Texas-New Mexico League
in hits (202) and steals (38) and his team had a .708 winning percentage. Greer was named MVP and All-Star shortstop. He hit .358/~.430/.577. He was third in the league in total bases (326), 5th in average, fourth in runs (146) and led shortstops in fielding percentage (.956, 20 points ahead of the runner-up). He hit 23 home runs, 39 doubles and 8 triples and drove in 131 in 135 games. He also fielded .962 in 28 games at second base, the best in the league for players with 15+ games there.
Returning to Abilene in 1947, he hit .345/?/.537 and scored 110 runs in 112 games. He hit 16 homers and stole 25 bases. He also spent 24 games with the Mobile Bears
, hitting a fine .366/?/.427.
Returning as Mobile's regular third baseman in 1948 for his only full season at AA
, he batted .276/?/.382, solid numbers but far from what he had done in the low minors. Returning to Abilene in 1949, Greer hit .326/?/.520 with 19 homers, 106 RBI, 28 steals and 122 runs in 118 games. He also managed the team to a second-place finish.
In his usual role as Abilene's player-manager, the 30-year-old hit .330/~.435/.553 while his team fell to a disappointing last place. In 1951, Greer moved on to the Artesia Drillers and they too finished last. He batted .331/?/.549 with 18 homers and 18 steals. In 1952, Greer joined the Roswell Rockets, but only as player, not manager. He hit .360/~.412/.650 with 15 home runs, 117 RBI and 44 doubles, second in the Longhorn League
. He also led the Longhorn League's regular shortstops in fielding percentage (.954) and was named All-Star shortstop.
In 1953, Stubby started the year as player-manager of the Brownsville Charros and held that role until June 10. He hit .310/~.374/.458 in 57 games. He then joined up with the Amarillo Gold Sox
and batted .365/~.452/.642 in 32 games there.
Greer returned to Roswell in 1954, just in time to be teammates with Joe Bauman
in Bauman's legendary 70-homer campaign. Several sources now list Greer as finishing second to Bauman on Roswell in homers, with 12, but the sources of the time list him with 13, third on the club. He hit .398/~.477/.603 in that hitter-friendly league. He scored 122 runs and drove in 101 in 103 games as a 3B/OF. He was second to Bauman in OBP and average, losing the batting title race to his now-legendary teammate by two points.
In 1955, Greer managed Roswell to a second-place finish, in his final season in the driver's seat. He batted .337/?/.564 with 39 doubles, 8 triples, 22 homers, 111 runs and 113 RBI in 123 games.
In 1956, Stubby moved on to the Victoria Eagles but struggled, only hitting .210/?/.261 in 37 games. The next year, he wrapped up his career with the Ballinger Westerners, batting .314/~.381/.508 with 16 home runs.
Playing in high-offense leagues primarily, Greer hit .330/?/.519 in 1,669 minor league games. He scored 1,348 runs, drove in 1,274, hit 441 doubles, 80 triples and 204 home runs and stole 212 bases.
Sources: 1947, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955 and 1958 Baseball Guides
, The Minor League Register ed. by W. Lloyd Johnson, Minor League Baseball.com profile of the 1946 Abilene Blue Sox
Much of this article is based on the "Stubby Greer" article at Baseball-Reference.com Bullpen. The Bullpen is a wiki, and its content is available under the GNU Free Documentation License
.
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...
.
Greer debuted in 1940 with the Midland Cowboys and hit .305/?/.464 with 80 runs in 94 games. In 1941, he moved on to the Big Spring Bombers
Big Spring Bombers
The Big Spring Bombers were a minor league baseball team located in Big Spring, Texas. They operated for one season, in 1941, in the West Texas-New Mexico League. They were an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers....
and batted .335/?/.524 with 99 runs, 30 doubles, 11 triples, 16 homers, 18 steals and 115 RBI.
In 1942, Greer split time between the Santa Barbara Saints (.319/?/.489, 60 R in 68 games) and the Dayton Ducks
Dayton Ducks
The Dayton Ducks were a minor league baseball team that played in the Central League in 1932 and then the Middle Atlantic League from 1933-1942. They were affiliated with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1934-35, 1938-1942 and the Chicago White Sox in 1937. The team was briefly known as the Dayton Wings...
(.259/?/.393). Overall, he scored 108 runs, hit 45 doubles and stole 22 bases. He led the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
in runs and doubles (26). Stubby then missed the 1943-1945 seasons due to military service, perhaps costing him any shot at the majors.
In 1946, Stubby returned as player-manager of the Abilene Blue Sox
Abilene Blue Sox
The Abilene Blue Sox were a minor league baseball team that operated in the West Texas-New Mexico League from 1946-1955 and the Big State League from 1956-1957. The Abilene Blue Sox are considered to be in the top 100 Minor League Baseball teams of all-time. They were an affiliate of the Brooklyn...
. Greer led the West Texas-New Mexico League
West Texas-New Mexico League
The West Texas-New Mexico League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1937 through 1955. The league was not active in 1943-1945 because of World War II...
in hits (202) and steals (38) and his team had a .708 winning percentage. Greer was named MVP and All-Star shortstop. He hit .358/~.430/.577. He was third in the league in total bases (326), 5th in average, fourth in runs (146) and led shortstops in fielding percentage (.956, 20 points ahead of the runner-up). He hit 23 home runs, 39 doubles and 8 triples and drove in 131 in 135 games. He also fielded .962 in 28 games at second base, the best in the league for players with 15+ games there.
Returning to Abilene in 1947, he hit .345/?/.537 and scored 110 runs in 112 games. He hit 16 homers and stole 25 bases. He also spent 24 games with the Mobile Bears
Mobile Bears
The Mobile Bears were an American minor league baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama. The franchise was a member of the old Southern Association, a high-level circuit that folded after the 1961 season. Mobile joined the SA in 1908 as the Sea Gulls, but changed its name to the Bears in 1918, and...
, hitting a fine .366/?/.427.
Returning as Mobile's regular third baseman in 1948 for his only full season at AA
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...
, he batted .276/?/.382, solid numbers but far from what he had done in the low minors. Returning to Abilene in 1949, Greer hit .326/?/.520 with 19 homers, 106 RBI, 28 steals and 122 runs in 118 games. He also managed the team to a second-place finish.
In his usual role as Abilene's player-manager, the 30-year-old hit .330/~.435/.553 while his team fell to a disappointing last place. In 1951, Greer moved on to the Artesia Drillers and they too finished last. He batted .331/?/.549 with 18 homers and 18 steals. In 1952, Greer joined the Roswell Rockets, but only as player, not manager. He hit .360/~.412/.650 with 15 home runs, 117 RBI and 44 doubles, second in the Longhorn League
Longhorn League
The Longhorn League was the name of a Minor league baseball circuit that operated from through in the Southwestern United States. In , it was renamed the Southwestern League and operated through before changing its name to the Sophomore League....
. He also led the Longhorn League's regular shortstops in fielding percentage (.954) and was named All-Star shortstop.
In 1953, Stubby started the year as player-manager of the Brownsville Charros and held that role until June 10. He hit .310/~.374/.458 in 57 games. He then joined up with the Amarillo Gold Sox
Amarillo Gold Sox
The Amarillo Gold Sox was the name of a minor league baseball franchise that represented the city of Amarillo, Texas, in the Class D West Texas-New Mexico League, the Class A Western League and the Class AA Texas League at various times between 1939 and 1982....
and batted .365/~.452/.642 in 32 games there.
Greer returned to Roswell in 1954, just in time to be teammates with Joe Bauman
Joe Bauman
Joe Willis Bauman was an American first baseman in professional baseball who played primarily in the low minor leagues, including the American Association, the Eastern League, and the Southwestern League...
in Bauman's legendary 70-homer campaign. Several sources now list Greer as finishing second to Bauman on Roswell in homers, with 12, but the sources of the time list him with 13, third on the club. He hit .398/~.477/.603 in that hitter-friendly league. He scored 122 runs and drove in 101 in 103 games as a 3B/OF. He was second to Bauman in OBP and average, losing the batting title race to his now-legendary teammate by two points.
In 1955, Greer managed Roswell to a second-place finish, in his final season in the driver's seat. He batted .337/?/.564 with 39 doubles, 8 triples, 22 homers, 111 runs and 113 RBI in 123 games.
In 1956, Stubby moved on to the Victoria Eagles but struggled, only hitting .210/?/.261 in 37 games. The next year, he wrapped up his career with the Ballinger Westerners, batting .314/~.381/.508 with 16 home runs.
Playing in high-offense leagues primarily, Greer hit .330/?/.519 in 1,669 minor league games. He scored 1,348 runs, drove in 1,274, hit 441 doubles, 80 triples and 204 home runs and stole 212 bases.
Sources: 1947, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955 and 1958 Baseball Guides
Baseball Guides
There have been several Baseball Guides since the 19th century - the Spalding Guide and Reach Guide were the primary ones for decades. The two merged eventually and then were replaced by the Guides put out by The Sporting News...
, The Minor League Register ed. by W. Lloyd Johnson, Minor League Baseball.com profile of the 1946 Abilene Blue Sox
Year-by-Year Managerial Record
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Abilene Blue Sox Abilene Blue Sox The Abilene Blue Sox were a minor league baseball team that operated in the West Texas-New Mexico League from 1946-1955 and the Big State League from 1956-1957. The Abilene Blue Sox are considered to be in the top 100 Minor League Baseball teams of all-time. They were an affiliate of the Brooklyn... |
West Texas-New Mexico League West Texas-New Mexico League The West Texas-New Mexico League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1937 through 1955. The league was not active in 1943-1945 because of World War II... |
97-40 | 1st | Brooklyn Dodgers | Lost in 1st round | |
| 1947 | Abilene Blue Sox Abilene Blue Sox The Abilene Blue Sox were a minor league baseball team that operated in the West Texas-New Mexico League from 1946-1955 and the Big State League from 1956-1957. The Abilene Blue Sox are considered to be in the top 100 Minor League Baseball teams of all-time. They were an affiliate of the Brooklyn... |
West Texas-New Mexico League West Texas-New Mexico League The West Texas-New Mexico League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1937 through 1955. The league was not active in 1943-1945 because of World War II... |
Brooklyn Dodgers | replaced by Art Bowland | |||
| 1949 | Abilene Blue Sox Abilene Blue Sox The Abilene Blue Sox were a minor league baseball team that operated in the West Texas-New Mexico League from 1946-1955 and the Big State League from 1956-1957. The Abilene Blue Sox are considered to be in the top 100 Minor League Baseball teams of all-time. They were an affiliate of the Brooklyn... |
West Texas-New Mexico League West Texas-New Mexico League The West Texas-New Mexico League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1937 through 1955. The league was not active in 1943-1945 because of World War II... |
73-66 | 2nd | none | Lost in 1st round | |
| 1950 | Abilene Blue Sox Abilene Blue Sox The Abilene Blue Sox were a minor league baseball team that operated in the West Texas-New Mexico League from 1946-1955 and the Big State League from 1956-1957. The Abilene Blue Sox are considered to be in the top 100 Minor League Baseball teams of all-time. They were an affiliate of the Brooklyn... |
West Texas-New Mexico League West Texas-New Mexico League The West Texas-New Mexico League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1937 through 1955. The league was not active in 1943-1945 because of World War II... |
51-92 | 8th | none | ||
| 1951 | Artesia Drillers | Longhorn League Longhorn League The Longhorn League was the name of a Minor league baseball circuit that operated from through in the Southwestern United States. In , it was renamed the Southwestern League and operated through before changing its name to the Sophomore League.... |
45-95 | 8th | none | ||
| 1952 | |||||||
| 1953 | Brownsville Charros | Gulf Coast League Gulf Coast League The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South... |
none | replaced by Walter Sessi Walter Sessi Walter Anthony Sessi was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals in and . He served in the Military during World War II from 1942 to 1945.-External links:... |
|||
| 1954 | |||||||
| 1955 | Roswell Rockets | Longhorn League Longhorn League The Longhorn League was the name of a Minor league baseball circuit that operated from through in the Southwestern United States. In , it was renamed the Southwestern League and operated through before changing its name to the Sophomore League.... |
79-56 | 2nd | none | Lost League Finals | |
| 1956 | Victoria Eagles | Big State League | none | replaced Lou Fitzgerald Lou Fitzgerald H. Louis Fitzgerald is a retired American infielder and manager in minor league baseball. A second baseman and third baseman, Fitzergald batted left-handed and threw right-handed.-Biography:... |
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Much of this article is based on the "Stubby Greer" article at Baseball-Reference.com Bullpen. The Bullpen is a wiki, and its content is available under the GNU Free Documentation License
GNU Free Documentation License
The GNU Free Documentation License is a copyleft license for free documentation, designed by the Free Software Foundation for the GNU Project. It is similar to the GNU General Public License, giving readers the rights to copy, redistribute, and modify a work and requires all copies and...
.