Ty LaForest
Encyclopedia
Byron Joseph "Ty" LaForest (April 18, 1917 – May 5, 1947) was a Canadian professional baseball
player. He was born in Edmundston, New Brunswick
.
LaForest is one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major leagues
during World War II
.
He played third base
for the last two months of the 1945 season with the Boston Red Sox
, hitting
.250 (51-for-204) with 2 home run
s, 16 RBI, and 25 runs scored
in 52 games. He was an above-average defensive player, making just 5 errors
in 147 total chances
at third base, and recording 6 putouts (with no errors) in a few appearances as an outfielder
.
In 1944 he play outfield for the Boston Red Sox affiliate, Scranton of the Eastern League. He hit .296 with 101 runs batted in which earned him a promotion in 1945 to the top Red Sox farm club in Louisville, Kentucky. While playing for the Louisville Colonels
he tied an American Association
record by getting six hits in six at bat in a game against Minneapolis
.
He first appeared in a major league game on August 26, 1945 during a double header
against Philadelphia
. He had two home runs and five hits in total in the two games to lead the Red Sox to a pair of victories. Later that week Laforest singled and scored the only run of the game to help the Red Sox defeat the New York Yankees
. On August 31 he had four more hits, including two triples in another double header with Philadelphia.
He died at the age of 30 in Arlington, Massachusetts
after coming down with pneumonia
in the winter of 1946. Still weakened from his illness he suffered a heart attack in Florida during spring training
. He was inducted into the Boston Park League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He was born in Edmundston, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
LaForest is one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major leagues
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...
during 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...
.
He played third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
for the last two months of the 1945 season with 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"...
, hitting
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 :...
.250 (51-for-204) with 2 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, 16 RBI, and 25 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...
in 52 games. He was an above-average defensive player, making just 5 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
in 147 total chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
at third base, and recording 6 putouts (with no errors) in a few appearances as an 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...
.
In 1944 he play outfield for the Boston Red Sox affiliate, Scranton of the Eastern League. He hit .296 with 101 runs batted in which earned him a promotion in 1945 to the top Red Sox farm club in Louisville, Kentucky. While playing for the Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels (minor league baseball team)
The Louisville Colonels was the name of several minor league baseball teams that played in Louisville, Kentucky, in the 20th century. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels.-Twentieth century minor league teams:...
he tied an American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
record by getting six hits in six at bat in a game against Minneapolis
Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, until 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League.The team played first in Athletic Park and later Nicollet Park.The name Minneapolis...
.
He first appeared in a major league game on August 26, 1945 during a double header
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
against Philadelphia
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. He had two home runs and five hits in total in the two games to lead the Red Sox to a pair of victories. Later that week Laforest singled and scored the only run of the game to help the Red Sox defeat 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 he had four more hits, including two triples in another double header with Philadelphia.
He died at the age of 30 in Arlington, Massachusetts
Arlington, Massachusetts
Arlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, six miles northwest of Boston. The population was 42,844 at the 2010 census.-History:...
after coming down with pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in the winter of 1946. Still weakened from his illness he suffered a heart attack in Florida during spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. He was inducted into the Boston Park League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986.