Sammy Hale

Samuel Douglas Hale (September 10, 1896 - September 6, 1974) was a Major League Baseball third baseman for 10 seasons with the Detroit Tigers (1920-21), Philadelphia Athletics (1923-29), and St. Louis Browns (1930). Hale had a lifetime bating average of .302 and won a World Series ring with the Athletics in 1929.

Born in Glen Rose, Texas, Hale debuted with the Detroit Tigers in 1920. Hale batted .292 in his rookie season and led the American League with 17 pinch hits in 52 at-bats. When Ty Cobb took over as the Tigers manager in 1921, Hale saw limited action, getting only two at bats in 1921.

Hale played most of the 1921 season with Portland in the Pacific Coast League. In 1922, he was purchased by Connie Mack and the Athletics. Hale spent 7 seasons with Mack's team, playing in at least 80 games every year and in over 110 games 5 times. His best season was 1925 when he was among the American League leaders with a .345 batting average, .540 slugging percentage, and 11 triples. He also had career highs with 49 extra base hits and 63 RBIs in 1925.

Despite being said to have had "the smallest hands in the game," [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Sammy_Hale_1896] Hale had 46 double plays in 1927 -- most in the American League among third basemen. He also led the league's third basemen with 20 errors in 1928. In 1925, Hale had a career-high 24 errors at third base for a .919 fielding percentage.

Sammy Hale died in Wheeler, Texas in 1974 ag at 77.

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/halesa01.shtml Baseball-Reference.com]
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Sammy_Hale_1896 BaseballLibrary.com]