Gene Alley

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox baseball biography Leonard Eugene Alley (born July 10, 1940) is an American former professional baseball player. He spent his entire career in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates from Template:Baseball year through Template:Baseball year. A two-time All-Star who was widely acclaimed to be the best all-around shortstop in the majors for two seasons (1966-67) before a recurring right shoulder problem reduced his effectiveness, Alley was a member of Pirates teams that won three consecutive National League Eastern Division titles between Template:Mlby and Template:Mlby and the World Series in Template:Mlby.

A contact hitter with occasional power, Alley handled the bat well. He was an excellent bunter and adept at the hit-and-run maneuver. In the field, he had plus range and quickness as well as an accurate throwing arm.<ref name=":3" /> In the 1966 season, he took part in 128 double plays, third most in major league history and one short of the National League record at the time.

Early life

Alley was born on July 10, 1940, in Richmond, Virginia. While still an infant, Alley's father died in a car accident, and he and his three siblings were raised by his mother.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> He attended Hermitage High School in Henrico, Virginia.<ref name=":0" /> Alley had hoped to receive a basketball scholarship to attend the University of Virginia, but the sum offered was insufficient. Instead, the 18-year old Alley signed to play baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":3" />

Professional baseball career

Minor leagues

In 1959, the Pirates assigned Alley to the Dubuque Packers of the Class-D Midwest League. He had a .287 batting average (his highest in the minor leagues) with 15 home runs, and a .922 fielding percentage at shortstop, his principal position.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> Because of a recurring problem with his throwing arm, he did not play shortstop for the next three years.<ref name=":3" />

Alley remained in the Pirates minor league system until 1963, playing third base in 1960 (.932 fielding percentage), and second base in 1961 (.933 fielding percentage) and 1962 (.969 combined fielding percentage between Single-A and Triple-A baseball). In 1963, he was promoted Triple-A baseball with the Columbus Jets of the International League. He played exclusively at shortstop, where he had a .963 fielding percentage along with a .244 batting average, 19 home runs, 61 runs batted in (RBI) and 76 runs scored in 146 games.<ref name=":2" />

Pittsburgh Pirates

Alley played briefly for the Pirates at the end of the 1963 season, and then played in 81 games for the Pirates in 1964, hitting only .211, but with a fielding percentage at shortstop of .966 in 61 games at that position.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> He was a frequent backup to starting shortstop Ducky Schofield.<ref name=":3" />

In 1965, he started 40 games at second base for the injured Bill Mazeroski, and then 102 games at shortstop after Mazeroski's return.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":3" /> He had a .968 fielding percentage at shortstop and .974 at second base. He hit .252, with five home runs, 47 runs and 47 RBIs.<ref name=":4" /> He was fourth in the NL in fielding percentage by a shortstop.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

1966 was his first full year at shortstop. He had a .979 fielding percentage (second in the league behind Chico Cardénas' .980), and led all National League shortstops in turning double plays with 128. He received the Gold Glove Award for NL shortstops.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the same year, Mazeroski set the all-time double play record for second basemen in a season with 161.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pirates as a team turned 215 double plays, the second most in baseball history after the record 217 set by the 1949 Philadelphia Athletics (as of 2023).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Alley also hit for a career high .299 batting average, had a career high with 88 runs scored,<ref name=":4" /> and his 20 sacrifice hits were second in the NL.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1967, Alley led the league's shortstops again in double plays with 105, as well as leading the league's shortstops in putouts (257) and was second in assists (500).<ref name=":4" /> He was fifth in fielding percentage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He again won the Gold Glove Award.<ref name=":5" /> He was also selected to the NL All-Star team for the first time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He batted .287, and had a career high 55 RBIs.<ref name=":4" />

Alley made the NL All-Star a second time in 1968.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 1965 to 1968 he was in the top four NL players in assists.<ref name=":4" /> In 1966 and 1967, The Sporting News named him to its All-Star Team.<ref name=":3" /> Alley and Mazeroski both received Gold Glove Awards in 1966<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and 1967,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> along with their teammate Roberto Clemente. They also joined a select list of eight shortstop-second baseman duos to each win a Gold Glove the same season more than once while playing together.Template:Citation needed

Alley was on Pirates teams that won their division in 1970 through 1972, and had the NL's best record in 1971 and 1972. They lost in the NL championship series to the Cincinnati Reds twice (1970, 1972), but defeated the San Francisco Giants in 1971, and went on to win the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles (Alley only appearing in one playoff game and two games of the World Series, having suffered a knee injury).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":4" />

Shoulder and knee problems ultimately ended Alley's career early. Alley developed a sore throwing arm shortly before the 1967 All-Star Game that never fully healed. In 1969, he played only 82 games and was on the disabled list for 29 days, though he still had a .977 fielding percentage and 21-game hitting streak.<ref name=":3" /> He originally injured his knee in 1969 when he suffered a collision on a play while covering first base in a game against the Houston Astros, leading to multiple surgeries.<ref name=":1" /> A knee injury suffered late in the 1971 season subsequently required surgery, and limited his participation in the 1971 postseason playoffs and World Series.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":1" />

On September 2, 1970, Alley hit an inside-the-park grand slam at Jarry Park Stadium in Montreal, against the Montreal Expos. With the bases loaded, facing Carl Morton, Alley hit a line drive which landed in front of center fielder Boots Day, who slipped on the wet grass. The ball rolled all the way to the wall in deepest center field, and all the baserunners and Alley scored.<ref name=":3" />

1973 was his final year, appearing in 76 games altogether, and 56 in the field at either shortstop or third base.<ref name=":4" />

Post-baseball life

Alley worked for a printing company in Richmond after his retirement from baseball.<ref name=":1" />

In 1998, Alley was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, he received the Paul Keyes RBI (Richmond Baseball Impact) Award, given annually to a person making a significant contribution to baseball within or around the Richmond community.<ref name=":1" />

See also

• List of Gold Glove middle infield duos
• List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise

External links

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• Gene Alley at SABR (Baseball BioProject)