View source for Earl Averill

{{Short description|American baseball player (1902–1983)}}
{{about|Howard Earl Averill (1902–1983)|his son, Earl Douglas Averill (1931–2015)|Earl Averill Jr.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| name        = Earl Averill
| position    = [[Center fielder]]
| image       = EarlAverillGoudeycard.jpg
| caption     = Averill {{c.|1933}}
| bats        = Left
| throws      = Right
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1902|5|21}}
| birth_place = [[Snohomish, Washington]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1983|8|16|1902|5|21}}
| death_place = [[Everett, Washington]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
| debutdate   = April 16 
| debutyear   = 1929
| debutteam   = Cleveland Indians
|finalleague = MLB
| finaldate   = April 25
| finalyear   = 1941
| finalteam   = Boston Braves
|statleague = MLB
| stat1label  = [[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
| stat1value  = .318
| stat2label  = [[Hits (baseball)|Hits]]
| stat2value  = 2,019
| stat3label  = [[Home run]]s
| stat3value  = 238
| stat4label  = [[Runs batted in]]
| stat4value  = 1,164
| teams       =
* [[Cleveland Indians]] ({{mlby|1929}}–{{mlby|1939}})
* [[Detroit Tigers]] ({{mlby|1939}}–{{mlby|1940}})
* [[Boston Braves (baseball)|Boston Braves]] ({{mlby|1941}})
| highlights  =
* 6× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1933 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1933]]–[[1938 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1938]])
* [[Cleveland Guardians#Retired numbers|Cleveland Guardians No. 3]] retired
* [[Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate=[[1975 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1975]]
|hofmethod=Veterans Committee
}}
'''Howard Earl Averill''' (nicknamed '''The Rock''') (May 21, 1902 – August 16, 1983) was an American professional [[baseball]] player. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) as a [[center fielder]] from 1929 to 1941, including 11 seasons for the [[Cleveland Indians]]. He was a six-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] (1933–1938) and was elected to the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1975.

==Major League Baseball career==
Born in [[Snohomish, Washington]], Averill played for the [[San Francisco Seals (PCL)|San Francisco Seals]] in the [[Pacific Coast League]].<ref name=Snelling>Snelling, Dennis. ''The Greatest Minor League: A History of the Pacific Coast League, 1903-1957''. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2011. 118, 186.</ref> He broke into the Major Leagues in 1929 (at the age of 26) with the [[Cleveland Indians]]. He played for Cleveland for over ten years, and remains the all-time Indians leader in [[total base]]s, [[runs batted in]] (RBIs), [[run (baseball)|runs]], and [[triple (baseball)|triples]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EnAbAAAAIBAJ&pg=3678,4052469&dq=earl-averill&hl=en |newspaper=[[The Pittsburgh Press]] |title=Earl Averill is Outstanding Recruit of Season |date=June 7, 1929}}</ref> He also remains third in all-time Indians [[hit (baseball)|hits]] and [[double (baseball)|doubles]], and fourth in all-time Indians [[home run]]s and [[base on balls|walks]]. During his time in Cleveland, the team never finished higher than third. His nickname was "the Earl of Snohomish".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://baseballhall.org/hof/averill-earl |title=Earl Averill |website=baseballhall.org |access-date=2016-02-19}}</ref> He famously hit the line drive that broke [[Dizzy Dean]]'s toe in the 1937 [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] Game. Dizzy, who had averaged 24 wins a season up to then, and only 4 wins a season after, changed his delivery due to the broken toe, damaged his arm, which led to his retiring in 1941 at the age of 31.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hardballtimes.com/tht-live/the-dizzy-dean-injury-cascade/ |title=The Dizzy Dean Injury Cascade |website=www.hardballtimes.com |date=March 3, 2011 |access-date=2016-02-19}}</ref>

Averill was the first major league player to hit four home runs in a doubleheader (three home runs in the first game, one in the second game) on September 17, 1930; he was also one of the first players to hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat (April 16, 1929, opening day). Averill batted .378 in 1936, leading the American League in hits with 232, but finishing second to [[Luke Appling]] in the batting race (Appling batted .388 for the White Sox).

During a July 1 incident in 1935, Averill was lighting firecrackers with his four children as part of a pre-July 4 celebration. One exploded while he was holding it, and he suffered lacerations on the fingers of his right hand, as well as burns on his face and chest. After several weeks, he made a full recovery.<ref>{{cite news |title=Diamond Star is Pre-July 4 Victim |newspaper=The Bend Bulletin |date=July 7, 1935 |page=1}}</ref>

In 1937, Averill experienced temporary paralysis in his legs and was diagnosed with a congenital spine condition. This caused him to alter his batting style and become less of a power hitter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.historylink.org/File/9513|title=Averill, Howard Earl (1902-1983), Baseball Player - HistoryLink.org|website=www.historylink.org|access-date=2018-02-22}}</ref>

Averill was traded to the [[Detroit Tigers]] in the middle of the 1939 season (June 14). The following season, his playing time was limited, but the Tigers reached the [[World Series]]. In the seven-game series against the [[Cincinnati Reds]], the 38-year-old Averill went 0-for-3 in three [[pinch-hit]] attempts. The Reds won the series 4 games to 3.

In 1941, Averill struggled with the [[Boston Braves (baseball)|Boston Braves]], batting just .118 (2-for-17) in 8 games and was released on April 29. He wound down his pro career by returning to the Pacific Coast League and playing for the [[Seattle Rainiers]].<ref name=Snelling/>

In a 13-year career, Averill was in 1,669 [[games played]], compiling a .318 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] (2,019-for-6,353) with 1,224 [[runs scored]], 401 [[double (baseball)|double]]s, 128 [[triple (baseball)|triple]]s, 238 [[home runs]], 1,164 RBIs, 774 [[bases on balls]], .395 [[on-base percentage]] and .534 [[slugging percentage]]. Defensively, he recorded a .970 [[fielding percentage]]. He hit better than .300 eight times. He recorded five 100+ RBI seasons in his major league career.<ref name="Earl Averill player page">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/averiea01.shtml|title=Earl Averill Statistics and History|work=Baseball Reference.com| accessdate= April 8, 2021}}</ref> Averill recorded five 5-hit games in his MLB career.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/A/PX_avere101.htm|title=Earl Averill Top Performances at Retrosheet|website=retrosheet.org|accessdate= December 2, 2023}}</ref>

==After baseball==
{{MLBBioRet
| Align  = Right
| Image  = EarlAverill.png
| Name   = Earl Averill
| Team   = Cleveland Indians
| Number = 3
| Year   = 1975
}}

Averill detested the [[National_Baseball_Hall_of_Fame_and_Museum#Selection_process|Hall of Fame]]'s selection process. At his 1975 induction, he advocated for [[Ernie Lombardi]] and [[Joe Sewell]] to be added to the Hall.<ref>Muder, Craig. "[https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/class-of-1975-found-induction-was-worth-the-wait Class of 1975 found induction was worth the wait], baseballhall.org. Accessed September 25, 2025.</ref> After the ceremony, Averill also issued a statement, "My disagreements with how the Hall of Fame elections are held, and who is elected, is not based on bitterness that I had to wait 34 years after retirement to receive this honor. But it is based on the fact that statistics alone are not enough to gain a player admittance...Had I been elected after my death, I had made arrangements that my name never be placed in the Hall of Fame."<ref>{{Cite news |date=1975-08-19 |title=Baseball's Hall gets an earful |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-news-baseballs-hall-gets-an-e/165882090/ |access-date=2025-02-17 |work=The Miami News |page=2C |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> 

He made news of a different sort, according to ''Baseball Digest'', in the early 1960s when he was boarding an airplane to fly to a site for an old-timers' game, insisting on bringing his own bat in a gun case.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 12, 1962 |title=They Say in the Dugouts |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15087777/averill_gun_case/ |access-date=November 13, 2017 |newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |agency=[[United Press International|UPI]]}}</ref> He died in Washington in 1983 at 81 years old 

His son, [[Earl Averill Jr.|Earl D. Averill]], also played in the majors from 1956 through 1963. He was mainly a [[catcher]] but also played [[left field]] and a few games at [[infield]].

==See also==
* [[List of players with a home run in first major league at-bat]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle]]
* [[List of athletes on Wheaties boxes]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* [http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obits_A/Averill.Earl.Obit.html Obituary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409082945/http://thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obits_A/Averill.Earl.Obit.html |date=April 9, 2016 }} at The Deadball Era

==External links==
{{Commons}}
*{{bbhof|averill-earl}}
*{{Baseballstats |br=a/averiea01 |fangraphs=1000378 |brm=averil001how |retro=A/Pavere101}}
*{{find a Grave|3609}}
:

{{s-start|header={{s-ach}}}}
{{Succession box| before = [[Jimmie Foxx]] | title = [[Hitting for the cycle]]| years = August 17, 1933 | after = [[Babe Herman]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Cleveland Guardians HOF}}
{{Cleveland Indians retired numbers}}
{{Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame}}
{{1975 Baseball HOF}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{PCL Hall of Fame}}

{{Portal bar|Biography|Baseball}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Averill, Earl}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1983 deaths]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:Boston Braves players]]
[[Category:Cleveland Indians players]]
[[Category:Detroit Tigers players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball center fielders]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Snohomish, Washington]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Snohomish County, Washington]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]