Gene Woodling

Outfielder

Born: August 16, 1922
Akron, Ohio

Died: June 2, 2001 (aged 78)
Barberton, Ohio

Batted: Left

Threw: Right

MLB debut

September 23, 1943, for the Cleveland Indians

Last MLB appearance

September 15, 1962, for the New York Mets

MLB statistics

Batting average

.284

Home runs

147

Runs batted in

830

Teams

Career highlights and awards

All-Star (1959²)
6× World Series champion (1949–1953, 1966)

Eugene Richard Woodling (August 16, 1922 – June 2, 2001) was a professional baseball player. He played all or part of seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians (1943, 1946, 1955–57), Pittsburgh Pirates (1947), New York Yankees (1949–54), Baltimore Orioles (1955, 1958–60), Washington Senators (1961–62), and the New York Mets in their expansion year of 1962. Primarily an outfielder, he played most often in left field. He batted left-handed, threw right-handed, and was born in Akron, Ohio.

Playing career

Early career

Before coming to the majors, Woodling was a four-time minor league batting champion. He mostly played left field when he entered the majors after his time in the U.S. Navy, but spent much time in right field and also played ninety-three games in center.

Yankees career

Woodling played with many teams during his career, the longest term of service being with the Yankees for six years. With them, Woodling had what was probably his best year, 1953. Although he only had 395 at bats, he led the American League with a .429 on-base percentage.

While Woodling was with the Yankees, the team won five consecutive World Series (1949–53). During that time, Yankee manager Casey Stengel praised the outfielder's ability to run and throw. Stengel generally platooned him with right-hander Hank Bauer, but each averaged 400 at bats per season. Woodling hit a solo home run in each World Series from 1951 through 1953, and, in 1951, helped Allie Reynolds secure his first of two no-hitters on the season, when he homered in a 1–0 win over Bob Feller and the Indians. In 1952, Woodling became the first player to pinch-hit a triple in the World Series.

On November 17, 1954, a record seventeen-player deal took place between the Orioles and Yankees, involving Woodling, future twenty-game winner Bob Turley and Don Larsen, who would go on to pitch a perfect game in the 1956 World Series for New York. Woodling had been sidelined for the last part of the 1954 season with a broken arm.

Later career

Soon, Woodling moved to the Indians where he set career-highs in home runs (19), runs batted in (78), and batting (.321) in 1957. A few months before he turned forty, he was sent to the New York Mets, where old Yankees manager Casey Stengel was working on his latest project, the newborn Mets. Woodling would be managed by Stengel for the remainder of the 1962 season. He was released before the 1963 season, after publicly criticizing the front office's contract negotiations with Marv Throneberry.

Overview

In a seventeen-season career, Woodling batted .284 with 147 home runs and 830 RBI in 1796 games. Woodling ended with a .386 on-base percentage and 1585 career hits in 5587 at bats.

Post-playing days

Woodling was appointed on November 20, 1963 as the Orioles' first-base coach by former Yankees teammate Hank Bauer who had become the team's manager one day earlier.^[1] He remained in that capacity through the 1966 World Series Championship season and up until the announcement on September 28, 1967 that he would not be retained for the 1968 season.^[2]

Woodling died in a nursing home in Wadsworth, Ohio. His biggest contribution to baseball may have come off the field. He worked to help bring a pension fund for major league players.

"He was just such a great guy", said former Yankees manager Ralph Houk in an article in the New York Daily News.

References

Sources

Gene Woodling's Secrets of Batting, by Gene Woodling and Robert Smith, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1967.

External links

Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Preceded by Hank Bauer	Baltimore Orioles first base coach 1964–1967	Succeeded by Earl Weaver

New York Yankees 1949 World Series Champions

1 Snuffy Stirnweiss 5 Joe DiMaggio 6 Bobby Brown 7 Cliff Mapes 8 Yogi Berra 10 Phil Rizzuto 11 Joe Page 14 Gene Woodling 15 Tommy Henrich 17 Vic Raschi 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Billy Johnson 25 Hank Bauer 27 Johnny Lindell 28 Tommy Byrne 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 36 Johnny Mize 38 Gus Niarhos 42 Jerry Coleman

Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 31 Jim Turner 33 Bill Dickey

Regular season Rivalry Subway Series

New York Yankees 1950 World Series Champions

5 Joe DiMaggio 6 Bobby Brown 7 Cliff Mapes 8 Yogi Berra 10 Phil Rizzuto 14 Gene Woodling 17 Vic Raschi 19 Whitey Ford 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Billy Johnson 25 Hank Bauer 26 Tom Ferrick 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 36 Johnny Mize 38 Johnny Hopp 40 Jackie Jensen 41 Joe Collins 42 Jerry Coleman 52 Tom Morgan

Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 31 Jim Turner 33 Bill Dickey

Regular season

New York Yankees 1951 World Series Champions

1 Billy Martin 5 Joe DiMaggio 7 Mickey Mantle 8 Yogi Berra 9 Bobby Brown 10 Phil Rizzuto 11 Johnny Sain 12 Gil McDougald 14 Gene Woodling 17 Vic Raschi 21 Bob Kuzava 22 Allie Reynolds 25 Hank Bauer 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 35 Joe Ostrowski 36 Johnny Mize 38 Johnny Hopp 40 Bobby Hogue 41 Joe Collins 42 Jerry Coleman 52 Tom Morgan

Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 15 Tommy Henrich 31 Jim Turner 33 Bill Dickey

Regular season Rivalry Subway Series

New York Yankees 1952 World Series Champions

1 Billy Martin 7 Mickey Mantle 8 Yogi Berra 9 Hank Bauer 10 Phil Rizzuto 11 Johnny Sain 12 Gil McDougald 14 Gene Woodling 17 Vic Raschi 18 Ray Scarborough 21 Bob Kuzava 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Tom Gorman 25 Irv Noren 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 32 Ralph Houk 36 Johnny Mize 40 Ewell Blackwell 41 Joe Collins

Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 31 Jim Turner 33 Bill Dickey

Regular season Rivalry Subway Series

New York Yankees 1953 World Series Champions

1 Billy Martin 7 Mickey Mantle 8 Yogi Berra 9 Hank Bauer 10 Phil Rizzuto 11 Johnny Sain 12 Gil McDougald 14 Gene Woodling 15 Joe Collins 16 Whitey Ford 17 Vic Raschi 18 Jim McDonald 21 Bob Kuzava 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Tom Gorman 25 Irv Noren 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 36 Johnny Mize 38 Art Schallock 45 Don Bollweg

Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 31 Jim Turner 32 Ralph Houk 33 Bill Dickey

Regular season Rivalry Subway Series

Baltimore Orioles 1966 World Series Champions

2 Bob Johnson 3 Curt Blefary 5 Brooks Robinson 6 Paul Blair 8 Andy Etchebarren 9 Russ Snyder 11 Luis Aparicio 15 Davey Johnson 16 Sam Bowens 17 John Miller 19 Dave McNally 20 Frank Robinson (World Series MVP) 22 Jim Palmer 23 Vic Roznovsky 24 Frank Bertaina 25 Moe Drabowsky 26 Boog Powell 27 Wally Bunker 28 Eddie Fisher 29 Dick Hall

Manager 42 Hank Bauer Coaches 14 Gene Woodling 31 Harry Brecheen 41 Sherm Lollar 55 Billy Hunter

Regular season

Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame

Roberto Alomar Brady Anderson Luis Aparicio Harold Baines George Bamberger Steve Barber Hank Bauer Mark Belanger Paul Blair Mike Boddicker Mike Bordick Hal Brown Don Buford Al Bumbry Mike Cuellar Rich Dauer Doug DeCinces Rick Dempsey Jack Dunn III Mike Flanagan Jim Gentile Bobby Grich Dick Hall Elrod Hendricks Chris Hoiles Billy Hunter Davey Johnson John Lowenstein Dennis Martínez Tippy Martinez Lee May Scott McGregor Dave McNally Ray Miller Stu Miller Melvin Mora Eddie Murray Mike Mussina Johnny Oates Gregg Olson Jim Palmer Milt Pappas Boog Powell Paul Richards Cal Ripken, Jr. Cal Ripken, Sr. Brooks Robinson Frank Robinson Gary Roenicke Ken Singleton B. J. Surhoff Gus Triandos Eddie Watt Earl Weaver Hoyt Wilhelm Gene Woodling

Herb Armstrong Award Richie Bancells Rex Barney Rob Brown Frank Cashen Harry Dalton Jerold Hoffberger Phil Itzoe Lenny Johnston Lee MacPhail Bill O'Donnell Hank Peters Don Pries Ralph Salvon Chuck Thompson Ernie Tyler Julie Wagner Eddie Weidner

"Wild Bill" Hagy Award Wild Bill Hagy

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