Marty Kavanagh
| Marty Kavanagh | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Second baseman | |||
|
Born: June 13, 1891 Harrison, New Jersey | |||
|
Died: July 28, 1960 (aged 69) Taylor, Michigan | |||
| |||
| MLB debut | |||
| April 18, 1914, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| August 8, 1918, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .249 | ||
| Home runs | 10 | ||
| Runs batted in | 122 | ||
| Teams | |||
Martin Joseph Kavanagh (June 13, 1891 – July 28, 1960) was a Major League Baseball second baseman. He played five seasons with the Detroit Tigers (1914–1916, 1918), Cleveland Indians (1916–1917), and St. Louis Cardinals (1918).
Born in Harrison, New Jersey, Kavanagh began his professional career with the York White Roses of the Tri-State League. In 111 games with the White Roses, he had a .357 batting average.[1] After the season, the Detroit Tigers bought his contract, and he made his major league debut the following season. In one game against the Cleveland Naps, Kavanagh forgot to set his alarm and missed part of the game; backup infielder Billy Purtell's poor play led to the Tigers losing the game as a result.[2] He finished the season with a .248 batting average and 16 stolen bases in 128 games. The following season he had his best career year. In 113 games he had a .295 batting average and 13 triples.[3]
In 1916, Kavanagh struggled; his average fell to .141 in 58 games. As a result, the Cleveland Indians purchased his contract, and he played 19 games for them to end the season.[3] In one of those games on September 24, Kavanagh hit a grand slam as a pinch hitter, the first time in American League history that had happened.[4] After 14 games with the Indians in 1917 and 13 to start the 1918 season, Kavanagh was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals with Tim Murchison for Austin McHenry. He spent the rest of the 1918 season with the Cardinals, the minor league Milwaukee Brewers, and the Tigers, retiring from the game after the season ended.[1][3]
In 370 major league games, he had a .249 batting average and .330 on-base percentage. Kavanagh died in Taylor, Michigan at age 69.[3]
References
- 1 2 "Marty Kavanagh Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
- ↑ Edwards, Henry P. (July 5, 1914). "Naps Win Morning Game But Lose In Afternoon". The Plain Dealer. p. 11.
- 1 2 3 4 "Marty Kavanagh Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
- ↑ Nemec, David (2006). The Official Rules of Baseball Illustrated. Globe Pequot. p. 93. ISBN 9781592288441.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)