Thurman Tucker
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| Thurman Tucker | |
|---|---|
| Center fielder | |
| Batted: Left | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| April 14, 1942 for the Chicago White Sox |
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| Final game | |
| April 29, 1951 for the Cleveland Indians |
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| Career statistics | |
| AVG | .255 |
| H | 570 |
| RBI | 179 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Thurman Lowell Tucker (September 26, 1917 - May 7, 1993) was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He was nicknamed "Joe E." Tucker because he was a dead ringer for comedian Joe E. Brown.[1] Tucker was born in Gordon, Texas, and played in the Texas League before being purchased by the Chicago White Sox on November 6, 1940.[2]
He continued playing for Oklahoma City in the Taxas League before being called up for the 1942 season. He played a few games for the White Sox before playing for Ft. Worth of the Texas league for most of the season. He became the starting center fielder during the 1943 season, becoming a vital part of the White Sox. He stole 29 bases, third to teammate Wally Moses and George Case.[2] His baserunning was also risky at time, as he was caught stealing 17 times in 1943 (second in the league), 12 in 1944 (third in the league), and 10 in 1946 (second in the league).[2] Tucker improved for the 1944 season, raising his batting average to .287, his fielding percentage to .991, scoring 6 triples, and earning his lone all-star appearance, in which he was both the leadoff hitter and starting center fielder.[2] After the 1944 season, he joined the US Navy and served in World War II.[3] Thurman returned for the 1946 season, and ended the season with a career high batting average of .288 and a career high doubles total with 20.[2] Although Tucker lost his starting job for the 1947 season to Dave Philley, he was still used as a fourth outfielder, and spent the season in Chicago.[2]
The following season, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Ralph Weigel on January 27, 1948.[2] That season, he shared center field with Larry Doby en route to the Indians winning the 1948 World Series. During the 1948 season, Tucker managed to avoid making a single error, ending up with a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000.[2] He became a fourth outfielder in 1949, and was used even less in 1950, his first season without a triple. He finished the season with a disappointing batting average of .178, and only had one at-bat in the 1951 season before retiring.[2] He died on May 7, 1993 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
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