| Earl Webb | |
|---|---|
| Outfielder | |
| Born: September 17, 1897 White County, Tennessee |
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| Died: May 23, 1965 (aged 67) Jamestown, Tennessee |
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| Batted: Left | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| August 13, 1925 for the New York Giants | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 1933 for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .306 |
| Home runs | 56 |
| Runs batted in | 333 |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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William Earl Webb (September 17, 1897 - May 23, 1965) was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball, playing from 1925 to 1933. He played for five teams, including the Boston Red Sox for three years. He was born in White County, Tennessee and died in Jamestown, Tennessee. In 1931, while playing for the Red Sox, he hit a record 67 doubles, a record that still stands today. He had a career batting average of .306 with 56 home runs. Webb finished second in the league in extra base hits in 1931 with 84. His .333 batting average in 1931 was seventh-highest in the American League. He also finished seventh in the 1931 American League Most Valuable Player voting. He batted left-handed, and threw right-handed.
On September 17, 2006, the 75th anniversary of his setting the record for doubles in a season, and the 109th anniversary of his birth, a State of Tennessee historical marker honoring Earl Webb was unveiled at De Rossett, about ten miles east of Sparta on US Highway 70 in White County. Speaking at the dedication ceremony were Brian O'Connor of Cookeville, master of ceremonies, Herd Sullivan, County Executive, representing White County, Wallace Austin, Chairman, White County Commission, Calvin Dickinson, Board Member, Tennessee Historical Commission, and Phil Glebe of Brighton, Michigan, grandson of Earl Webb. The unveiling of the marker was performed by Brian O'Connor, Phil Glebe, and two of Earl Webb's daughters, Iris Glebe and Earlene Abed.
The text of the marker:
EARL WEBB
BASEBALL RECORD HOLDER
William Earl Webb was born in White County,
Tennessee, on September 17, 1897. His family
moved to Bon Air and then Ravenscroft, where
Earl worked in the coal mines and played
baseball for local teams. He began in the
minor leagues in 1921, and switched from
pitching to the outfield. In the major leagues,
he played with five teams between 1925 and
1933. In 1931, while with the Boston Red
Sox, the left-handed batting Webb hit 67
doubles, setting a longstanding single-
season record.
| Preceded by George Burns |
Single season doubles record holders 1931 - present |
Succeeded by current |