Sammy Byrd

Sammy Byrd

Outfielder
Born: October 5, 1906(1906-10-05)
Bremen, Georgia
Died: May 11, 1981(1981-05-11) (aged 74)
Mesa, Arizona
Batted: Right Threw: Right 
MLB debut
May 11, 1929 for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
September 27, 1936 for the Cincinnati Reds
Career statistics
Batting average     .274
Home runs     38
Runs batted in     220
Teams
Sammy Byrd
Personal information
Full name Samuel Dewey Byrd
Born October 5, 1906(1906-10-05)
Bremen, Georgia
Died May 11, 1981(1981-05-11) (aged 74)
Mesa, Arizona
Nationality  United States
Career
Status Professional
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Professional wins 11
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour 6
Other 5
Best results in Major Championships
Masters Tournament 3rd: 1941
U.S. Open T16: 1939
The Open Championship DNP
PGA Championship 2nd: 1945

Samuel Dewey Byrd (October 15, 1906 – May 11, 1981) was an American professional baseball player and professional golfer. He went by both "Sammy" and "Sam".

Byrd was born in Bremen, Georgia but grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. He played Major League Baseball from 1929 to 1936 for the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds. Byrd's nickname was "Babe Ruth's Legs", a reference to the fact that he often would appear as a pinch runner at the end of games toward the latter part of Ruth's career.

In 1936, Byrd quit baseball to pursue a career in professional golf. He won six events on the PGA Tour between 1942 and 1946. He lost the final of the 1945 PGA Championship to Byron Nelson, 4&3, in match play.

Byrd is also the only person to have played in a World Series and competed in golf's Masters Tournament. He made one appearance in the 1932 World Series (game 4) while playing for the New York Yankees - as a defensive replacement for Babe Ruth - in the bottom of the 9th inning. He finished twice in the top 10 at the Masters: third in 1941 and fourth in 1942. During his last appearance in 1948 he tallied the highest score ever at the second hole recording a 10. He finished the round with a 12-over-par 84.

Byrd was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1974. He died in Mesa, Arizona in 1981 at the age of 74.

Contents

Professional wins (11)

PGA Tour wins (6)

Other wins (5)

this list is probably incomplete

Results in major championships

Tournament 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951
Masters Tournament DNP DNP T14 3 4 NT NT NT 40 DNP 46 DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open CUT T16 41 T26 NT NT NT NT CUT T23 DNP T37 CUT T49
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP R32 NT R16 2 R64 R64 DNP DNP R64 DNP

Note: Byrd never played in The Open Championship.
NT = No tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10

See also

External links