| Tom Saffell | |
|---|---|
| Outfielder | |
| Born: July 26, 1921 Etowah, Tennessee |
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| Batted: Left | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| July 2, 1949 for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 25, 1955 for the Kansas City Athletics | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .238 |
| Home runs | 6 |
| Runs batted in | 40 |
| Teams | |
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Thomas Judson Saffell (born July 26, 1921) is a former major league outfielder from Etowah, Tennessee[1]
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Saffell grew up playing sports, especially fast-pitch softball. His team won the state tournament and played in a national tournament in Detroit, Michigan. After completing high school in 1940, Saffell enrolled at Maryville College. He hurt his knee playing football while he was a student there. He signed as a baseball player with Newport, but reinjured his knee and was released after playing only a few games. He tried out with Kingsport, but was cut after two weeks because of a sore knee.
Saffell returned home and worked for a railroad until the coming of World War II. He enlisted with the Army Air Corps in late 1942 and joined them in 1943. He earned his wings, flew 61 missions over Europe in a P-47 Thunderbolt, and was discharged in 1946.
He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Athletics between 1949 - 1955.[2] He is 5'11, 170 pounds. He batted left-handed, threw right-handed, and was a fleet baserunner.[2] He wore #18 and #21 for Pittsburgh. He averaged .238 over parts of five major league seasons and .286 in 1,576 minor league contests. He spent time with the Indianapolis Indians and Hollywood Stars.[2] He also served as a pitcher for the television series Home Run Derby.[3]
In 1946, he batted .270 for Class A Charleston of the South Atlantic League. In a month's time the parent club, the Atlanta Crackers, sent him to the Burlington Bees of the Class C Carolina League. He excelled there, hitting .370 with 5 homers, 42 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases. Saffell went to spring training with the Crackers in 1947. Following three weeks the club sent him to the Selma Cloverleafs of the Class B Southeastern League. He was passed over by Atlanta, which signed All-American football player, Charley Trippi, and gave him a $10,000 bonus.[1]
Saffell was recalled by the Pirates from the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association on June 26, 1949. He batted .299 for Indianapolis in 1948 and was hitting .278 for them in 68 games in 1949.[4] He played center field, batted leadoff, third, and pinch hit for Pittsburgh, in the second half of 1949. He batted .322. Saffell was released by Pittsburgh before the end of spring training in 1950.[2] Saffell was again recalled by the Pirates on July 28, 1951, after playing 4 games for Indianapolis with a batting average of .304.[5]
Saffell was purchased by the Athletics from the Pirates for the $10,000 waiver price on September 14, 1955.[6] On April 16, 1956 Saffell was acquired from the Athletics by the Brooklyn Dodgers, along with right-handed pitcher LeRoy Wheat, for rookie catcher Charley Thompson. Saffell was assigned to the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League.[7]
Saffell was replaced by Homer Dixie Howell as manager of the Class A Jacksonville Jets of the South Atlantic League, on July 18, 1961.[8] In May 1964 Saffell was suspended for 30 days and fined $250 by Eddie Mulligan, President of the California League. As manager of the Reno Silver Sox, he refused to let his team take the field for a game at the Fresno Giants. Saffell disputed a call by umpire Joe Carrington at home plate on the previous night. When he found out that Carrington was to umpire again, he pulled the Silver Sox off the field following batting and infield practice. He was given five minutes to bring out his lineup card before the game was forfeited.[9]
Saffell served as President of the Gulf Coast League in Sarasota, Florida. In 1999 he was presented with the King of Baseball award given by Minor League Baseball.