Quote:
Originally Posted by cgjackson222
Correct!! I thought Alexander would be the last to be guessed.
Dale Alexander hit .367 in 1932, when he was traded from the Tigers to the Red Sox for doubles king Earl Webb. Over his 5 season career, Alexander hit .331 (which would have tied him with Stan Musial on the all-time list if he had recorded 3,000 plate appearances, but Alexander only amassed 2,450).
Per SABR: Alexander hurt his leg sliding into home plate in 1933. Red Sox trainer Doc Woods used a new deep-heat method called diathermy to try to reduce pain and inflammation, and speed gealing. Unfortunately, Woods left the machine on too long (apparently leaving the treatment room and not returning for quite some time) and burned Alexander’s leg. “They’d just barbecued his leg,” said his son Steve. Don Alexander (Dale’s other son) reported, “It really sort of atrophied. It really was smaller than the other. Just like it was a burn. Scarring tissue. It was discolored.” He was so badly burned that there was worry they might need to amputate his leg.
Dale never blamed anyone for it, never complained about bad treatment, and certainly never tried to sue the Red Sox. Don said, “He played the game hard, and then when it was over, he came home. He never felt like anybody mistreated him in baseball.”
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/5568e9fe
He did not return to MLB.
Two more to go. |
Yup, another fascinating story of a flash in the pan type of player. He was also a hitting machine in the Minor Leagues both before and after his stint in the Majors.
Hit .336 for the Yankees farm club in Newark the year after he was forced out of the MLB, and then continued to carry a solid stick for several more organizations after that. Had over 2000 hits and carried a lifetime .338BA at various levels in the Minors.
Gotta think he would have challenged for more batting titles if not for the injury and following malpractice on his leg.