Nellie Fox (1997)


Date of Birth: 12/25/1927
Date of Death: 12/1/1975
Birthplace: St. Thomas Township, Pennsylvania

Nellie Fox first played organized baseball with his father on a local team. He signed with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1944, at the age of 16. He started his professional baseball career in the minor leagues in 1944. He played in the minors in 1944 and 1945 and then again in 1947 and 1948.

Philadelphia Athletics

Fox made his first major league appearance in 1947 with the Athletics, playing in just seven games with them. The following season, he played in three games with the Athletics.

Fox played in 88 games with the Athletics in 1949. He batted .255 with 63 hits.

Chicago White Sox

The Athletics traded Fox to the Chicago White Sox on October 19, 1949. In 1950, his first full season in the major leagues, he batted .247 with 113 hits in 130 games. The next year he batted .313 with 189 hits and 32 doubles in 147 games. He had a career high 12 triples in 1951. He walked 43 times and struck out 11 times.

Fox led the AL in hits in 1952 with 192. He also had 25 doubles, 10 triples, 39 RBIs, 14 strikeouts to 34 walks, and a .296 batting average in 152 games. The following season, he had a career high 72 RBIs. He finished the 1953 season with 178 hits, 31 doubles, 18 strikeouts to 49 walks, and a .285 batting average in 154 games.

Fox led the AL in games played and in hits in 1954. He played in 155 games and he had career highs in hits (201), stolen bases (16), and batting average (.319). He also had 24 doubles, 47 RBIs, and 12 strikeouts to 51 walks. He again led the league in games played in 1955 with 154. He finished the season with 198 hits, 28 doubles, 59 RBIs, and a .311 batting average.

Fox batted .296 in 154 games in 1956. He had 192 hits, 20 doubles, 10 triples, 52 RBIs, and a .296 batting average. The following year, he led the AL in games played with 155 and in hits with 196. He finished the 1957 season with 27 doubles, 61 RBIs, a career high 75 walks (to just 13 strikeouts), and a .317 batting average. He won the first of three Gold Gloves that year.

In 1958, Fox again led the AL in games played and in hits. He had 187 hits, 21 doubles, 49 RBIs, 11 strikeouts to 47 walks, and a .300 batting average in 155 games.

Fox was named the AL MVP and the Sporting News Player of the Year in 1959. He once more led the AL in games played with 156. He had 191 hits, a career high 34 doubles, 70 RBIs, 13 strikeouts to 71 walks, and a .306 batting average. He won his second Gold Glove in 1959.

Fox led the AL in triples in 1960 with 10. He batted .289 with 175 hits, 24 doubles, and 59 RBIs in 150 games. He won his third and final Gold Glove in 1960.

Fox played in a career high 159 games in 1961, but he struggled offensively, batting just .251. He had 152 hits, 51 RBIs, and 12 strikeouts to 59 walks. The following season, he had 166 hits, 27 doubles, 54 RBIs, and a .267 batting average in 157 games. In 1963, he played in 137 games and he batted .260 with 140 hits, 19 doubles, and 42 RBIs.

An excellent defensive player, Fox won three Gold Gloves (1957, 1959, 1960). He led all AL second basemen in putouts from 1953 through 1961. He also led them in double plays turned in 1954, 1956-1958, and 1960. He led all AL players in assists in 1955 and 1957.

Colt .45s/Houston Astros

The White Sox traded Fox to the Colt .45s on December 10, 1963. He played in 133 games in 1964, and he batted .265 with 117 hits.

Fox played in just 21 games in 1965. He was released on July 31st.

Awards

  • Gold Glove (3 times)
  • AL MVP
  • Sporting News Player of the Year

Career Statistics

Batting statistics for Fox in 15 full seasons (1950-1964) in the major leagues include:

  • 12 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 201 in 1954
  • 3 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 34 in 1959
  • 4 seasons with 10 or more triples, with a high of 12 in 1951
  • 6 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .319 in 1954

Career batting statistics for Fox include:

  • 2,367 games played
  • 2,663 hits
  • 355 doubles
  • 112 triples
  • .288 batting average
  • .348 on-base percentage
  • .711 OPS

Career fielding statistics for Fox at second base include:

  • 2,295 games played
  • 209 errors
  • 6,373 assists
  • 1,619 double plays
  • 6,090 putouts
  • .984 fielding percentage

Post Playing Career

After his retirement as a major league player, Fox served as a coach for the Houston Astros (1965-1967) and the Texas Rangers (1968-1972).

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Nellie Fox
ESPN - Nellie Fox
Baseball Reference - Nellie Fox

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