Eddie Grant (baseball)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Eddie Grant | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Infielder | ||
| Born: May 21, 1883 | ||
| Died: October 5, 1918 (aged 35) | ||
| Batted: Left | Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | ||
| August 4, 1905 for the Cleveland Naps |
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| Final game | ||
| October 6, 1915 for the New York Giants |
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| Career statistics | ||
| Batting average | .249 | |
| Hits | 844 | |
| RBI | 277 | |
| Teams | ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
Edward Leslie Grant (May 21, 1883, Franklin, Massachusetts - October 5, 1918, Argonne Forest, France),[1] was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball who became one of the few major leaguers who were killed in World War I.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Major League career
Grant entered the majors with the Cleveland Indians at the very end of the 1905 season. He played in the minor leagues in 1906, but returned to the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1907, and was the Phillies' starting third baseman from 1908-1910. Grant batted leadoff for the Phillies, but was known more for his fielding and base stealing than his bat. His best year was 1910, when he batted .268, drove in 67 runs, and stole 25 bases.[1]
Traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 1911, he batted just .223, his last year as a starter. Grant was traded again to the New York Giants in the middle of the 1913 season, where he finished his career as a utility infielder. He retired after the 1915 season. His lifetime batting average was .249.[1]
[edit] Post-career
Nicknamed "Harvard Eddie", Grant graduated from Harvard in 1905, and practiced law after his retirement from baseball.[3]
Grant was one of the first men to enlist when the United States entered World War I in April of 1917, and he served as Captain of the 77th Infantry Division. During the fierce battle of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, all of Grant's superior officers were killed or wounded, and he took command of his troops on a four-day search for the "Lost Battalion." During the search, an exploding shell killed Grant on October 5, 1918.[2] He is buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Lorraine, France.[3]
On Memorial Day, May 29, 1921, representatives from the armed forces, baseball, and the sisters of Grant unveiled a monument in center field of the Polo Grounds to his memory. During the celebration at the end of the last Giants' game in 1957, someone pried the plaque from its monument.[2] It was missing for over 40 years until it was re-discovered in a New Jersey home.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Eddie Grant Career Stats. baseball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
- ^ a b c The Great War Society: This Months Great Veteran. worldwar1.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
- ^ a b Find-A-Grave. findagrave.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
- ^ Baseballogy 101. baseballreliquary.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
