Joe Adcock

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Joseph Wilbur "Billy Joe" Adcock (October 30, 1927 - May 3, 1999) was an American first baseman and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the powerful Milwaukee Braves teams of the 1950s, whose career included numerous home run feats. A sure-handed defensive player, he also retired with the third highest career fielding percentage by a first baseman (.994). His nickname "Billy Joe" was modeled after Vanderbilt University basketball star "Billy Joe Adcock" and was popularized by Vin Scully.

Adcock was born in Coushatta, Louisiana. He was signed by the Cincinnati Reds after a successful run at Louisiana State University, but Ted Kluszewski had firm hold of the team's first base slot. Adcock played in left field from 1950-52, but was unhappy and demanded a trade, which he received. His first season with the Braves was capped by a mammoth home run into the center field bleachers at the Polo Grounds on April 29, 1953, a feat that had never been done before and would only be accomplished twice more, by Hank Aaron and Lou Brock.

On July 31, 1954, he accomplished the rare feat of homering four times in a single game, against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, and set a new record for most total bases in a game (18) that stood until broken by Shawn Green in 2002.

Another notable home run was the blast that ended the epic duel between Lew Burdette and Harvey Haddix on May 26, 1959, in which Haddix took a perfect game into the 12th inning. Adcock did not get credit for a home run, however, because Aaron – who was on first base – saw Felix Mantilla, the runner ahead of him, score the winning run and thought the hit had only been a double and walked back to the dugout, causing Adcock to be called out for passing him on the base paths.

Adcock was often overshadowed both by his own teammates Aaron and Eddie Mathews, and by the other slugging first basemen in the league, Kluszewski and Gil Hodges, but he did make one All-Star team (1960) and was regularly among the league leaders in home runs. In 1956, he finished second in the National League in home runs, runs batted in, and slugging average. After playing for the Cleveland Indians (1963) and Los Angeles/California Angels (1964-66), Adcock managed the Cleveland Indians for one year (1967) and managed two more years in the minor leagues before settling down at his 288-acre (1.2 km²) ranch in Coushatta to raise horses. He died in Coushatta at age 71.

[edit] See also

• Top 500 home run hitters of all time
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
• Batters with four home runs in one game
• Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game

[edit] References

• "Former Milwaukee slugger Joe Adcock dies at 71", Minneapolis Star Tribune, Star Tribune, May 4, 1999. Retrieved on 2006-10-20. (English) 

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• BaseballLibrary - biography and career highlights
• Find-A-Grave site