Averill, Harris, Herman earn long-awaited election
Earl Averill’s final big league game came on April 25, 1941 – almost 34 years and what seemed like eons away from his election to the Hall of Fame.
“It could have come sooner,” Averill told the Daily Herald of Everett, Wash., on Feb. 3, 1975. “But better late than never.”
That day, the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee voted in Averill, Bucky Harris and Billy Herman. A week later, Judy Johnson was elected by the Special Committee on Negro Baseball Leagues. They all joined Ralph Kiner, who had already been elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, as members of the Class of 1975.
Averill was a star center fielder who spent most of his big league career with Cleveland. Over 13 big league seasons in an era before jet engines, atomic power and televised baseball games, he batted .318 with 2,019 hits, 238 home runs (his 226 with Cleveland stood as a longtime Indians record before Albert Belle broke it in 1996) and 1,164 RBI (his 1,084 RBI with Cleveland still stands as a franchise record).
Dubbed The Earl of Snohomish in reference to his Washington State hometown, Averill was a six-time All-Star despite not debuting in the big leagues until he was almost 27 years old.
“I’ve hoped (for Hall of Fame election) for a long time, so it was great to hear from Warren Giles this morning,” Averill told the Daily Herald, referring to the former National League president who was then chairman of the Veterans Committee. “I feel very good about it.”
Also hearing from Giles were Harris and Herman, both longtime second basemen who became managers.
Harris was a stellar infielder who was named manager of the Senators after his fourth full big league season. At age 27, he led Washington to its first American League pennant as a player/manager before the Senators won the 1924 World Series.
Harris would play in 12 big league seasons and managed for 29 years, leading the Senators (three different stints), Tigers (two times), Red Sox, Phillies and Yankees. With New York, he skippered the team to the 1947 World Series crown and finished with 2,158 career wins – the third-most ever when Harris managed his last game.
Herman played 15 seasons with the Cubs, Dodgers, Braves and Pirates, earning 10 All-Star Game selections. A .304 career hitter, Herman finished with 2,345 hits – including 486 doubles. He managed one season with the Pirates and three seasons with the Red Sox.
The Class of 1975 was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Aug. 18 of that year – the latest-ever Induction Ceremony until the Sept. 8, 2021, event that was held later than scheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
