Earle Combs, baseball player, 1924-1935

Earle Combs

⭐ Hall of Fame 1970

Born: 5/14/1899 in Pebworth, KY, USA

Died: 7/21/1976 in Richmond, KY, USA

MLB Debut: 1924-04-16 | Final Game: 1935-09-29

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Earle Bryan Combs

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Biography

Earle Combs was born in 1899 and enjoyed a prolific career as a center fielder in Major League Baseball from 1924 until his retirement in 1935. Playing primarily for the New York Yankees, Combs was an essential member of the team during a golden era of baseball, contributing significantly to their success in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Over the course of 1,455 games, he accumulated an impressive 1,866 hits, 58 home runs, and 632 RBIs, boasting a remarkable career batting average of .325. His speed on the bases was evident as he recorded 96 stolen bases, showcasing his ability to impact the game not just with his bat but also with his agility. Combs was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970, a testament to his lasting legacy in the sport. His playing style was characterized by a combination of power and speed, making him one of the premier hitters of his time. As a member of the Yankees, he was part of several championship teams and played alongside legends like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, solidifying his place in baseball history. Combs’ contributions to the game and his performances during a transformative period in Major League Baseball have left an indelible mark, and he remains a celebrated figure in the annals of the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1455 5746 1186 1866 309 154 58 632 96 670 278 0.325 0.397 0.462 0.859 19211.9

Career AVG .325 vs. league average .282 across their career seasons — +15.3% above league average.

Career OBP .397 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — +15.4% above league average.

Career SLG .462 vs. league average .398 across their career seasons — +16.2% above league average.

Career OPS 0.859 vs. league average 0.742 across their career seasons — +15.9% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1924 NYY AL 24 35 10 14 5 0 0 2 0 4 2 0.400 — — — — 0.0
1925 NYY AL 150 593 117 203 36 13 3 61 12 65 43 0.342 .288 (+19%) .349 (+18%) .407 (+13%) .756 (+15%) 2084.8
1926 NYY AL 145 606 113 181 31 12 8 55 8 47 23 0.299 .279 (+7%) .345 (+2%) .390 (+10%) .735 (+6%) 662.5
1927 NYY AL 152 648 137 231 36 23 6 64 15 62 31 0.356 .282 (+26%) .344 (+20%) .392 (+30%) .736 (+26%) 3414.8
1928 NYY AL 149 626 118 194 33 21 7 56 10 77 33 0.310 .280 (+10%) .342 (+13%) .395 (+17%) .737 (+15%) 2032.6
1929 NYY AL 142 586 119 202 33 15 3 65 11 69 32 0.345 .289 (+19%) .353 (+17%) .415 (+13%) .769 (+15%) 1949.6
1930 NYY AL 137 532 129 183 30 22 7 82 16 74 26 0.344 .293 (+17%) .354 (+20%) .429 (+22%) .784 (+21%) 2479.9
1931 NYY AL 138 563 120 179 31 13 5 58 11 68 34 0.318 .276 (+15%) .338 (+17%) .388 (+15%) .726 (+16%) 1915.7
1932 NYY AL 144 591 143 190 32 10 9 65 3 81 16 0.321 .275 (+17%) .335 (+21%) .391 (+16%) .726 (+18%) 2478.9
1933 NYY AL 122 417 86 125 22 16 5 64 6 47 19 0.300 .270 (+11%) .329 (+13%) .377 (+23%) .707 (+18%) 1437.8
1934 NYY AL 63 251 47 80 13 5 2 25 3 40 9 0.319 .278 (+15%) .340 (+21%) .392 (+11%) .733 (+15%) 825.4
1935 NYY AL 89 298 47 84 7 4 3 35 1 36 10 0.282 .279 (+1%) .342 (+5%) .399 (-9%) .742 (-3%) -70.1

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
16 60 17 21 3 0 1 9 10 7 0.350

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1932 WS NYA 4 16 8 6 1 0 1 4 4 3 0.375
1928 WS NYA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000
1927 WS NYA 4 16 6 5 0 0 0 2 1 2 0.312
1926 WS NYA 7 28 3 10 2 0 0 2 5 2 0.357

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1387 0 3449 69 95 23

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1924 NYA OF 11 0 12 0 0 0
1925 NYA OF 150 0 401 12 9 2
1926 NYA OF 145 0 375 8 12 2
1927 NYA OF 152 0 411 6 14 0
1928 NYA OF 149 0 424 11 9 7
1929 NYA OF 141 0 358 10 13 5
1930 NYA OF 135 0 275 5 9 1
1931 NYA OF 129 0 335 5 9 2
1932 NYA OF 139 0 343 6 12 3
1933 NYA OF 104 0 227 3 6 1
1934 NYA OF 62 0 145 1 1 0
1935 NYA OF 70 0 143 2 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 214
Center Field 1157
Right Field 41

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1929 Baseball Magazine All-Star CF

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Eastern Kentucky University Richmond KY 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1928 Most Valuable Player AL 6th 13.0 64 0
1925 Most Valuable Player AL 18th 6.0 64 0