Dale Alexander

Dale Alexander
First Base
Born: April 26, 1903(1903-04-26) Greeneville, Tennessee
Died: March 2, 1979(1979-03-02) (aged 75) Greeneville, Tennessee
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 16, 1929 for the Detroit Tigers
Last MLB appearance
September 23, 1933 for the Boston Red Sox
Career statistics
Batting average	.331
Hits	811
RBI	459
Teams
Detroit Tigers (1929-1932) Boston Red Sox (1932-1933)
Career highlights and awards
American League Batting Champion, 1932 (.367) Led American League in Hits, 1929 (215) No. 2 in AL in Total Bases in 1929 (363) Among AL leaders in RBIs in 1929 (137, third) and 1930 (135, seventh)

David Dale Alexander (April 26, 1903 – March 2, 1979), nicknamed "Moose," was a Major League Baseball player for the Detroit Tigers (1929–1932) and Boston Red Sox (1932–1933). Dale "Moose" Alexander was a big 6 foot, 3 inch, 210 first baseman. He won the American League batting crown in 1932 and was one of the best hitters in baseball between 1929 and 1932, but a leg injury shortened his Major League career.

Early years (1925-1928)

Born in Greeneville, Tennessee, Alexander first played professional baseball with his hometown team. Alexander hit .300 or better in five straight minor league seasons. In 1928, playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Alexander won the International League triple crown with a .380 batting average, 31 home runs, and 144 runs batted in.^[1]

Detroit Tigers

In 1929, Alexander won the first baseman job with the Detroit Tigers. In his rookie season Alexander hit .343, scored 110 runs, led the American League with 215 hits, and was among the league leaders with 83 extra base hits (second in AL), 363 total bases (second in AL), 137 RBIs (third in AL), 25 home runs (fifth in the AL), a .580 slugging percentage (fifth in the AL), 43 doubles (fifth in AL), and 15 triples (fourth in AL).

In 1930, Alexander had a .326 batting average, 20 home runs and 135 RBIs. In his first two Major League seasons, Alexander had 272 RBIs. The only player to hit more RBIs in their first two seasons was Joe DiMaggio.^[2]

In 1932, Alexander got off to a slow start, batting .250 in the first two months of the season.

Boston Red Sox

On June 12, 1932, the Tigers traded him with Roy Johnson to the Boston Red Sox, for Earl Webb, who had set the Major League record for doubles (67) the previous season. Webb hit only 19 doubles for the Tigers in 1932 and retired one year later. Alexander won the American League batting crown with a career-high .367 average. He beat Jimmie Foxx by a mere three points, depriving Foxx of the triple crown. Alexander is the only Major League batting champion to be traded to another team in the same league during the season in which he won the title. (In 1990, Willie McGee won the National League batting title despite being traded to the American League in late August.)

On August 6, 1932, Alexander broke up a no-hitter by Cleveland pitcher, Wes Ferrell, who ended up with a one-hitter.

On May 30, 1933, Alexander twisted a knee in a game at Philadelphia. He was given diathermy treatment ("electrically induced heat" used for muscle relaxation) in the clubhouse by Red Sox trainer, Doc Woods. Alexander's leg suffered third degree burns during the treatment, and gangrene eventually set in.^[2] "It was a new method of treatment and not too much was known about it," Alexander said, years later. "I noticed my leg felt awfully hot. I ended up with third-degree burns and a gangrene infection and almost lost my leg. I was finished in the Majors... I couldn't run and I couldn't field and when I got hurt, that was the end."^[3] Alexander attempted a comeback but injured his leg again in July 1933 and saw limited action for the rest of the season, mostly as a pinch hitter. Alexander wound up hitting .281 in 1933 and played his last Major League game was on September 23, 1933 against the New York Yankees.

Minor League Career (1934-1942)

After 1933, Alexander's mobility and fielding suffered, but he was able to hit well enough to continue playing in the minor leagues until 1942. Playing for Newark in 1934, he hit .336 and collected 123 RBIs, 14 home runs, 35 doubles, and 7 stolen bases. While playing for the Johnny Kling-owned Kansas City Blues, Alexander hit four home runs in a game against Minneapolis on June 14, 1935.^[2]

In 1939, Alexander (age 36) was hired as player-manager for the Sanford Lookouts in the Florida State League. Alexander hit .345 (highest on the team) and led the Lookouts to a 98-35 record and a Florida State League championship.^[3]

During his minor league career, Alexander never hit under .300 until 1942, his final year as a professional baseball player. His minor league batting average was .338 with 2,072 hits and 1,171 RBIs.

Life after baseball

Alexander was a scout for the New York & San Francisco Giants for 13 years (1951–1963) and for the Milwaukee Braves in 1964.

Alexander died at his birthplace, Greeneville, Tennessee, at age 75.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball batting champions

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Gallery of History and Photograph of Alexander
• BaseballLibrary.com
• Article on 1939 Sanford Lookouts Led by Dale Alexander