Christopher: The incredible one-year career of Buzz Arlett
From SABR member Bill Christopher at Yahoo! Voices on February 25, 2013:
How many seasons would you expect an outfielder to play after hitting .313 and finishing fourth in the National League homerun race during his rookie season? Barring injury, most would say that player had a bright future in the big leagues. Ten-to-fifteen years of solid production would not be an unreasonable statistical projection.
The major league career of outfielder Buzz Arlett defies that conventional wisdom. Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1931, the right-hand hitting outfielder smacked 18 home runs, stroked 7 triples, drove in 72 runs and slugged at a .537 clip. Yet, he was back in the minor leagues in 1932.
What happened?
Arlett was 32-years-old when he broke in with the Phils. He had spent the previous 13 seasons with the minor league Oakland Oaks of the old Pacific Coast League, racking up great numbers. Over those 13 seasons, Arlett compiled league records of 251 home runs and 1135 runs-batted-in.
Read the full article here: http://voices.yahoo.com/the-one-year-buzz-incredible-story-russell-12024269.html?cat=9
Related link: Read the SABR biography of Buzz Arlett by Cort Vitty
Originally published: February 27, 2013. Last Updated: February 27, 2013.