Happy Baseball Birthday...Bill Terry

In early 1981 I had the opportunity to meet Bill Terry.

For a young baseball fan of just 21, the chance to go see and meet a big league baseball player...a ballplayer in the National Baseball Hall of Fame was just terrific.

Bill Terry made Jacksonville, Florida his home after playing baseball.

He bought the minor league Jacksonville Braves of the South Atlantic League in 1958.

Mr. Terry is well known here in Jacksonville for his car dealership, Bill Terry Buick, which he ran from 1949 until his passing in 1989 at the age of 90.

I started thinking about that visit today when I saw that it would've been  Mr. Terry's 115th Birthday.

He was a very nice man who talked baseball with me...man was I nervous...talking to a man...a big leaguer...in the Hall of Fame...WOW!

Nearly every baseball fan knows about Ted Williams hitting .406 in 1941, the last player to hit over .400 in a single regular season.

I've always found it strange that Bill Terry has almost been forgotten by baseball fans, who should know that in 1930 he hit .401, the last National League player to hit over the magic number of .400.

Mr. Terry was a terrific hitter, posting a lifetime batting average of .341, with 2,193 base hits and 1, 078 RBI.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954.

Happy Baseball Birthday! Mr. Terry!


Play Ball!