Billy Werber
From BR Bullpen
William Murray Werber
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 10", Weight 170 lb.
- School Duke University
- Debut June 25, 1930
- Final Game September 5, 1942
- Born June 20, 1908 in Berwyn, MD USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Bill Werber had an eleven-year career in the major leagues, leading the league in stolen bases three times, and hitting .370 in the 1940 World Series where he batted leadoff.
Bill Werber is the last living teammate of Babe Ruth. Werber, who spent spring training with the would-be Murderers' Row team in 1927 but did not make the squad, was with the Yankees briefly in both 1930 and 1933. At the end of his career, he also played with the New York Giants in 1942, which featured Mel Ott and Johnny Mize. In the middle, he was with the Boston Red Sox of Jimmie Foxx, the Cincinnati Reds of Ernie Lombardi, and the Philadelphia Athletics when Nick Etten was a rookie.
He was a third baseman who developed good range as he matured. His lifetime major league batting average was .271.
Bill Werber has self-published two books: "Circling The Bases," publication date not stated, and "Hunting Is For The Birds," 1981. He also collaborated with C. Paul Rogers III on the Society For American Baseball Research/University of Nebraska Press book "Memories Of A Ballplayer: Bill Werber and Baseball in the 1930s," 2001.
He is a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
He was the second big league ballplayer to come out of Duke University (the first was Wade Lefler), and among major leaguers who came out of Duke University, he had the most at-bats until Dick Groat came along.
Based on the similarity scores method, the most similar player is Red Rolfe.
Werber became the Oldest Living MLB Player on July 22, 2007, with the death of Rollie Stiles. He celebrated his 100th birthday on June 20, 2008.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- NL Runs Scored Leader (1939)
- 3-time AL Stolen Bases Leader (1934, 1935 & 1937)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 3 (1934, 1939 & 1940)
- 200 Hits Seasons: 1 (1934)
- Won a World Series with the Cincinnati Reds in 1940
[edit] Further Reading
- Bill Werber and C. Paul Rogers III: Memories of a Ballplayer: Bill Werber and Baseball in the 1930s, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE, 2001.
