Jerry Adair
From BR Bullpen
Kenneth Jerry Adair
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.
- School Oklahoma State University
- Debut September 2, 1958
- Final Game May 3, 1970
- Born December 17, 1936 in Sand Springs, OK USA
- Died May 31, 1987 in Tulsa, OK USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Jerry Adair was a light-hitting second baseman, best known for his excellent fielding during his thirteen year major league playing career.
After attending Oklahoma State University, where he also played basketball, Adair was signed by the Baltimore Orioles for a reported $40,000 bonus in 1958 and brought straight to the major leagues. By 1961 he was a regular, and the next year he hit .284 with 11 home runs. While his offensive numbers were generally much lower, he set records with his glove. In 1964, he fielded 458 consecutive chances over 89 games without an error at second. He led the American League with a .994 fielding percentage that year and a .986 mark the next.
After a stint with the Chicago White Sox, Adair was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1967 and helped the team to the World Series that year by hitting .291. He was later selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 1968 Expansion Draft and ended his big league career after a little more than a season there.
Once his big league days ended, Adair played for a season in Japan with the Hankyu Braves and was a major league coach for the Oakland Athletics from 1972 to 1974 and the California Angels in 1975.
Adair died of liver cancer in 1987 at age 50.
