Tom Tresh

Thomas Michael Tresh

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 191 lb.
• School Central Michigan University
• Debut September 3, 1961
• Final Game September 29, 1969
• Born September 20, 1938 in Detroit, MI USA
• Died October 14, 2008 in Venice, FL USA

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[edit] Biographical Information

Tom Tresh was a pretty good player who was sometimes given a tough time because he wasn't the next Mickey Mantle, and because his New York Yankees became a below-average team after 1964. Although he is often remembered as a shortstop, he played twice as many games in the outfield.

Tresh became a regular in 1962, replacing popular Tony Kubek at shortstop when Kubek was in the military. (When Kubek came back in 1963, Tresh went to the outfield.) The 1962 New York Yankees won the World Series. Tresh won the American League Rookie of the Year Award and was named to the All-Star team. In Game 5 of the 1962 World Series, he broke a 2-2 tie with a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning off Jack Sanford (who won 24 games that season), leading to a 5-3 Yankee win and a 3-2 lead in games.

The next year was his most impressive year with the bat. He hit .269 in a league that hit .247, and he added 83 walks to give him a .371 on-base percentage in a league whose OBP was .312. His OBP was 6th in the league. He also had 25 home runs. The Yankees returned to the World Series in both 1963 and 1964.

In 1965, Tresh had another good season, winning a Gold Glove for his play in center field and left field. He hit 26 home runs, good for 5th in the league, and in this second dead-ball era his .279 batting average was 10th in the league. His 29 doubles were 4th best in the league, and his 94 runs scored were 3rd best. His batting dropped off sharply after that. Some of it was due to the era, which favored pitching over hitting, and some was that he just wasn't hitting as well anymore. He also had some injury problems. His .233 average in 1966 was only two points below the team average, but his .195 average in 1968 was nearly 20 points below the team's .214 average.

Although he had been primarily an outfielder from 1963-1967, in the last two years of his career he was moved back to shortstop. His range with the Yankees was excellent, but it slipped with the Detroit Tigers during the last part of his last season.

He is the son of Mike Tresh. Both father and son had careers entirely in the American League. His son, Mickey Tresh, played in the minor leagues from 1987 to 1990.

On October 14, 2008, Tresh died of a massive heart attack at age 70.

[edit] Notable Achievements

• 1962 AL Rookie of the Year Award
• 1962 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
• 2-time AL All-Star (1962 & 1963)
• AL Gold Glove Winner (1965/OF)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 4 (1962, 1963, 1965 & 1966)
• Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1962

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