Bill Terry
| Birthdate | 10/30/1898 |
| Death Date | 1/9/1989 |
| Debut Year | 1923 |
| Year of Induction | 1954 |
| Teams | Giants |
| Position | First Base |
The last National Leaguer batter to hit .400 in a season, Bill Terry had more than 200 hits six times in seven years from 1929 through 1935.
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Bill Terry held down first base for the New York Giants for 14 years then managed the club for a decade
Bill Terry held down first base for the New York Giants for 14 years then managed the club for a decade
A mainstay for the John McGraw Giants, first baseman Bill Terry helped New York to three pennants and one World Series title. Along the way he put together four-consecutive 200-hit seasons, averaging an incredible 230 safeties per season.
Terry’s finest season came in 1930. He tied the Lefty O’Doul’s National League record of 254 hits and hit .401. No Senior Circuit hitter since has topped the .400 mark. The left-handed Terry’s slash line was an impressive .401/.452/.619 as was his league-leading 7.9 WAR.
Two years later when McGraw was unable to continue as skipper, the Giants tabbed Terry as his replacement. In that capacity he likewise led the team to three pennants and a World Series championship. Terry was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954.
In the collection is this signed photo with the inscription. “To Tom Eakin National Chairman Cy Young Centennial My best wishes, Wm. H Bill Terry 3/17/67.
The last of Hall of Fame first baseman Bill Terry's All Star selections came in 1935
The last of Hall of Fame first baseman Bill Terry's All Star selections came in 1935
Baseball’s first All Star Game came in 1933, eleven seasons into Bill Terry’s career. The highly-respect veteran was still productive and was selected as the starting first baseman for the first three Mid Summer Classics.
Terry’s final All Star appearance came in 1935. Though his NL mates lost to the American League club 4-1, Terry did his part.
In the top of the 4th inning, Terry came up against Lefty Gomez with Arky Vaughan in scoring position at second base. He responded with an RBI single to score what turned out to be the only National League run.
The Giants player/manager since 1932, Terry had one more year on the active roster. In 79 games in ’36 he hit .310 despite battling a knee injury. At season’s end he retired as a player and devoted entirely to piloting the club.
Shown here is an invitation to play in the 1935 All Star Game sent to Senators third baseman Ossie Bluege. Authored and signed by Hall of Fame AL president William Harridge, the correspondence is dated June 29, 1935, thirteen days before the game.
Terry received a similar invite from the NL chief Ford Frick.
SABR founder secured Bill Terry's autograph just after he's voted into the Hall of Fame
SABR founder secured Bill Terry's autograph just after he's voted into the Hall of Fame
In 1971 the “Cooperstown 16” met just after induction to talk baseball and form a new entity. After a debate about what to name the new organization, the men decided on the Society for American Baseball Research or SABR.
Keith Sutton was one of the founding members of SABR, a writer, historian, and fan of the game. In the letter shown above, Sutton writes to former Giants first baseman Bill Terry to congratulate Terry on his recent election to the Hall of Fame. The correspondence, dated January 29, 1954 was after the election but before Terry’s August 9th induction.
Sutton writes in part, “I saw you play many time in the Polo Grounds in the 1930s, and have always felt that your record merited inclusion into the Hall of Fame years ago.”
Sutton then makes the request for Terry’s autograph. Terry complied with the request at the bottom of the letter writing, “Mr. Sutton, Thanks for your nice letter. Bill Terry”.
