Billy Goodman
| Birthdate | 3/22/1926 |
| Death Date | 10/1/1984 |
| Debut Year | 1947 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Colt 45s, Orioles, Red Sox, White Sox |
| Positions | First Base, Outfield, Second Base, Third Base |
The versatile Billy Goodman played 330+ career games at first base, second base, & third base; for good measure the 1950 batting champ also played 111 contests in the outfield.
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Billy Goodman hit exactly .300 in his 16-year big league career from 1947-1962
Billy Goodman hit exactly .300 in his 16-year big league career from 1947-1962
Billy Goodman was a versatile big leaguer who played all the defensive positions except pitcher and catcher. The 1950 batting champ, Goodman retired after 16 years in the majors with exactly a .300 average.
Goodman broke in with a 12-game stint with the Boston Red Sox four weeks after his 21st birthday in 1947. The following year he hit .310 with a .414 on-base percentage as the Sox first baseman. He finished fourth in Rookie of the Year balloting and received support in the MVP vote.
In 1949 Goodman joined teammates Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio and Mel Parnell in the All Star Game. Goodman’s breakout year came in 1950 as defensive versatility became his trademark. Playing five positions yet none for more than 45 games, Goodman hit .354 and was crowned the batting champion. He also posted a .427 on-base percentage. His play earned him a runner-up finish to Phil Rizzuto for AL MVP.
During his 11 years in Beantown Goodman played all over the diamond though primarily at second base. Overall with the Red Sox Goodman hit .306 with a .386 on-base percentage.
After Boston traded him in June of ’57, Goodman played for Baltimore and the White Sox before ending his career with Houston in 1962.
Upon retirement from the bigs, Goodman served as player/manager of the Class-A Durham Bulls in 1963. He hit .354 for the Bulls and pitched in two games the following season. Later he piloted the Cocoa Astros in the Florida State League.
In 1966 he returned to the Red Sox as a scout before taking a job with the Kansas City Athletics in ’67. His last appearance in professional baseball came as a coach on the big league staff for the Atlanta Braves in ’69 and ’70.
A native of North Carolina, Goodman was inducted into the state’s sports Hall of Fame in 1969. In 1983 Goodman was diagnosed with cancer, and passed away from the disease in 1984.
Boston honored their former batting champ in 2004 by inducting him into the Red Sox Hall of Fame.
Shown here is a postcard signed by Goodman in 1955.
The postmark provides context as to where and when Goodman signed the postcard
The postmark provides context as to where and when Goodman signed the postcard
Government postcards lend insight to where and when an autograph was signed by virtue of the postmark. Shown here is the back of the previous image.
Notice the West Newton, Massachusetts postmark of September 17, 1955. It’s easy to picture Goodman dropping the the card in a West Newton mailbox on the 15-minute drive to Fenway.
That day Goodman’s Red Sox took on the Yankees at Boston. New York left-hander Tommy Byrne scattered four hits in a complete-game effort. Goodman batted leadoff and went 0-for-4. Boston right fielder Jackie Jensen hit a 6th-inning solo shot that spoiled Byrne’s shutout bid in the 4-1 Yankee win.
Goodman coached and scouted for 15 years after completing his playing career
Goodman coached and scouted for 15 years after completing his playing career
After Billy Goodman hung up his playing spikes in 1962 he remained close to the game. In ’63 he became player/manager of the Durham Bulls.
Goodman’s two seasons with the Bulls featured a .345 average and a .448 on-base percentage in 115 game played. After the ’64 campaign, Goodman retired for good as a player.
The former batting champ then worked with Houston’s minor league club in Florida through 1965. The following season Goodman joined the Red Sox as a scout before becoming an instructor with the Athletics in ’67.
Goodman then spent four seasons with the Braves as a coach and instructor. From there it was back to the Royals at their Baseball Academy then in their minors. Goodman’s final year in baseball was spent with the Braves Triple-A club in Richmond in 1976.
Shown above is Shown here is a sheet signed by Goodman and his 1968 Braves. Notice the signatures of Hall of Famers Phil Niekro and Joe Torre. The autographs of baseball lifers Felipe Alou and Bob Uecker are also seen
