FORCED IN SECOND PART OF TRIPLE PLAYClyde Vollmer, Boston Red Sox right fielder, is forced at second base by Gerry Priddy of the Detroit Tigers in the second part of a triple play in the seventh inning of their game at Fenway Park today. It all happened when Walt Dropo lined drive to Johnny Lipon at third, who threw to Priddy. Priddy's relay to first was in time to get Billy Goodman. Umpire is Bill Grieve. DATE: 9-11-1951 ORIGINAL or REPRINT: Type 3 - Second or later-generation photo, printed from a duplicate negative or wire photo process, within about 2 years of when it was shot TEAM: Detroit Tigers SUBJECTS: Jerry Priddy, Clyde Vollmer, Bill Grieve ISSUER: Associated Press APPROXIMATE SIZE: 8-1/8"x10" NUMBER OF PHOTOS: 1 COMMENTS / CONDITION: This is one of a number of photos to be offered which hail from the personal collection of All-Star player and manager Eddie Stanky. Wear on these, if any, is mostly confined to minor corner and edge wear, but see scans for further details including condition. We do not deal in stock images or modern reprints, and all scans shown are of the actual vintage photograph, slide or negative being sold. If you have any questions about a particular piece, please ask before the auction ends. BIO: Gerald Edward Priddy was born in Los Angeles, CA and died in 1980 in N.Hollywood, CA. He played major league baseball from 1941 to 1953 as 2nd baseman for the New York Yankees, Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, and the Detroit Tigers, and appeared in the 1942 World Series. In 1938, Priddy was paired with Phil Rizzuto as a double play combination for three years in the Yankees’ minor league organization. In 1938, Priddy and Rizzuto played beside each other on the Norfolk Tars championship team. In 1939, Priddy and Rizzuto were promoted together to the Kansas City Blues, the New York Yankees’ team in the American Association. With Priddy, Rizzuto and Vince DiMaggio, the 1939 Kansas City Blues went 107-47 and have been ranked as the 12th best minor league team of all time. In 1940, the exploits of Priddy and Rizzutto drew attention in New York as the Yankees’ double play combination of the future. Mel Allen gave regular reports about their performance in Kansas City during his New York radio broadcasts. Allen predicted they would become “the best the Yankees ever had." Rizzuto recalled Priddy this way: "Priddy. That huckleberry. He was something else. We were close even though we were opposites in a lot of ways. He was cocky.... oh he was sure of himself. Me, on the other hand, I was shy and always worried. He took me under his wing, but he loved playing tricks on me too.... like nailing my shoes to the floor, ripping up all my fan letters, all those things." Phil Rizzuto later said the following of Priddy’s playing career: "I'll never understand what happened with him, other than bad luck and some injuries. Gerry was a better player than I was. He had more power and could play the heck out of second base." One book states that Priddy played in the late 1930s with Babe Herman's All Stars, a touring team that staged exhibitions against all stars from the Negro Leagues. When spring training arrived in 1941, Yankee manager Joe McCarthy announced that Rizzuto and Priddy would start at shortstop and second base, with Joe “Flash” Gordon moving to first base to make room for Priddy. After McCarthy announced is plan, Priddy reportedly walked up to Gordon, telling him, "I'm the better second baseman. I can make the double play better than you. ... do everything better than you." By the middle of May, Priddy was batting only .204, and McCarthy put Gordon back at second base. Rizzuto recalled that Priddy's disrespect of Gordon got him off to a rocky start with the Yankee veterans. As a result, Priddy got no sympathy when he failed to live up to expectations and his own cocky predictions. In 1941, Priddy hit only .213 in 56 games, while Gordon hit 24 home runs and scored 104 runs. In 1942, matters got worse for Priddy, as they got better for Gordon. Gordon hit .322 with 103 RBIs and was chosen the AL’s Most Valuable Player in 1942. Priddy played in only 59 games in 1942, mostly at third base and only eight games at his natural second base spot. Priddy fought with manager Joe McCarthy, and during the winter of 1942-1943, Priddy complained publicly about his lack of playing time, saying he was being “wasted” by the Yankees, and asking to be traded. Priddy returned to the minor leagues after the 1953 season with the Tigers to play and manage for a few more years. He later tried his hand as a professional golfer with little success. On June 6, 1973, Priddy was arrested by the FBI in California and charged with trying to extort $250,000 from a steamship company by threatening to put a bomb aboard one of its vessels, the Island Princess. He was convicted and sentenced to nine months in prison. Phil Rizzuto later said the he could never believe "that whole extortion thing.” He said: “That wasn't the Gerry I knew. He was outspoken, and hotheaded ... but outside of baseball he was a regular guy. He knew a lot of prominent businesspeople. It just didn't make sense. He called me when he got out of prison and told me if he'd have to spend one more day in there he'd have been a hardened criminal." Clyde Frederick Vollmer was born in 1921 in Cincinnati, OH and died in 2006 in Florence, KY. He played major league baseball from 1942 to 1954 as outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds, Washington Senators and the Boston Red Sox. In July of 1951 Vollmer went on a hitting tear that was described in the Sporting News at the time as "the greatest clutch hitting spree of modern times." He hit 13 homers, including three in one game on July 26th and drove in 40 runs. In one stretch of seven games he knocked in the winning run six times. On July 28th his 16th inning Grand Slam home run was the latest inning grand slam home run in big league history. Clyde finished 1951 with personal highs of 22 homers and 85 RBIs. After baseball Vollmer went back to Cincinnati, went into the restaurant business and retired in Florence, KY. SKU: XP12578
Item: XP12578
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