Northey was a beefy lefthanded hitter, a slow-moving outfielder with an exceptionally
strong arm. Dodger outfielder
Carl Furillo claims that he and Northey were the only
two players to hit the famous sign on
Ebbets Field's right-field wall and win a free
suit from
Abe Stark. Northey had his best season with the 1944 Phillies, hitting
22 HR with 104 RBI, and leading NL outfielders with 24 assists. Gone from the majors
by 1951, he returned to become a top pinch hitter, leading the AL with 15 hits in
that role for Chicago in 1956. He had nine career pinch-hit home runs, three of them
grand slams - a ML record. Altogether, he hit eight grand slams in his career. His
son Scott played OF with the Royals in 1969.
(JL)
Ron Northey
teams