Books and articles about Ralph Garr

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A Grambling football star, Garr reached the Braves briefly in 1968 (his second pro season) and stole home for the first of 172 steals. Unable to crack the Braves' talent-laden outfield, the lefthanded hitter spent 1969 and 1970 with Richmond (International League), winning back-to-back batting titles. Finally given a job in Atlanta in 1971, he batted .343, with 219 hits, 101 runs, and 30 stolen bases. In 1974 Garr's .353 took the NL batting crown, and he led the league with 214 hits and 17 triples. The free-swinging leadoff man repeated as triples leader in 1975, and hit .300 twice again with the White Sox (1976 and 1977). Among baseball insiders, Garr was known as much for his squeaky voice, Hank Aaron imitations, and nonstop comic monologues as for his bat. He later became a hitting and baserunning instructor. (MC)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 9, 1971: At San Francisco, the Braves and Giants split a pair. After the Giants win the opener, 5–2, the Braves take the nitecap, 6–5, in 11 innings. Orlando Cepeda connects for a grand slam and solo homer for Atlanta, while Willie McCovey has a 3-run home run for SF. The Braves win it in the 10th when Ralph Garr scores after collecting his 4th hit. » May 17, 1971: Atlanta's Ralph Garr homers in the 10th and 12th innings of a game against the Mets, tying a major-league record for most home runs in extra innings. He's just the 4th to do it and the 2nd NLer. Art Shamsky last did it, in 1966. The Braves win 4–3. » July 30, 1972: Ralph Garr and Earl Williams collect 10 hits and 10 runs between them to lead the Braves to 14–4 and 5–4 victories over the Dodgers. They each have four RBIs in the two games. » August 5, 1973: Braves knuckleballer Phil Niekro no-hits the Padres 9–0 and improves his record to 11-4. He walks three and strikes out four in recording the 1st no-hitter by the franchise in Atlanta. Ralph Garr has three hits, three runs, and a steal, and Paul Casanova records an inside-the-park homer on a long fly ball missed by LF Gene Locklear. » December 12, 1975: After being a White Sox for two days, Dick Ruthven goes to Atlanta, along with Danny Osborn. Chicago receives Ralph Garr and Larvell Blanks. Blanks is then dealt to Cleveland for 2B Jack Brohamer. The Sox then trade P Rich Hinton and C Jeff Sovern to the Reds for P Clay Carroll, and finish the day by shipping Lee Richard to the Cards for Buddy Bradford and P Greg Terlecky. » June 24, 1977: At Minnesota, Chicago's Ralph Garr hits a three-run homer in the 3rd, but Jim Essian, the base runner on 1B, watches the ball to see if it will be caught and Garr passes him. Garr gets a single and two RBIs. Minnesota still wins, 7–6. » May 28, 1987: Baltimore's Mike Young ties a major-league record by hitting a pair of extra inning home runs, connecting consecutively in the 10th and 12th innings off DeWayne Buice. He's just the 5th major leaguer to do it and the first since Ralph Garr, in 1971. The Orioles edge the Angels , 8–7. » July 9, 2000: The Angels win over the Rockies, 10-4, as OF Darin Erstad gets four hits. Erstad now has 144 safeties, the most by any player at the All-Star break since Ralph Garr had 149 in 1974.