Long before wrestlers or movie stars were branded "The Rock," a short, slim, quiet gentleman from Snohomish earned the nickname.
Earl Averill earned the moniker by adoring Cleveland Indians fans impressed by his sturdy defense and trusty bat. He played from 1929 to 1941, mostly with the Indians.
Averill did something none of the 147 other Washington natives who played major league baseball ever accomplished. Earl Averill is the only Washingtonian in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
"My dad was a guy of few words," said Earl Averill, Jr. of Auburn, a catcher who played from 1956-63 with the Indians, Cubs, White Sox, Angels and Phillies.
"He was not controversial. He was not flashy and he wouldn't argue with people. He was just a steady, likable guy. A rock."
Howard Earl Averill was born 100 years ago in Snohomish to a lumberman named Edward Averill and a cook named Annie Averill. She raised three children by cooking in lumber camps, for Edward Averill died two years after Earl was born.
Earl Averill played baseball in Snohomish, where the team was called the Pilchuckers, and in Bellingham. He was discovered by a scout while playing outfield for a copper mine team in Anaconda, Mont., and played three summers for the Pacific Coast League's San Francisco Seals.
The Indians paid the Seals $50,000 for Averill in 1929, cutting Earl in for $5,000 when he pressed the issue with general manager Billy Evans. Averill was instantly a star, hitting a home run off Detroit's Earl Whitehill in his first at-bat.
The only other Hall of Famer to hit a home run in his first at-bat was relief pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm for the 1952 New York Giants. Wilhelm tripled in his second at-bat, then never homered or tripled again in 1,070 games and 432 at-bats.
Averill was a spectacular hitter, batting .332, .339 and .333 in his first three seasons. He hit for power, totaling 238 home runs in 10-plus seasons. He was the first Cleveland player to hit three home runs in a game, collecting four home runs and 11 RBI in a 1930 doubleheader.
The Earl of Snohomish, as he became known, hit .378 in 1937. The only players with higher batting averages in the past 61 years were Ted Williams (.406 in 1941 and .388 in 1957), Tony Gwynn (.394 in 1994), George Brett (.390 in 1980), and Rod Carew (.388 in 1977).
And in 1937, he achieved the dream of any American athlete. Earl Averill was on a Wheaties box, leaping to catch a fly ball, promoting the Breakfast of Champions.
Averill enjoyed visiting fire stations while traveling around the American League.
"My dad always went to fire stations on his days off," Earl Averill Jr. said. "He loved firemen."
Averill was on the first six American League all-star teams. When New York's Joe DiMaggio became an all-star in 1936, he was switched from center to left field, for Averill was the league's best center fielder.
Averill's most celebrated moment was a 1-4-3 groundout. His line drive in the 1937 All-Star game broke the left big toe of Cardinals ace Dizzy Dean and bounced to second baseman Billy Herman, who threw Averill out.
The injury scuttled Dean's flamboyant career. Dean, who thought he was immortal, rushed to return, injured his arm and was done by 1941.
So was Averill. He was traded to Detroit in 1940, was hitless in three pinch-hit appearances during the World Series, played eight games for the 1941 Boston Braves and retired.
Averill is the Indians' all-time leader in runs, triples, extra-base hits and total bases. He batted .318 in his career, yet led the league in offensive categories just twice - for 232 hits and 15 triples in 1936.
His No. 3 is retired by Cleveland, along with Lou Boudreau's No. 5, Larry Doby's 14, Bob Feller's 19 and Bob Lemon's 21.
Averill loved flowers, especially carnations. He and older brother Forrest "Pud" Averill owned a wholesale floral business in Snohomish from 1930 to 1949. Averill Floral had 30,000 square feet of flowers under greenhouse glass.
Their prime retail outlet was Seattle florist Charles E. Sullivan, who had a field box at old Sick's Stadium. When a Rainiers player hit a home run, he would trot past Sullivan's seat and collect a $10 bill from Sullivan.
From 1949 until 1971, Averill and his wife Loette, whom he married in 1922, owned and operated the Earl Averill Motel on Highway 2 in Snohomish. The lobby was adorned with baseball memorabilia.
One of the icons was a silver sword. It was presented to Averill by an emissary of Japanese emperor Hirohito during a 1934 tour with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx and other baseball stars.
The emissary, a shopkeeper, walked 80 miles to Kokura to see the game and present the sword to Averill for hitting the Americans' first home run during the tour that helped popularize baseball in Japan. The sword denoted honor - and a warrior's soul.
Averill flashed a warrior's mettle when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975 - 31 years after he retired.
"There are a number of deserving old-timers who have not yet gained their rightful place in Cooperstown," Averill said in his brief speech.
He continued to cherish baseball, attending Mariners games in the Kingdome.
"My dad followed the game every day," Averill Jr. said. "As soon as that paper hit the porch, he was on top of it."
Earl Averill died in 1983. He was buried in Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery in his beloved Snohomish. A flat marble marker is etched with a photo of Averill's sweet swing, probably a double down the left field line, and a small plaque identical to the bronze one hanging in the shrine of heroes at Cooperstown.
Eighteen years after he died, 61 years after he stopped playing ball, you can find Earl Averill at Safeco Field. Out in the Bullpen Market, there are 12,500 bricks paving the Fan Walk.
The Averill family bought a brick to remember the Rock. The brick reads "Earl Averill Hall of Fame 1975."
» Bart Ripp writes about history and restaurants for The News Tribune in Tacoma, WA.
Also by Bart Ripp
» Charlie Faust's Dream
» Chief Wilson's 36 Triples
» One-Game Wonders
» Aaron Holbert's Dream
» More submissions
Posted August 6, 2002.
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