View Full Version : Cecil Travis
The Commissioner
07-12-2007, 11:30 PM
I'm one of those rare fans that actually does believe Travis does deserve a spot in Cooperstown. However, that's not really here nor there. What I would like to know is why Travis wasn't given a chance to play full time for Washington until 1934? I realize that they had an established veteran in Ossie Bluege already occupying third base during 1932-33, but Travis was absolutely setting the Southern League on fire. In '32 he batted .356 for Chattanooga with a league leading 17 triples. In '33 he started out with Washington in May and then despite hitting .302 with the Senators got sent back down where he hit .352. I know that he was very error prone, so that might have played into it, but in '33 he only committed 1 error in 39 chances with Washington. That couldn't have been the reason to have him sent down. I also can't help but wonder if the extra season or two might have made the difference in Travis' Hall of Fame credentials?
Baseball Guru
08-25-2007, 05:25 PM
Good points... Despite some pretty bad fielding seasons he actually and had a higher fielding % during his time at SS than the league average...
He had a fine career and you're right, a few more good seasons may have gotten him in, much due to his playing SS, a lesser offensive position...
He had a few season where he missed quite a few games ( games in 1945 and 74 in 1947)
Anyone know why he didn't play in the majors from 42-44 and why he retired at the age of 33?
He had a GREAT 1941 season...
welch
09-30-2007, 05:57 PM
Travis was in the Army during WW2.
He froze his feet (during the Battle of the Bulge???), but said somewhere that the feet didn't bother him as much as the layoff. He couldn't get his baseball reactions back, and, rather than fizzle, he retired.
Yes, Cecil Travis in 1941 had a longer hitting streak than Ted Williams, and a higher batting average than Joe Dimaggio.
Aa3rt
10-27-2007, 06:17 PM
I just stumbled across this link this evening. At the end of the article, Travis is quoted saying "I lost something after the war." While he does mention having some toes frozen, he says that he just couldn't get his timing back.
Full story here:
A Diplomat For Baseball (http://washingtonsenators.com/senators.org)
AutographCollector
11-15-2007, 09:46 AM
Cecil Travis, Dizzy Dean, and Satchel Page.
(Does anyone know what uniform that is that Travis is wearing in this pic?)
Cecil Travis, Dizzy Dean, and Satchel Page.
(Does anyone know what uniform that is that Travis is wearing in this pic?)
Travis is wearing a "Camp Wheeler"
uniform top, indicative of his
service in World War II.
Aa3rt
11-15-2007, 11:03 AM
According to this link (http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=597&pid=14327), Cecil Travis was stationed at Camp Wheeler (Thank you, LeoD) in May of 1942 but was granted leave to go to Washington, DC to play a benefit game in Griffith Stadium (possibly a war bonds game) between the Dizzy Dean All-Stars and the Homestead Grays featuring Satchel Paige. According to the bio, Travis was inducted not long after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
tonypug
11-18-2007, 05:54 PM
Cecil Travis was one of the first major league players to be inducted into the army.
AutographCollector
11-19-2007, 04:12 AM
Cecil Travis was one of the first major league players to be inducted into the army.
To be inducted?
tonypug
11-19-2007, 07:02 AM
To be inducted?
First, you were drafted, then tested, then inducted (sworn in.)
AutographCollector
11-19-2007, 07:17 AM
First, you were drafted, then tested, then inducted (sworn in.)
Travis was in WWII. Before him nobody else was sworn into the Army? Not even the players who played in WWI?
EdTarbusz
11-19-2007, 07:52 AM
Travis was in WWII. Before him nobody else was sworn into the Army? Not even the players who played in WWI?
Everyone who joins the military is sworn in.
AutographCollector
11-19-2007, 08:46 AM
Everyone who joins the military is sworn in.
I know that. I am a Navy vet.
I was responding to Tonypug's post... post #8.
He said that Travis was the 1st person to be sworn in ("inducted" as he calls it) in the Army.
Not trying to be difficult, unless he was talking about JUST WWII, and NOT about previous wars.
EdTarbusz
11-19-2007, 03:32 PM
I know that. I am a Navy vet.
I was responding to Tonypug's post... post #8.
He said that Travis was the 1st person to be sworn in ("inducted" as he calls it) in the Army.
Not trying to be difficult, unless he was talking about JUST WWII, and NOT about previous wars.
I'm also a Navy vet.
I'm sure he meant WWII. Inducted was the terminology used when people entered the military.
tonypug
11-20-2007, 08:11 AM
Sorry for the confusion guys, I was referring to WWII when I made that statement.
AutographCollector
11-20-2007, 09:41 AM
Sorry for the confusion guys, I was referring to WWII when I made that statement.
No sweat. :)
I probably made things harder by questioning.
By the way: I just bid on and won the above photo (the one with Satch and Dizzy), and this one so I can send them both to him to sign for me.
shotten1947
11-23-2007, 07:21 AM
Excuse me, if i'm not reading this correctly, but didn't Cecil Travis pass away last year, around this time of year?
AutographCollector
11-23-2007, 07:26 AM
Excuse me, if i'm not reading this correctly, but didn't Cecil Travis pass away last year, around this time of year?
Well I guess that I wasted my $, as you are correct. Cecil Travis passed away in Georgia last year.
The only reason why I bought them was because some guy on another autograph site said that he just got back from him. Sounds like the guy is a liar.