
Class of 1979
Born: August 17, 1913 in Ragland, Alabama
Category: Baseball
York joined the Detroit Tigers in 1934, earning wide acclaim during his 1937 to 1945 tenure with the club. In 1937 he broke Babe Ruth’s record by hitting 18 homeruns in a single month. When they won the 1940 pennant, York had 34 home runs, drove in 131 runs, and compiled a batting average of .316. In 1946 he was traded to the Boston Red Sox where he aided them in winning the pennant. He finished baseball with Chicago in 1947 and Philadelphia in 1948. By the end of his career he was selected as an All-Star seven times.