Gene Lillard

Gene Lillard
Gene Lillard
	Lillard in 1948
	Pitcher/Infielder
	Born:November 12, 1913; Santa Barbara, California,U.S.
	Died:April 12, 1991(aged 77); Goleta, California,U.S.
	Batted:Right Threw:Right
MLB debut
	May 8, 1936, for the Chicago Cubs
Last MLB appearance
	May 20, 1940, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	3–6
Earned run average	7.09
Innings pitched	592⁄3
Batting average	.182
Hits	8
Teams
	Chicago Cubs(1936;1939); St. Louis Cardinals(1940);

Robert Eugene Lillard(November 12, 1913 – April 12, 1991) was an Americanprofessional baseball player.Primarily apitcherinMajor League Baseball(MLB), he began his baseball career as aninfielderand was a prodigiousminor leaguebatsman, slugging over 300 careerhome runs,including 56 round-trippers as a member of the 1935Los Angeles Angelsof thePacific Coast League.

The older brother ofBill Lillard,a former Major Leagueshortstop,Gene Lillard was born inSanta Barbara, California.He threw and battedright-handed,stood 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighed 178 pounds (81 kg). He signed with theChicago Cubsin 1932, and by his second pro season, he had reached the top level of the minors with the PCL Angels, leading the league at age 19 with 43 home runs. In 1934 Lillard hit 27 more homers for a Los Angeles team that would storm to the Pacific Coast League title by winning 137 out of 187 games (awinning percentageof.733). Then came his superlative 1935 season, in which heplayedin 170 games, scored 157runs,made 232hits,drove home 147RBI,andbatted.361. His 56 homers led the Coast League, but Lillard was surpassed in several other key batting categories by the loop's premier player,Joe DiMaggioof theSan Francisco Seals.

In 1936, Lillard made the Major Leagues with the Cubs, but he appeared in only 19 games as ashortstopandthird basemanand batted only.206, with seven hits in 34at batsand only oneextra base hit,adouble.Upon returning to the minors in 1937, Lillard converted to part-time pitcher, and he came back to the Majors as a moundsman for the 1939 Cubs and the 1940St. Louis Cardinals.Working in 22games pitched,eight as astarter,he lost six of ninedecisionsand gave up 76 hits and 40bases on ballswith 33strikeoutsin 592⁄3innings pitched.At the plate in the Majors, he had eight hits in 44 at-bats, with no homers and two runs batted in.

Lillard went back to the minor leagues for good in the middle of the 1940 season, and played as a combination pitcher and position player through 1954, with the 1943–1945 campaigns missed duringWorld War II.He was aplaying managerin a variety of mid- and lower-level leagues as well. Lillard appeared in more than 2,100 minor league games. As a hitter, he batted.303 with 2,094 hits, 345 home runs and 1,414 runs batted in. As a pitcher, he won 44 and lost 32.

Gene Lillard died inGoleta, California,in April 1991, at the age of 77.

References

External links

Career statistics and player information fromMLB,orBaseball Reference,orBaseball Reference (Minors),orRetrosheet