Jeff Heath

John Geoffrey Heath (April 1, 1915 – December 9, 1975) was a Canadian-born American left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played most of his career for the Cleveland Indians.

Heath was born April 1, 1915, in Fort William, Ontario.

His family moved to Victoria, British Columbia before settling in Seattle, Washington.

He attended Garfield High School in Seattle where he played baseball and football.

As a freshman, he made the varsity baseball squad.

Heath was a multi-sport athlete and was offered scholarships from various schools to play American football.

University of Washington head coach Jimmy Phelan said Heath was the best fullback in the country.

He was one of the American League's most promising power hitters of the late 1930s and early 1940s, twice led the AL in triples, and batted at least .340 with over 100 runs batted in (RBIs) each time.

Heath chose a future in baseball, however, and in 1935, he signed with the Yakima Bears of the semipro Northwest League, where he hit .390.

He was selected as an All-American amateur team member, managed by Les Mann and played games in Japan.

For the tour his batting average was .483.

Heath faced difficulties being allowed re-entry upon the team's arrival to the U.S. and became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Cleveland Indians scout Willie Kamm helped sign Heath to a contract with the organization in 1936.

Kamm said, "If this kid isn't a big leaguer I've wasted a lot of time learning baseball."

He reported to spring training with the New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern Association.

One of his hands became infected and the Indians moved him to their Class C Mid-Atlantic team, the Zanesville Greys.

With the Greys, he hit league-bests with 187 RBIs and a .383 average, while his 28 home runs were second-most.

He was called up to join the Indians before the 1936 season ended.

Heath batted left-handed and threw right-handed and was listed as 5 ft tall and 200 lb (14 stone, 4).

He broke in with the Indians in 1936 at the age of 21, appeared in 12 games with the club and recorded a .341 batting average and seven extra-base hits.

During spring training leading up to the 1937 season, Heath was describing as getting "as much attention as the backline of a Broadway chorus."

He appeared in 20 games and hit .230 for the season.

During spring training before the 1938 season, Indians manager Oscar Vitt said Heath was "the best natural hitter I've seen since Joe Jackson."

One columnist described Vitt's decision to employ Heath:

In his first full season in 1938, he batted .343 – behind only batting champion Jimmie Foxx's .349 – while leading the league with 18 triples.

Upon the conclusion of the season, Heath joined fellow American League (AL) players, and Indians teammate Bob Feller, in exhibition games played around the country (also known as barnstorming), mostly in cities which did not have a major league team.

He had 21 home runs and 112 RBIs, collected 58 hits in August alone, and was among the league leaders in slugging average and total bases for the 1938 season.

In January 1939, he married Theabelle Callard.

He finished with a .292 batting average in 1939.

The season also included a late-season punch to a fan from Heath during a home game in Cleveland.

"It was just another blunder in a bad season that has been full of mistakes", Heath said of the incident.

Before the 1940 season, Heath said, "I'm going to show 'em I'm no flash in the pan. Last year I was overswinging and taking my eye of the ball. I'm not going to do that this season."

During the season, Heath was one of 12 reported players who presented a list of grievances against Vitt to Indians President Alva Bradley.

Bradley called a meeting with the players and by the end of it, a statement of support from the players for Vitt was released.

In 1941 he was selected to his first All-Star Game and that same season became the first player from the American League to become a member of the 20–20–20 club when he hit 20 each of doubles, triples and home runs in the same season.

His other All-Star Game selections were in 1943 and 1945.

Heath played for the Washington Senators and St. Louis Browns during the 1946 season and the National League's (NL) Boston Braves beginning in 1948.

He incurred a compound fracture to his ankle in late September 1948 in a game in Brooklyn shortly after Boston had clinched the pennant.

Subsequently, the Braves were without their starting left fielder for the 1948 World Series.

In 1949, Heath's last season in the majors, sportswriter Franklin Lewis wrote, "There was the inimitable Heath who...should have been one of the greatest players in history. But there were no valves on his temper. He grinned in the manner of a schoolboy or he snarled with the viciousness of a tiger."