In that first year (1929), Averill made fans wonder why he was not in the Majors earlier. He batted .332 with 18 Home Runs, and it was this combination of power and average that would make him the Indians’ most potent batter. The Outfielder batted .300 in his first six seasons, and after a dip to .288 in 1935, he exploded in 1936 with his best year ever; a .378 season with a league-leading 232 Hits and 15 Triples. Averill again batted over .300 (.330) in 1938, his last full season with the Tribe.
Averill, a six-time All-Star, had five 20 Home Run years, with 226 total with Cleveland. His Indians career ended when he was traded to the Detroit Tigers during the 1939 Season. Averill’s Slash Line with Cleveland was a stellar .322/.399/.542 with 1,084 Runs Batted In.
Had he been a better defensive player (he was error-prone), Averill likely would have been ranked a spot or two higher.
Averill entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975 when the Veteran's Committee chose him, and the Indians responded by retring his number 3. This occurred 24 years after Cleveland placed him in their franchise Hall of Fame.
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