Voting Station

Earle Combs

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Baseball Player

The Resume

    (May 14, 1899-July 21, 1976)
    Born in Pebworth, Kentucky
    Center fielder for the New York Yankees (1924-35)
    .325 batting average
    1,866 hits
    633 RBIs
    Coach for the New York Yankees (1936-44), St. Louis Browns (1947), and Boston Red Sox (1948-52)
    Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee (1970)

Why he might be annoying:

    He had a weak throwing arm.
    His career was cut short by injuries.
    Most notably, he suffered a fractured skull and broken shoulder after colliding with the wall in St. Louis’ Sportsman’s Park while chasing a fly ball (July, 1934).
    He attempted a comeback next year, but broke his collarbone early in the season and retired, declaring, ’I’m getting out of this game before it kills me.’
    Bill James included him on a list of the ten Hall of Fame players least deserving of inclusion.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was leadoff hitter for the Yankees’ famed ‘murderer’s row’ lineup.
    Babe Ruth said, ‘Combs was more than a good ballplayer. He was always a first-class gentleman.’
    He was married to Ruth McCollum for 54 years.
    While serving on the Board of Regents of the University of Eastern Kentucky, he anonymously paid the tuition for several needy students.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying