Jerry Adair Stats & Facts

 

Jerry Adair

Positions: Second Baseman, Shortstop and Third Baseman
Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
6-0, 175lb (183cm, 79kg)
Born: December 17, 1936 in Sand Springs, OK us
Died: May 31, 1987  in Tulsa, OK
Buried: Woodland Memorial Park, Sand Springs, OK
High School: Sapulpa HS (Sapulpa, OK)
School: Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)
Debut: September 2, 1958 (11,578th in major league history)
vs. WSH 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: May 3, 1970
vs. CLE 4 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1961 season
Full Name: Kenneth Jerry Adair
Nicknames: Casper the Friendly Ghost
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject

 

Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1958

Vada Pinson
Ron Fairly
Tony Taylor
Orlando Cepeda
Norm Cash
Felipe Alou
Mudcat Grant
Frank Howard
Jerry Adair

 

All-Time Teammate Team

C:   Gus Traindos
1B: George Scott
2B: Cookie Rojas
3B: Brooks Robinson
SS: Luis Aparicio
LF: Carl Yastrzemski
CF: Paul Blair
RF: Frank Robinson
SP: Jim Palmer
SP: Robin Roberts
SP: Tommy John
SP: Milt Pappas
RP: Hoyt Wilhelm
M:   Paul Richards

 


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Notable Events and Chronology

 

 

Jerry Adair is in the Oklahoma State University record book for having committed four errors in a game, yet he shares the major league record for fewest errors in a season by a second baseman (five, in 1964). He also set marks with 89 consecutive games and 458 chances without an error from July 22, 1964 to May 6, 1965. An average hitter with little power, Adair’s flashy glovework kept him in the big leagues for 13 seasons.

 

Played For
Baltimore Orioles (1958-1966)
Chicago White Sox (1966-1967)
Boston Red Sox (1967-1968)
Kansas City Royals (1969-1970)

Similar: Rich Dauer, Jose Pagan, Gene Alley

Linked: Willy Miranda, Luis Aparicio, Brooks Robinson, Davey Johnson, Bobby Grich and Joe Morgan (with whom he shares fielding records).

Best Season, 1964
Adair committed just five errors (.994) in 153 games at second base. He hit .248 (which was actaully about league-average) with nine homers and 47 RBI from the #8 slot. I’m not sure why he wasn’t awarded the Gold Glove. For some reason Bobby Richardson, who made ten more errors than Adair, and got to far less balls, won the honor. Call it the Yankee bias.

Post-Season Appearances
1967 World Series

Factoid
Adair set marks with 89 consecutive games and 458 chances without an error, from July 22, 1964, to May 6, 1965.

Full Bio
Jerry Adair was a tough cookie. He once played a game with 11 fresh stitches in his mouth. When he came up in the late 1950s with the Orioles he was a shortstop. But he had to battle Willy Miranda and later Chico Carrasquel for playing time in the revolving Orioles’ infield. In 1961 Adair replaced the immortal Marv Breeding at second base for the O’s, forming a youthful DP combination with Ron Hansen. In 1961 and 1962 Adair posted (by far) the two best slugging percentages of his career. Not sure why he never approached them again, but he quickly acquired a reputation as a steady fielder with a light bat. Of course, almost every middle infielder of that era lacked power. After battling injuries in 1963, the next season he had his finest defensive year, setting records for fewest errors and most consecutive chances and games without a miscue. After July 22, 1964, Adair didn’t commit an error. By this time he was part of a very fine defensive infield that included Hall of Famers Luis Aparicio at shortstop and Brooks Robinson at third. In 1965 the O’s seemed poised to break through, led by their defense and pitching. Adair played 157 games, fielded very well, and hit .259 with seven homers and a career-best 66 RBI. But Baltimore finished a distant third despite winning 94 games. The following year they added Frank Robinson and put it all together, winning the World Series. But Adair wasn’t part of the celebration. Manager Hank Bauer decided to go with the younger Davey Johnson at second, as the O’s traded Adair to the White Sox for reliever Eddie Fisher early in the season. Adair bounced around to the Red Sox and Royals, playing in five World Series games for Boston in 1967. After losing his job to Cookie Rojas, Adair retired from major league baseball after the 1970 season, just 33 years old. Prior to his major league career, Adair starred as a jack-of-all-trades for Williston in the Western Canada Baseball League in 1958. Adair led the loop in hitting at .409, tied for the lead in homers with 10, and finished just behind the RBI leader. Also, he was the top fielding shortstop. On the hill, Adair made three starts – all complete game victories. In the playoffs, he was even better. Adair hit .444 in 14 playoff games with four homers and six doubles. In late August, 1958 he helped Williston wrap up the Canadian American League title in the final series over Lloydminster then signed with the Baltimore Orioles and was in the O’s lineup three days later. Adair was also a star on the basketball court at Oklahoma State, where he was the second-leading scorer on the OSU team which reached the 1958 NCAA Midwest Regional final. Adair was one of the starting guards on the ’57 team which defeated #1 ranked Kansas and Wilt Chamberlain in a regular season contest. Jerry Adair died in 1987 at the age of 50.

Where He Played: Second base (810), shortstop (310), third base (46).

Hitting Streaks
16 games (1962)

Transactions
Before 1958 Season: Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent; June 13, 1966: Traded by the Baltimore Orioles with John Riddle (minors) to the Chicago White Sox for Eddie Fisher; June 2, 1967: Traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Boston Red Sox for Don McMahon and Bob Snow (minors); October 15, 1968: Drafted by the Kansas City Royals from the Boston Red Sox as the 51st pick in the 1968 expansion draft; May 12, 1970: Released by the Kansas City Royals.

Data courtesy of Restrosheet.org

Replaced
In 1961, Adair replaced Merv Breeding as starting second baseman for the O’s. The next season, Breeding was back at second and Adair replaced Ron Hansen at shortstop. When the O’s acquired Luis Aparicio for the 1963 season, Adair moved back to second base.

Replaced By
By the time Adair was approaching 30, he was seen as a utility player, who could fill in well at either short or second base. With the White Sox in 1967 he lost the starting shortstop job to, of all people, Ron Hansen, who he had supplanted with the O’s in 1963.

Best Strength as a Player
Defense

Largest Weakness as a Player
Pitch selection and patience at the plate.

Learn More about Jerry Adair
Feats Adair set marks with 89 consecutive games and 458 chances without an error, from July 22, 1964, to May 6, 1965. Uniform #’s #25 (1958), #8 (1959), #7 (1960-1966), #11 (1966-1967 White Sox), #14 (1967 Red Sox-1970) Transaction Data (courtesy Retrosheet.org) Before 1958 Season: Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent; June 13, 1966: Traded by the Baltimore Orioles with John Riddle (minors) to the Chicago White Sox for Eddie Fisher; June 2, 1967: Traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Boston Red Sox for Don McMahon and Bob Snow (minors); October 15, 1968: Drafted by the Kansas City Royals from the Boston Red Sox as the 51st pick in the 1968 expansion draft; May 12, 1970: Released by the Kansas City Royals. Tora! Tora! Tora! Adair went to Japan to play in 1971, one of the first players to pursue a career in the Far East. He hit .300 for Hankyu and returned the next season to coach for the Oakland A’s.

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