 |
WOODIE HELD (AP/File 1962) |
Woodie Held, 77, ex-MLB infielder
Associated Press
/
June 17, 2009
- |
CLEVELAND - Woodie Held, who played 14 years in the Major Leagues and was traded for future home run king Roger Maris, died Thursday in Dubois, Wyo., after a long bout with cancer. He was 77.
Mr. Held played for seven American League teams and was with the 1966 World Series champion Baltimore Orioles.
He spent the majority of his career with the Cleveland Indians after being acquired in 1958 from the Kansas City Athletics in a multiplayer trade for Maris. A year later, Maris was sent in another big trade to the New York Yankees, the team that originally signed Mr. Held and brought him to the major leagues in the early 1950s.
Mr. Held was picked for the Indians’ All-Time Top 100 roster in 2001 as a shortstop. His best season was his first full year in Cleveland, when he set career highs in homers (29), runs (82), and RBIs (71).
He also played second and third base and in the outfield. He played briefly with the Washington Senators, California Angels, and Chicago White Sox.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
