Johnny Lindell

John Harlan Lindell (1916-1985) was an outfielder and pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1941 to 1950 and again in 1953 and 1954 for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Originally a pitcher, he converted to the outfield as World War II thinned the Yankees' roster and became an everyday player, earning an All-Star selection in 1943 while leading the American League in triples. His most productive season came in 1944, when he again led the league in triples along with extra-base hits and total bases, batting .300 with 18 home runs and 103 runs batted in. In the 1947 World Series he batted .500 and led the Yankees with 7 runs batted in as they defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games. Over a twelve-year major league career he appeared in 854 games with 762 hits in 2,795 at bats, a .273 batting average, 72 home runs, 404 runs batted in, and a .344 on-base percentage. Late in his career he returned to pitching.