Tommy Holmes

Thomas Francis Holmes (March 29, 1917 – April 14, 2008) was a left-handed outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball who spent nearly his entire career with the Boston Braves. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Holmes attended Brooklyn Technical High School before signing with the New York Yankees, where he posted three consecutive .300-plus seasons with the Newark Bears farm club but could not crack an outfield that included Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Henrich, and Charlie Keller. Traded to Boston in February 1942, he hit over .300 each year from 1944 through 1948, reaching a career-high .352 in 1945 when he finished second in the National League batting race and as NL MVP runner-up. He finished with a .302 lifetime average.