Player Profile: Earl Battey

Name:	Earl Jesse Battey
Catcher; Right-handed batter
Lived:	1935 - 2003
Career span:	1955 - 1967
Hall of Fame?	No
Primary teams:	Minnesota Twins (1961 - 1967)
Best Year:	1963 - .285, 26 HR, 84 RBI
Major awards:	Four time All Star (1962,63,65,66)

Player notes: Battey was an outstanding defensive catcher, winning three consecutive Gold Gloves from 1960-1962. He was known for playing through injuries, and contributed with his bat as well as his glove. He was a key player on the fine Twins teams of the mid-sixties, including their first AL Champions in 1965.

Battey was highly popular with the teammates and the fans of the Minnesota Twins. Harmon Killebrew had this to say upon his death: "I think he was the greatest catcher I ever played with. Earl was just a peach of a guy. He kept everyone loose, a big storyteller. He was great with people. We're really going to miss him."

Additional Fan comments:

I am now 55/mother/married.  When I was 12 years old and was in Minneapolis, Minnesota having surgery for scoliosis--at that time surgery left you bed bound for 3 months.  

My mom was there with me. We had left our family to correct a crack in my spine. Because of my age the surgery had to be done immediately and so my family did not have the money to relocate or even cover simple expenses. There were 7 children.  But my family sacrificed and my Mom went with me to stay and take care of me. (My mom wanted me to be able to live a normal life and not look like the "Hunchback of Notre Dame".)

Mr. Earl Battey gave my mom a car to drive home to Iowa and see my siblings and my father--her husband-- for no cost.

I see that I am a year too late to say thank-you.

I was contacting him because I am opening a faith-based-licensed substance abuse treatment center with the focus for minorities and wanted to name a section in his name.  (We are starting out small but the dynamics and minority--professionals--here in Iowa-- he would have been proud of that investment on what I have become and my children--he gave my mother a peace of mine--which helped me more than he could realize.  I missed my family.  Worried about my mother worrying about my family at home.  

My first week resulted in many complications. I was suppose to be paralyzed on my left side. Bad news in hopes of giving me a normal life.

Mom went home the 3rd week.  She came back happy.  Peace of mine.  So, I tried extra hard to now make my mom feel good and go home--where I walked within the next 3 weeks instead of the 3 months.  I was suppose to be bed bound.  But I would get out of bed without nurses and doctors around and began to walk  not knowing I could have (based on medical research) been more damaged worse)

But, the strength of my mom and family and an unknown (to me a star) Mr. Earl Battey, who cared for people of his color helped me not knowing the dynamics of his contribution.

This acknowledgement was my simple way of saying thank-you and recognizing an African American male who went out of his way to help "one of his own".  He did not forget where he came from.

-- Ruby