WILLIAM FRANKLIN “BIRDIE” CREE
2011 – BASEBALL – ATHLETE OF DISTINCTION
William Franklin “Birdie” Cree
Khedive, PA
Southwest State (California, PA) Normal School
Athlete of Distinction – Baseball
• Offered a football scholarship to play football at Penn State in 1904 but an injury cut his football career short
• Playing baseball at Penn State, he hit for the cycle in his first game and picked up the nickname, “Birdie”
• After semi-pro ball, Cree was acquired by the New York Highlanders, later the New York Yankees, playing from 1908 – 1915
• His best season was in 1911 when he led the team in almost every statistical category
• Ranked in the top five in the American League in batting average, slugging, total bases, triples, stolen bases and extra base hits
• Finished 6th in the voting for American League MVP in 1911
• Cree had a fielding average of .988 in 1913