WILLIAM FRANKLIN “BIRDIE” CREE

Published by washgreenesportshall on June 30, 2020June 30, 2020

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

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