LeGrant Scott

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LeGrant Edward Scott (born July 25, 1910 in Cleveland, Ohio; died November 12, 1993 in Birmingham) was an outfielder for the 1939 Philadelphia Phillies and a professional manager and scout. He graduated from the University of Alabama and still holds a Birmingham Barons record with four doubles in a game.

Scott tried out for a club in Erie, Ohio out of high school, but wasn't offered. Instead he moved south and played as a left-handed pitcher for the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team from 1931 to 1934. He made his professional debut with the Birmingham Barons of the Southern Association in June following his graduation. He went 4-4 as a pitcher with a 3.47 ERA over 22 appearances, but only batted .159 that season with 7 hits in 44 at bats. He improved his hitting greatly with the 1935 team. He was moved to the outfield after starting 1-3 from the mound and finished as a .314 hitter with 144 hits in 446 at bats and three home runs. He remained strong in 1936, hitting .318 with 176 hits in 554 at bats and 12 home runs. In 1937 he dropped to .273 at the plate, but still knocked 10 home runs. Midway through the 1938 season he was given a trial by the Indianapolis Indians, the American Association affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.

At the suggestion of manager Doc Prothro, who had managed against Scott while he was with Little Rock, the Phillies drafted him in 1939 and even put him in the cleanup spot for his first start. He spent one season in Philadelphia, batting .281 with 65 hits and 31 runs in 232 at bats. He batted in 25 runs and stole 5 bases and committed 5 errors in 467 innings in the outfield.

In 1940 Scott returned to Birmingham and started off strong with a .484 average in 14 games before he was called back up to Indianapolis. He hit .303 over the rest of the season in the American Association. He started with the Indians in 1941 and was hitting .264 before he was sent to the Rochester Red Wings of the International League. He also played that season with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the same league.

Scott signed with the Atlanta Crackers in 1942, but did not play during World War II. He made his debut for Atlanta in 1945 and batted .389 through 54 at bats, but was not kept for the 1946 season. Instead he spent the next three years with the Waycross Bears of the Class D Georgia-Florida League. He took over as manager of the Bears in 1946 and also returned to the mound four times that year, recording one win as a pitcher. Scott continued managing the team in 1947 after he stopped playing. In 1948 he managed the Americus Phillies in the same league.

Scott's son, Legrant Jr, also played for the Barons in the 1960s, and also holds a current team record, having been walked 123 times in the 1961 season.

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