Cavaretta, Philip J.
Baseball
b. July 19, 1916, Chicago, IL
A great favorite with his hometown fans, Cavaretta joined the Chicago Cubs near the end of the 1934 season and became the team's starting first baseman the following year. He led the NL with 197 hits in 1944 and in hitting with a .355 average in 1945, when he was named the league's most valuable player.
The Cubs won the pennant that year and Cavaretta hit .423, with 7 runs scored and 5 RBI, in the World Series, but the Detroit Tigers beat his team in seven games.
Cavaretta remained with the Cubs through 1953, becoming the team's playing manager during the 1951 season. After compiling a 169-213 record, he was let go by the Cubs and he spent two final seasons as a part-time player across town with the White Sox.
In 22 seasons, Cavaretta had a .293 batting average on 1,977 hits, including 347 doubles, 99 triples, and 95 home runs. He scored 990 runs and drove in 920.