JOE JUDGE

Small for a first baseman at five eight and a half and weighing under 160 pounds, Judge set fielding standards with graceful sure-handedness. His career began in the dead ball era, starting in 1915 with the Washington Senators and spanned the 1920's and early 1930's. His final season pulled his career average down to .298 despite nine times topping the .300 mark. However, he was most approved for his deft work in the field. He still holds the AL record of leading first basemen in fielding six times and left a .993 average for seasons when modern "fish nets" were banned. A lefthanded thrower and batter, Judge was a perennial Washington favorite. In 1924 he formed a defensive unit with Bucky Harris at second, MVP Roger Peckinpaugh at short and Ossie Bluege at third which is thought by many baseball people to be the best infield ever put together.

Judge was Walter Johnson's roommate during The Big Train's final seven seasons. Judge virtually ended Johnson's career in spring training, 1927 when a batting practice line drive broke his ankle. Brooklyn-born Joe Judge coached Georgetown University's baseball team from 1937 to 1958, except for two WW II years when he coached the Senators.