30 Facts About Del Ennis

Delmer Ennis was an American professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball from 1946 to 1959 for the Philadelphia Phillies, St Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago White Sox.

In 1950, Ennis led the NL with 126 RBI as the Phillies won their first pennant in 35 years.

Del Ennis held the Phillies career record of 259 home runs from 1956 to 1980, and ranked 10th in National League history with 1,824 games in the outfield, when his career ended.

Del Ennis played baseball and football at Olney High School and was mentioned as an all-state fullback.

When Del Ennis hit two long home runs, Collins tried to recruit him but Del Ennis was hesitant, worried that he was not ready, and unsure that he wanted to pursue a baseball career.

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Del Ennis saw military action in the Pacific Theater and toured with a baseball team that included Billy Herman, Johnny Vander Meer and Schoolboy Rowe.

Del Ennis joined the United States Navy on September 29,1943, and was assigned to Sampson Naval Training Station, New York where he graduated as a signalman from "A" school at Sampson and then posted to the Hawaiian Sea Frontier.

Del Ennis looked very good at the plate in the few exhibition games which immediately preceded the tours.

Del Ennis's slugging prompted Dan Topping, new owner of the New York Yankees and a fellow serviceman at Pearl Harbor, to offer him $25,000 to sign with the Yanks.

Del Ennis did not make it back to the States as soon as some of the others because he did not have enough points built up.

Del Ennis finally returned stateside through San Diego on the USS Wakefield.

Del Ennis was discharged from the Navy on April 5,1946, and joined the major league Phillies about a week later.

Chapman gave Del Ennis the starting job in left field, a weak spot in the Phillies lineup.

Del Ennis singled with the bases loaded to drive in two runs in the first inning against the Cardinals and the Phillies won.

Eleven weeks after his debut, Del Ennis became the first Phillies rookie to make an All-Star team on the strength of a strong throwing arm and lively bat.

Del Ennis became the first ever Sporting News Rookie Award winner, and finished eighth in the Most Valuable Player Award voting after batting.

Del Ennis showed his power in 1948, driving in 95 runs with 30 home runs – a Phillies record for right-handed hitters, breaking Gavvy Cravath's 1915 total of 24.

Del Ennis placed fourth in the Most Valuable Player Award voting, won by teammate Jim Konstanty.

From 1952 to 1955, Del Ennis collected four 20+ home run, 100+ RBI seasons, with highs of 29 and 125 in 1953.

Del Ennis was named to three All-Star games, in 1946,1951 and 1955.

Del Ennis was presented with gifts including a Cadillac, TV, air conditioner, freezer, diamond ring, and fishing outfit.

Del Ennis came to bat in the last of the eighth inning with the score still tied and two outs.

Del Ennis' career ended with a mid-season release by the White Sox in 1959, after having been acquired from Cincinnati during the first week of the 1959 season.

On May 1, he was traded to the White Sox, helmed by Al Lopez, where Del Ennis became the starting left fielder throughout May into early June 1959.

Del Ennis had four game-winning hits in six games in early 1959 and the White Sox went on to win the AL pennant.

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However, Del Ennis was not with the team that played the Dodgers in the 1959 World Series, although he was voted a one-fourth WS share after it.

Del Ennis spent a year coaching baseball at Penn State University's Abington Campus.

Del Ennis remembered his 1950 Phillies days in his sports enterprise, calling three dogs scheduled to run in Florida racetracks Whiz Kids Ennis, Whiz Kids Ashburn and Whiz Kids Roberts.

Del Ennis popped up with the bases loaded sending Cardinals Manager Fred Hutchinson into a slow burn.

Del Ennis died in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, at 70 years of age from complications of diabetes.