Sammy Byrd

Samuel Dewey Byrd (October 15, 1906 – May 11, 1981) was an American professional baseball player and professional golfer. He went by both "Sammy" and "Sam".

Byrd was born in Bremen, Georgia but grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. He played Major League Baseball from by|1929 to by|1936 for the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds. Byrd's nickname was "Babe Ruth's Legs", a reference to the fact that he often would appear as a pinch runner at the end of games toward the latter part of Ruth's career.

In 1936, Byrd quit baseball to pursue a career in professional golf. He won six events on the PGA Tour between 1942 and 1946. He lost the final of the 1945 PGA Championship to Byron Nelson, 4&3, in match play.

Byrd was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1974. He died in Mesa, Arizona in 1981 at the age of 74.

PGA Tour wins (6)

*1942 (1) Greater Greensboro Open
*1943 (1) Chicago Victory National Open
*1944 (2) New Orleans Open, Philadelphia Inquirer Open Invitational
*1945 (2) Texas Open, Azalea Open

Other wins (5)

"this list is probably incomplete"
*1939 Philadelphia Open Championship
*1942 Pennsylvania Open Championship
*1944 Michigan Open, Michigan PGA Championship
*1945 Michigan PGA Championship

ee also

*Golfers with most PGA Tour wins

External links

* [http://www.usga.org/aboutus/museum/collection/photo_essays/baseball/baseball_essay.html Diamond Heroes On The Links]
* [http://www.golfdigest.com/newsandtour/index.ssf?/newsandtour/gw20041015strege.html Baseball and Golf]
* [http://www.golfspan.com/instructors/jballard/philosophy.asp Baseball-Golf Connection]
* [http://www.ashof.org/index.php?src=directory&view=company&srctype=display&back=company&id=126&pos=30,15,248&PHPSESSID=3c0f7effa4ee96e1e00ccd9a3c58a912 Profile at Alabama Sports Hall of Fame]