Coaker Triplett

Herman Coaker Triplett

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 185 lb.
• School Appalachian State Teachers College
• Debut April 19, 1938
• Final Game September 30, 1945
• Born December 18, 1911 in Boone, NC USA
• Died January 30, 1992 in Boone, NC USA

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Biographical Information

Coaker Triplett played six seasons as an outfielder in the major leagues, primarily during the war years of World War II. He also had a successful post-war set of seasons with the Buffalo Bisons.

Triplett was born and died in Boone, NC, and also went to college in Boone at Appalachian State University.

He broke into the majors at the age of 26 with the pennant-winning Chicago Cubs for 12 games in 1938. He did not appear in the 1938 World Series.

His next stint in the majors was with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1941, 1942, and a few games in 1943. He played outfield and pinch-hit, with an average of .286 in 1941 and .273 in 1942. Stan Musial was a 20-year-old rookie in 1941 also trying to get playing time in the outfield. He was a member of St. Louis's World Series winning team in 1942, but was not used in the post-season.

At the start of June 1943, Triplett went to the Philadelphia Phillies in a trade involving Danny Litwhiler. It was to be Triplett's greatest year, as he got 360 at-bats during the rest of the year, and ended up fourth in the league in home runs and fifth in the league in slugging percentage. Both his batting average and his power dropped in 1944 and 1945. Like many other player from the war-time era, 1945 was his last season in the big leagues.

He played with the Buffalo Bisons in 1946, hitting .306. In 1947, he hit .315. In 1948, he was the batting champ in the International League, hitting .353 for Buffalo. He continued to play with Buffalo in 1949, hitting 22 home runs. In 1950, he hit .337 in 76 games with the Bisons. In 1951, Triplett replaced Specs Toporcer as Buffalo's manager in the middle of the season, as Toporcer's eyesight had declined.

His brother Hooper Triplett played in the minor leagues.

Notable Achievements

• Won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1942 (he did not play in the World Series)