Debs Garms

Debs C. Garms
(Tex)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 8½", Weight 165 lb.
• School Howard Payne College
• Debut August 10, 1932
• Final Game September 25, 1945
• Born June 26, 1907 in Bangs, TX USA
• Died December 16, 1984 in Glen Rose, TX USA

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Biographical Information

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Debs Garms was the first player to get a hit off Johnny Vander Meer after he threw 21 2/3 consecutive innings of no-hit baseball; this included his back-to-back complete game no-hitters. The hit came on June 19, 1938 while Garms was playing for the Boston Bees. Garms played twelve years in the majors, appearing in two World Series and winning the 1940 National League batting championship.

His real first name was Debs (after Eugene Victor Debs, a prominent socialist leader of the day), and he was from Texas - hence his nickname "Tex". After college at Howard Payne College from 1926-1928, he made his minor league debut in 1928 with the Abilene Aces, hitting .317. Through 1932 he always hit near or over .300, and in 1932 he hit .344 in the Texas League, getting him his major league debut in August 1932.

Garms spent 1932-1935 with the St. Louis Browns, but didn't last long in 1935 under manager Rogers Hornsby. Garms spent most of 1935 and 1936 back in the minors with the San Antonio Missions, and after his 1936 season was drafted away from the Browns organization.

He spent 1937-1939 with Boston (managed in 1938 and 1939 by Casey Stengel) and was then sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates, for whom he won the batting championship while getting 385 at-bats in 1940. After a less-impressive 1941 season, he spent 1942 in the minors with the Sacramento Solons, hitting .314. Before the 1945 season, the major leagues adopted a rule that a batter needed at least 400 at-bats to qualify for the batting title, in large part due to the enduring controversy surrounding Garms' 1940 championship.

Garms was with the St. Louis Cardinals for 1943 to 1945 and had a strong final major league season in 1945, hitting .336 in 180 at-bats at age 38. He spent 1946 with the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League.

His older sister married Slim Harriss, who attended Howard Payne College Academy, the high school associated with Howard Payne College. After baseball he ran a farm, worked at a quarry, and served on a school board.

Notable Achievements

• NL Batting Average Leader (1940)
• Won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1944

Related Sites

• Debs Garms at the SABR Bio Project
• Debs Garms