Canadian George Selkirk played eight years in the minors before being called upon to replace Babe Ruth as the Yankees’ right fielder in 1935, taking Ruth’s number 3. While he could not come close to Ruth’s home run output (he hit 21 at his best in 1939), he batted better than .300 in five of his first six seasons. He was a valuable part of Joe McCarthy’s dynasty, playing for six Yankee pennant winners and five world champions from 1936 through 1942. In 1936 he was one-third of an all-.300 outfield with Joe DiMaggio and Jake Powell. A patient hitter, four times he drew two walks in an inning, and he walked 103 times in 1939. Selkirk hit five home runs in four consecutive games in 1939, and drove in more than 100 runs in 1936 and 1939.
Selkirk was given the nickname Twinkletoes by his teammates at Newark (International League) because he ran with his weight on the balls of his feet. He served in the WWII Navy, managed in the minors, and was a minor league coordinator for the A’s and Orioles. In 1962 he became the Senators’ GM, and later added the title of vice-president. He returned to the Yankees as a scout in 1970.
