Tom Oliver

Who was Tom Oliver?

Thomas Noble Oliver was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1930 through 1933 for the Boston Red Sox. Listed at 6 ft 0 in, 168 lb, Oliver batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama.

Oliver was a slap hitter who rarely tried to drive the ball. As an outfielder, his arm and speed were already well above average, while his graceful style prompted baseball historian Fred Lieb to compare him to Joe DiMaggio and Tris Speaker.

In his rookie season for Boston, Oliver led the American League in games played, outs and at-bats, while hitting a career-high .293 and leading his team in runs, hits and singles. He enjoyed another good season in 1931, when he hit .276 and posted career-numbers in doubles and RBI. He also led his team in singles, triples and outs, and was considered in the American League MVP vote. The next two years he shared duties at center field with Dusty Cooke and Carl Reynolds.

In a four-season career, Oliver was a .277 hitter with 202 runs and 176 RBI in 514 games, including 191 doubles, 11 triples, 12 stolen bases, and a .316 on-base percentage without home runs.