Billy Purtell

William Patrick Purtell (January 6, 1886 – March 17, 1962) was an American professional baseball infielder. He played for 19 seasons between 1904 and 1928, including five seasons in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox from 1908 to 1910, Boston Red Sox from 1910 to 1911, and Detroit Tigers in 1914. Purtell compiled a .227 batting average in 335 major league games.

Early years Purtell was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886. His father Patrick Purtell (born 1849), aka Pere Purtell, was an Irish immigrant who played professional baseball in the late 1860s and early 1870s and later worked as a foreman in a cracker bakery in Columbus.

Professional baseball Minor leagues Purtell began playing professional baseball in 1904 at age 18 with the Columbus Senators and Decatur Commodores. He spent the next three seasons from 1905 to 1907, playing for Decatur.

Chicago and Boston Purtell made his major league debut in April 1908 with the Chicago White Sox. He appeared in only 28 games with Chicago in 1908, compiling a .130 batting average. He remained with the White Sox in 1909, appearing in 103 games and batting .258. On August 9, 1910, Purtell was traded by the Chicago White Sox with Frank Smith to the Boston Red Sox for Harry Lord and Amby McConnell. During the full 1910 season, Purtell appeared in 151 games, 143 as a third baseman. He also led the American League in assists (320) and errors (49) by a third baseman in 1910. He also ranked third in the league with 32 sacrifice hits. He compiled a .210 batting average and collected 51 RBIs in 1910.

Later years After retiring from baseball, Purtell worked as a grip in a motion picture studio in 1920, a bartender at a club in 1930, and later a landscape engineer. Purtell died in 1962 at age 76 at a rest home in Bradenton. He was buried at Mansion Memorial Park in Ellenton, Florida.