George Altman

George Lee Altman (March 20, 1933 – November 24, 2025) was an American professional baseball outfielder who had a lengthy career in both Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball. A three-time National League (NL) All-Star, he appeared in 991 games over nine full seasons in the major leagues. Then, at age 35, he began an eight-year tenure in Japanese baseball, where he would hit 205 home runs and bat .309 with 985 hits.

Altman batted left-handed and threw right-handed; he was listed as tall and . He attended Dillard High School in Goldsboro, where he was captain of the school's basketball team (1950–51), and was a sharpshooting center. He worked in tobacco fields as a youth. As a high school sophomore Altman decided to get serious about his studies so he could go to college, and not be limited to a future of either working in the tobacco fields or a factory in his hometown.

An assistant athletics coach at Altman's high school recommended he attend Tennessee State University (then known as Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial College), a historically black college (HBCU) in Nashville, where he played baseball and basketball, graduating with honors in 1955. He achieved honor roll status and was a member of the sports fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha. became the team's coach.

Altman began playing baseball at Tennessee State in his junior year. Among his teammates was future major league player Fred Valentine. In addition to competing against other college teams, they played against Army base teams and Negro League teams. the Monarchs player-manager who later became a Cubs scout in 1956. He made the Cubs' roster in after two years in the minor leagues (all of 1956 and part of 1958 Altman would also play winter ball in Cuba during his career. including on Opening Day, when he went two for three against Don Drysdale in a 6–1 Chicago victory. He batted only .245 as a rookie, but had 12 home runs, 47 runs batted in (RBI), and 54 runs scored, and was selected the team's rookie-of-the-year by the city's sportswriters. Altman's first major league hitting coach was Rogers Hornsby, who has the second highest lifetime batting average in MLB history, and who helped Altman as a hitter. In his first All-Star at bat, during that season's first midsummer classic at Candlestick Park on July 11, Altman hit a pinch hit home run off Mike Fornieles in the eighth inning. Altman was familiar with Fornieles as they had played against each other in Cuban winter league baseball. The National League ultimately prevailed in the wind-blown contest, 5–4 (in which the winning pitcher Stu Miller was literally blown off the mound while pitching).

For the year, Altman batted .303 in 138 games, smashed 27 home runs, and led the National League in triples with 12. He was in the NL top-ten hitters for home runs, batting average, slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging (OPS), total bases and RBIs. He won player of the month honors over Willie Mays, during a period in which he had hits in 26 of 30 games played.

He followed his 1961 season with another strong showing in . Once again making the All-Star team for that year's second game, Altman set personal bests in games played (147), hits (170), batting average (.318) and stolen bases (19). He also slugged 22 homers,

But the Cubs suffered through an embarrassing, ninth-place season, losing over 100 games. In the 1962–1963 offseason, Altman became a major piece in a six-player trade with the St. Louis Cardinals that brought pitchers Larry Jackson and Lindy McDaniel to Chicago. It was considered a big trade, as the Cubs were giving up their best hitter to bolster their pitching. However, Altman would not again reach the hitting prowess he achieved in 1961–62.

St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Cubs Altman became the Cardinals' starting right fielder and played a role in a pennant race that saw the Redbirds challenge the eventual world champion Los Angeles Dodgers into late September before a six-game losing streak from September 16–24 took them from one game out of first place to 6.5 games back, and doomed their chances. They finished in second place, six games behind the Dodgers. Altman started 111 games in right field, and Charlie James (21 starts).

But Altman's production declined, as he was platooned and started only against right-handed pitching; his average fell 44 points to .274, and he hit only nine home runs.

Again, he was traded in the off-season, sent to the last-place New York Mets

In Japan Altman's revival at Tacoma served him well the following season, when he began his career in Japanese baseball. He played from through for the Tokyo/Lotte Orions of the Japan Pacific League (1968–74) and the Hanshin Tigers of the Japan Central League (1975), and enjoyed seasons of 39, 34 and 30 home runs—and four more years with 20 or more home runs—and batted over .300 six times. Highlights from his NPB career included leading the Pacific League in hits (170), runs (84), and RBIs (100) in 1968; and being named to the "Best Nine" Pacific League team in 1968, 1970, and 1971. He credited martial arts training for baseball success in Japan.

MLB totals In his nine-year major league career with the Cubs, Cardinals and Mets, Altman batted .269; his 832 hits included 132 doubles, 34 triples, and 101 home runs. He had 403 RBIs in 991 games played. He recorded a .981 fielding percentage playing at all three outfield positions and first base. and three-time All-Star Felipe Alou, to hit two home runs in a game against Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax. In 1961, he was inducted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. In 1983, he was inducted into the Tennessee State University Hall of Fame.

Altman believed his career was diminished by injury, saying "I could have had a much better career if I didn’t get hurt. At that time, there were no trainers or agents to look out for you". He played hurt instead of resting in the Major Leagues because that was the expectation of his managers at the time. He was healthiest when he played in Japan because of a superior training regimen.

Altman retired with his wife Etta to O'Fallon, Missouri, near the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association Hall of Fame and Museum. He became involved with horseshoe competitions, and was on a team that won a nationally sanctioned event in 2012.

Altman died in O'Fallon on November 24, 2025, at the age of 92.