{{Short description|American baseball player (1911–1980)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{More citations needed|date=January 2021}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Don Padgett | image = Don Padgett Cardinals.jpg | position = [[Catcher]] | birth_date = {{Birth date|1911|12|5}} | birth_place = [[Caroleen, North Carolina]], U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1980|12|9|1911|12|5}} | death_place = [[High Point, North Carolina]], U.S. | bats =Left | throws = Right |debutleague = MLB | debutdate =April 23 | debutyear =1937 | debutteam =St. Louis Cardinals |finalleague = MLB | finaldate =September 12 | finalyear =1948 | finalteam =Philadelphia Phillies |statleague = MLB | stat1label = [[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]] | stat1value =.288 | stat2label =[[Home run]]s | stat2value =37 | stat3label =[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]] | stat3value =338 | teams = *[[St. Louis Cardinals]] (1937–1941) *[[Brooklyn Dodgers]] (1946) *[[Boston Braves (baseball)|Boston Braves]] (1946) *[[Philadelphia Phillies]] (1947–1948) }}'''Don Wilson Padgett''' (December 5, 1911 – December 9, 1980) was an American professional [[baseball]] player, a [[catcher]]/[[outfielder]] for the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] (1937–41), [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] (1946), [[Boston Braves (baseball)|Boston Braves]] (1946) and [[Philadelphia Phillies]] (1947–48). Padgett, born in [[Rutherford County, North Carolina|Caroleen, North Carolina]], batted left-handed, threw right-handed, stood {{convert|6|ft}} tall and weighed {{convert|190|lb}}. He attended [[Lenoir-Rhyne College]].
Padgett's professional career stretched from 1935 through 1951. From 1942 to 1945 Padgett served in the [[United States Navy]]<ref>[http://baseballinwartime.com/those_who_served/those_who_served_atoz.htm Baseball in Wartime]</ref> during World War II.<ref>{{cite book|title=The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia|year=2007|publisher=Sterling Publishing|isbn=978-1-4027-4771-7|pages=799}}</ref>
In {{baseball year|1939}}, Padgett — while serving as backup catcher to Cardinals receiver [[Mickey Owen]] — [[batting average (baseball)|batted]] a lofty .399 in 92 [[games played]], 257 [[plate appearance]]s and 233 [[at bats]], but did not qualify for the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] batting championship. All told, in eight Major League seasons he played in 699 games and had 1,991 At Bats, 247 Runs, 573 Hits, 111 Doubles, 16 Triples, 37 Home Runs, 338 RBI, 6 Stolen Bases, 141 Walks, .288 Batting Average, .336 On-base percentage, .415 Slugging Percentage, 827 Total Bases and 10 Sacrifice Hits.
Padgett died in [[High Point, North Carolina]], four days after his 69th birthday.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== {{Baseballstats|br=p/padgedo01|brm=padget001don}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Padgett, Don}} [[Category:1911 births]] [[Category:1980 deaths]] [[Category:Baseball players from Rutherford County, North Carolina]] [[Category:Boston Braves players]] [[Category:Brooklyn Dodgers players]] [[Category:Columbus Red Birds players]] [[Category:Houston Buffaloes players]] [[Category:Major League Baseball catchers]] [[Category:Major League Baseball right fielders]] [[Category:Minor league baseball managers]] [[Category:Oakland Oaks (baseball) players]] [[Category:People from Caroleen, North Carolina]] [[Category:Philadelphia Phillies players]] [[Category:St. Louis Cardinals players]] [[Category:Salisbury Pirates players]] [[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]] [[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]