Gordon Nell (August 17, 1907 – May 22, 1986) was a minor league baseball player who hit over 350 career home runs. He won five home run titles and a

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...

. He was born in

Hollis, Oklahoma Hollis is a city in and the county seat of Harmon County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,060 at the 2010 census. History The city was named for George W. Hollis, a local businessman and member of the townsite committee that laid ...

. His professional career began in either 1929 or 1930, when he played for the

Joplin Miners The Joplin Miners was the primary name of the minor league baseball team in Joplin, Missouri that played for 49 seasons between 1901 and 1954. Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees Mickey Mantle and Whitey Herzog played for Joplin. Professional baseba ...

and

Muskogee Chiefs Muskogee or Muscogee can refer to: *Muscogee, or Muscogee Creek, a Native American people of the southeastern woodlands *Muscogee (Creek) Nation, a federally recognized Muscogee tribe in Oklahoma *Muscogee language, a language spoken by some Muscog ...

; he led the

Western Association The Western Association was the name of five different leagues formed in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries. The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western ...

with 27 home runs and also hit .351 with 107 runs scored. He hit 38 home runs with the Chiefs in 1931, again leading the league in homers. He also hit a home run in a brief stay with the

Minneapolis Millers The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League. The team played first in ...

. After hitting 23 home runs between 1932 and 1933, Nell left professional baseball, not playing from 1934 to 1938. In 1939, the outfielder returned, playing for the

Pampa Oilers The Pampa Oilers were a West Texas–New Mexico League (1940–1942, 1946–1955) and Southwestern League (1956–1957) minor league baseball team based in Pampa, Texas, USA. They were affiliated with the Oklahoma City Indians in 1953 an ...

of the

West Texas–New Mexico League The West Texas–New Mexico League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1937 through 1955, with a hiatus from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. The league started as a Class D level league, upgraded to Class C in 1946 and then ...

. He would spend most of the rest of his career in the WTNML. In his first year back, he hit .392 with 44 home runs, 60 doubles, 207 hits, a .786 slugging percentage and 415 total bases in 135 games. He led the league in hits, doubles, home runs, runs scored (152), RBI (189), total bases and slugging percentage and he tied

Sammy Hale Samuel Douglas Hale (September 10, 1896 – September 6, 1974) was an American baseball player and manager. He played professional baseball from 1917 to 1941, including 10 years in Major League Baseball as a third baseman for the Detroit Tigers ( ...

for the league lead in batting average to win the Triple Crown. His hitting was so prodigious that he was considered the "bane of pitchers the league over" and "one of the most feared hitters in the country." Joining the

Borger Gassers The Borger Gassers were a minor league baseball team that operated in the West Texas–New Mexico League 1937 through 1954 with a break from 1943 to 1945 due to World War II. Borger Gassers disbanded on July 16, 1954. Players Pitchers *Willi ...

in 1940, Nell hit .389 with 40 home runs, 48 doubles, 15 triples, 206 hits, a .764 slugging percentage and 404

total bases In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run. For example, three singles is three total bases, while ...

. He won another home run title, led the league in RBI (175), total bases and slugging and — after taking over for

Pete Susko Peter John Susko (July 2, 1904 – May 22, 1978) was a professional baseball player. He was a first baseman for one season (1934) with the Washington Senators. For his career, he compiled a .286 batting average and two home runs in 224 at-bat ...

as team manager partway through the season — led the team to a league championship victory. Back with Borger in 1941, Nell hit .316 with 28 home runs in 121 games, winning another home run title. He again served as the club's manager. After not playing in 1942, 1943 and 1945 — and making only a handful of appearances in 1944 — Nell returned to Borger in 1946 and played for them until the end of his career in 1949. In 1946, the 38-year-old hit .335 with 43 home runs, 47 doubles, a .660 slugging mark and 374 total bases in 136 games to lead the league in doubles, RBI (175) and total bases. In 1947, Nell hit .344 with 49 home runs, 173 RBI and a .710 slugging percentage and was also the team manager; the next year, he hit .357 with 37 home runs, 48 doubles, 164 RBI, 133 runs scored and a .674 slugging percentage. At 41 years old, the slugger played his final season in 1949, hitting .319 with 29 home runs and 39 doubles. Overall, Nell hit around .335 with 359 home runs, 403 doubles, 1,416 RBI, 1,183 runs, 1,803 hits and a .635 slugging percentage in his 12-year career. He died in

Borger, Texas Borger ( ) is the largest city in Hutchinson County, Texas, United States. The population was 12,551 at the 2020 census. Borger is named for businessman Asa Philip "Ace" Borger, who also established the Hutchinson County seat of Stinnett ...

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nell, Gordon 1907 births 1986 deaths Joplin Miners players Muskogee Chiefs players Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players Hutchinson Wheat Shockers players Topeka Jayhawks players Des Moines Demons players Waco Cubs players Pine Bluff Judges players Oklahoma City Indians players Pampa Oilers players Borger Gassers players Little Rock Travelers players Minor league baseball managers Baseball outfielders Baseball players from Oklahoma