Billy North

Center fielder

Born: May 15, 1948 (age 68)
Seattle, Washington

Batted: Switch

Threw: Right

MLB debut

September 3, 1971, for the Chicago Cubs

Last MLB appearance

June 11, 1981, for the San Francisco Giants

MLB statistics

.261

230

395

Teams

Career highlights and awards

World Series champion (1973, 1974)
2× AL stolen base leader (1974, 1976)

William Alex North (born May 15, 1948) is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1971 to 1981, he played for the Chicago Cubs (1971–72), Oakland Athletics (1973–78), Los Angeles Dodgers (1978) and San Francisco Giants (1979–81). He was a switch hitter and threw right-handed.

In an 11-year career, North compiled a career batting average of .261 with 20 home runs and 230 runs batted in. One of the fastest men in the game, he also recorded 395 stolen bases.

In 1969 North was drafted by the Cubs in the 12th round of the amateur draft. The speedy outfielder was traded to the Athletics after the 1972 season and started in center field on Oakland's 1973 World Series champions. Batting leadoff, he posted career highs in batting average (.285) and runs scored (98). However, on September 20, in a loss to the Minnesota Twins, North tripped over first base; the resulting ankle sprain not only cost him the American League stolen base title (his 53 steals placed him second, only one behind Tommy Harper), it also sidelined him for the remainder of the season and cost him the chance to play in the post-season.

In 1974 North did lead the league in steals, with 54, on an Athletics team that won its third consecutive World Series title. He was also involved in a not-so-memorable moment on June 5 of that season. He and Reggie Jackson engaged in a clubhouse fight at Detroit's Tiger Stadium that resulted in Jackson injuring his shoulder. Ray Fosse, attempting to separate the combatants, suffered a crushed disk in his neck, costing him the next three months on the disabled list.

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