Introduction
Clifton Earl Heathcote (January 24, 1898 – January 18, 1939) was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1918–1922), Chicago Cubs (1922–1930), Cincinnati Reds (1931–1932) and Philadelphia Phillies (1932). Heathcote batted and threw left-handed. He was born in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania.
In a 15-season career, Heathcote posted a .275 batting average with 42 home runs, 448 RBI, and 191 stolen bases in 1415 games played.
Heathcote died in York, Pennsylvania, at age 40 from a pulmonary embolism.
Between-games trade
Heathcote is remembered, along with Max Flack, for being half of a unique player swap. On May 30, 1922, the Cardinals were playing a Memorial Day doubleheader at Cubs Park. Between games, Heathcote was traded for Flack. Both men appeared in both games that day.
Best season
- 1926: 10 HR, 98 runs, 141 hits, and 33 doubles in 139 games – all career-highs.
Highlights
- Hit for the cycle (July 13, 1918)
- Set a modern National League record by reaching base seven times in a nine-inning game (August 25, 1922)
- Appeared as the center fielder for the Chicago Cubs on August 25, 1922 when the Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies played to a 26 to 23 Cubs win, setting the All-time record for most runs scored in a single major League game. He went 5-for-5 that day, while scoring five runs.