1967-1968

Jerry Adair was from Sand Springs, OK and was a fair-skinned, blond-haired descendant of mixed-blood Cherokees. He earned nine letters at Sand Springs High School, three each in football, basketball, and baseball. During his high school years, he earned the nickname “Iceman” because of his coolness.

After football season, Jerry played basketball and was selected on the all-state basketball team. Playing in the state all-star game in the summer of 1955, he was selected as the most outstanding player in the game.

Jerry went on to be an All-American at Oklahoma State University on an athletic scholarship to play basketball and baseball. Baseball was a much lower profile sport than basketball at OSU in the 1950s as well as today.

Regarded as a “converted basketballer,” Jerry was the starting shortstop on the experienced 1957 OSU baseball team. He won the batting title with a .409 average and tied for the lead in home runs and finished close behind the RBI leader. He was the league’s top fielding shortstop and was the starting pitcher in three games and was credited with the victory in each. He batted .444 in 14 playoff games and led his team to the league title in 1958.

After being signed by Baltimore Orioles, Jerry made his major league debut defensively at shortstop for the O’s in September, 1958.

After moving up through the minors, Jerry had an excellent 1961 spring training and as the season progressed, he became the Orioles' regular second baseman. During the 1961-1965 seasons, Jerry was recognized as one of the premier fielding infielders in the American League. However, he was overshadowed by the Orioles’ spectacular third baseman, Brooks Robinson.

When Orioles manager Hank Bauer gave the second base job to rookie Dave Johnson in 1966, Jerry demanded a trade and was finally dealt to the White Sox. The trade cost him the opportunity to be a member of the Orioles when they defeated the Dodgers in the 1966 World Series.

After playing for the White Sox in 1966, he was traded to the Red Sox in 1967 for Don McMahon. Dick Williams was glad to get him, because the two had been teammates for several years in Baltimore He would hit .291 in 89 games while playing three infield positions for the '67 Red Sox. The Sox were 22-21 before he joined them but were 70-49 afterward.

Jerry filled in for the injured Rico Petrocelli at short, off-and-on for a month, playing errorless defense. He played pivotal roles on offense in several games, too, but his biggest single day was likely the Sunday doubleheader at Fenway Park on August 20th. He was 3-for-3 in the first game, a 12-2 rout of the Angels. In the second game, California got off to an 8-0 lead , but he Sox crept back, and Jerry’s single in the bottom of the sixth, tied the game, 8-8. In the bottom of the eighth, his leadoff home run gave the Red Sox the lead and the 9-8 win. In the summer of ’67 every Red Sox fan thought of Jerry as a hero.

In the final game of the season, Jerry was 2-for-4 at the plate, but his big play of the day came in the top of the eighth, as Jim Lonborg was working with a 5-2 lead. Pinch hitter Rich Reese singled to lead off the inning, but César Tovar grounded to second. Jerry charged in on the ball, sweeping it up with his glove, tagging the oncoming Reese, and firing accurately to George Scott at first, though spiked so severely he had to leave the game and have several stitches. Red Sox broadcaster Ken Coleman called Jerry Adair “Mr. Clutch” and wrote that if there had been a “Tenth Player Award” in 1967, he would have deserved it.

Lonborg said that the trade that brought Adair to Boston “was like adding a gem to a beautiful necklace. He did such a magnificent job for us. He was a quiet guy around the clubhouse. He was so invaluable, older and more experienced.”

In 1968, Jerry had a poor year at the plate for the Red Sox, batting only .216 in 74 games while filling a journeyman’s role and playing four infield positions. In the 1968-1969 off-season, he was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the American League expansion draft.

Jerry set major league records for second basemen. In 89 games from July 22, 1964, to May 6, 1965, he handled 458 chances without an error. In 1964 and 1965, he led all American League second basemen in fielding percentage. He shares an American League record with Bobby Grich and Roberto Alomar for the fewest errors in a season by a second baseman (five in 1964). For his career he had a better fielding percentage (.985) than three Hall of Fame second basemen of his era: Nellie Fox, Joe Morgan and Bill Mazeroski.

Jerry Adair died of liver cancer in 1987, at the age of 50, in Tulsa.