[[Image:*Elmer Valo 52 Topps-034.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Elmer Valo - ''[[Topps]]'' baseball card - 1952 Series, #034]]

'''Elmer William Valo''' ([[March 5]] [[1921]] - [[July 19]] [[1998]]) was a [[Czechoslovakia|Slovak]]-[[United States|American]] [[right fielder]], [[coach (baseball)|coach]] and [[scout (sport)|scout]] in [[Major League Baseball]], making his debut on September 22, [[1940 in baseball|1940]]. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.

Playing in the major leagues for 20 years, Valo was a [[batting average|.282 hitter]] with 58 [[home run]]s and 601 [[run batted in|RBI]] in 1806 [[games played|games]], with most of his time spent as a member of the [[Oakland Athletics|Philadelphia & Kansas City Athletics]] (1940-43, 1946-56).

Valo also played with the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] (1956, 1961), [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Brooklyn & Los Angeles Dodgers]] (1957-58), [[Cleveland Indians]] (1959), [[New York Yankees]] (1960), and [[Minnesota Twins|Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins]] (1960-61). His last game was on October 1, [[1961 in baseball|1961]], with the Phillies.

A native of [[Ribnik]], Czechoslovakia, Valo was a hustling player and an aggressive line-drive hitter who hit .300 or better five times, with a high-career .364 in 1955. As a right fielder, he was noted for his fearless manner in challenging fences, and occasionally crashed through an outfield wall in pursuit of a ball.

On May 1, [[1949 in baseball|1949]], Valo became the first player in the [[American League]] to hit two bases-loaded [[triple (baseball)|triples]] in a game. He added a third bases-loaded triple in the same season, to tie the mark set by [[Shano Collins]] in [[1918 in baseball|1918]]. Years later, the mark of two bases-loaded triples in a game has been matched only by [[Bill Bruton]] ([[National League|NL]], [[1979 in baseball|1979]]) and [[Duane Kuiper]] (AL, [[1978 in baseball|1978]]). He also [[hitting for the cycle|hit for the cycle]] in [[1950 in baseball|1950]], and belted three home runs in a game a year later; but as Valo's career moved into its final phase, he became an outstanding [[pinch-hitter]]. He used his strike zone judgment to post an [[on base percentage]] over .400 in eight of the ten seasons (.414 from 1946-55).

In [[1960 in baseball|1960]], Valo set a major league pinch-hitting season-records for games, [[base on balls|walks]] and [[times on base]]. He also set a major league career-record with 91 walks for a pinch-hitter.

Following his retirement as a player, Valo worked with the Indians' organization as a [[minor league baseball|minor league]] [[manager (baseball)|manager]], and served as a [[scout (sport)|scout]] for the Phillies for 13 years, until the time of his death.

Elmer Valo died at Palmerton Hospital in [[Palmerton, Pennsylvania]], at age of 77. He was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame, at [[Veterans Stadium]], in [[1990 in baseball|1990]].

==Sources==
*{{baseball-reference|id=v/valoel01}}
*[http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/V/Valo_Elmer.stm Baseball Library]
*[http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/pinch-me-im-elmer-valo/ The Hardball Times]
*[http://www.historicbaseball.com/players/v/valo_elmer.html Historic Baseball]
*[http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Valo.Elmer.Obit.html The Deadball Era]

[[Category:1921 births|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:1998 deaths|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:Brooklyn Dodgers players|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:Cleveland Indians players|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:Kansas City Athletics players|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:Major league right fielders|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:Minnesota Twins players|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:New York Yankees players|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Athletics players|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Phillies players|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:Washington Senators players|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:Czechoslovakian baseball players|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame|Valo, Elmer]]
[[Category:Baseball players who have hit for the cycle|Valo, Elmer]]