Portal:Chicago/Selected biography/123
Thurman Lowell Tucker was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for nine seasons in the American League with the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians. In 701 career games, Tucker recorded a batting average of .255, had 24 triples, 9 home runs, and 179 runs batted in (RBI). He was nicknamed "Joe E." Tucker because of his resemblance to comedian Joe E. Brown. Born and raised in Texas, Tucker first played professionally with the Siloam Springs Travelers. He gradually progressed through minor league baseball until he was signed by the Chicago White Sox before the 1941 season. He made his major league debut for the team a year later and spent two seasons as their starting center fielder before enlisting in the armed forces for World War II. Upon his return, Tucker played two more seasons for the White Sox. Subsequently, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians, for whom he played four seasons, and continued to play minor league baseball throughout the 1950s. After retirement, he became a major league scout and insurance agent. He died in 1993.