Hall of Famer Slaughter dead at 86

DURHAM, N.C. -- Enos "Country" Slaughter, the hustling Hall of Famer who made a "Mad Dash" home to win the 1946 World Series and then tangled with Jackie Robinson the next year, died Monday at age 86.

Slaughter had been in the intensive care unit of Duke University Medical Center after colon surgery July 25 and an operation to repair perforated stomach ulcers July 29. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in June.

He batted .300 in 19 seasons and played in five World Series. He spent the first 13 years of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals.

"He was one of the great hustlers of baseball," Hall of Fame teammate Stan Musial said Monday. "He loved baseball. He always ran hard and played hard."

Start in minors

He began his energetic style when he was in the minor leagues in 1936 in Columbus, Ga., after his manager, Eddie Dyer, caught him walking off the field and confronted him.

"(He) said, 'Son, if you're tired, I'll get somebody else."' Slaughter recalled in a 1994 interview with The Associated Press. "From that day on, I ran from spot to spot."

Pete Rose, who became known as "Charlie Hustle" in the 1960s for his hard-nosed play, copied Slaughter's habit of running to first base on a walk.

Slaughter is best remembered for his "Mad Dash" from first base that scored the winning run for the Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the 1946 Series.