Hall of Honor
Graduate of the Beloit Academy
A hard hitter and classy fielder, George Perring was a product of the prairie school of baseball, developing his sure shot to first base by throwing green crabapples through the knothole in a barn door. He aspired to be a pitcher but became an infielder instead and, while attending Beloit Academy, hit .325 and had a .929 fielding percentage for the 1905 College nine. He then turned professional and spent two years in the minors before becoming an infielder with the Cleveland Indians of the American League in 1908. Among his career highlights were being at shortstop the day Addie Joss pitched a perfect game against the Chicago White Sox in 1909 and in the lineup when the first unassisted triple play was made. He later was with Columbus in the American Association before “jumping” with other major leaguers to the higher-paying but ill-fated Federal League. After a stint at Toledo, he climaxed his baseball days by playing for and managing semipro teams, including the famous Beloit Fairies. Perring also was an outstanding golfer, winning the Wisconsin state senior championship four times and the Beloit Country Club crown frequently. A prominent civic leader who was an insurance underwriter, he died in 1960.
