Billy Herman
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| Billy Herman | ||
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| Second Baseman/Manager | ||
| Born: July 7, 1909 New Albany, Indiana |
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| Died: October 5, 1992 (aged 83) West Palm Beach, Florida |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | ||
| August 29, 1931 for the Chicago Cubs |
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| Final game | ||
| August 1, 1947 for the Pittsburgh Pirates |
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| Career statistics | ||
| Batting average | .304 | |
| Hits | 2345 | |
| Runs batted in | 839 | |
| Teams | ||
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As Player
As Manager
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| Career highlights and awards | ||
| Member of the National | ||
 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Elected | 1975 | |
| Election Method | Veteran's Committee | |
William Jennings Bryan Herman (July 7, 1909 - September 5, 1992) was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball during the 1930s and 1940s. He was known for his stellar defense and consistent batting. He still holds many National League defensive records for second basemen.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Born in New Albany, Indiana, the year after William Jennings Bryan was defeated for U.S. President for the third and final time, Herman attended New Albany High School.
[edit] Major League career
Herman broke into the majors in 1931 with the Chicago Cubs and asserted himself as a star the following season, 1932 by having 206 hits, 102 runs and a .314 batting average. A fixture in the Chicago lineup over the next decade, Herman was a consistent hitter and solid producer. He regular hit .300 or higher (and as high as .341 in 1935) and drove in a high of 93 runs in 1936.
After a sub-standard offensive year in 1940, Herman was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1941. He had one of his finest offensive season in 1943, when he batted .330 with a .398 on base percentage and 100 runs driven in.
Herman missed the 1944 and 1945 seasons to serve in World War II, but returned to play in 1946 with the Dodgers and Boston Braves (after being traded mid-season). He was traded again prior to the 1947 season to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he assumed managerial duties, but only played 15 games. He managed in the minor leagues, then became a major league coach with the Dodgers (1952-57), Braves (now in Milwaukee) (1958-59) and Boston Red Sox (1960-64), before managing the Red Sox to lackluster records in 1965 and 1966; his 1965 Boston club lost 100 games. He coached for the California Angels (1967) and late in his career served in player development roles with the Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres. His final record as a major league manager was 189-274 (.408).
Herman finished his career with a .304 batting average, 1163 runs, 47 home runs, 839 RBI and a minuscule 428 strikeouts. He won four National League pennants (in 1932, 1935, 1938 and 1941) but no World Series championships as a player (although he was a coach on the 1955 World Series champion Brooklyn Dodgers). His record as a manager was 189-274 (.408).
Herman holds the National League records for most putouts in a season by a second baseman and led the league in putouts seven times. He also shares the major league record for most hits on opening day, with five, set April 14, 1936.
Herman was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.
[edit] Family
Herman's granddaughter is Cheri Daniels, wife of Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels[1].
[edit] See also
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball doubles records
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- Baseball-Reference.com - career playing statistics and managing record
| Preceded by Spud Davis |
Pittsburgh Pirates manager 1947 |
Succeeded by Bill Burwell |
| Preceded by Johnny Pesky |
Boston Red Sox manager 1964–1966 |
Succeeded by Pete Runnels |
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