Bob Coleman

Bob Coleman
Coleman as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Catcher
Born: September 26, 1890(1890-09-26) Huntingburg, Indiana
Died: July 16, 1959(1959-07-16) (aged 68) Boston, Massachusetts
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 13, 1913 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Last MLB appearance
September 9, 1916 for the Cleveland Indians
Career statistics
Batting average	.241
Home runs	1
Runs batted in	27
Teams
Pittsburgh Pirates (1913–1914) Cleveland Indians (1916)
Career highlights and awards
Won 2,496 games as a minor league manager

Robert Hunter Coleman (September 26, 1890 – July 16, 1959) was an American catcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. He also was one of the most successful managers in the history of minor league baseball, his career extending (with interruptions caused by major league service) from 1919 through 1957.

A native of Huntingburg, Indiana, Coleman played just three seasons in the major leagues, with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1913–14) and the Cleveland Indians (1916). The right-handed-hitting catcher batted .241 in 116 total games.

In 1919, at age 28, he embarked on his managerial career with the Mobile Bears of the Class A Southern Association. By 1926 he was a coach for the Boston Red Sox, but the following season he returned to the minor leagues, and in 1928 he became manager of the Evansville Hubs of the Class B Three-I League, where he would spend much of the rest of his baseball career. He managed Evansville for 20 seasons over four separate tours of duty (1928–31; 1938–42; 1946–49; 1951–57), and won eight pennants there, including his final season.

Coleman made it back to the majors as a coach with the Detroit Tigers in 1932, and the Boston Braves in 1943. During the latter season, his boss, manager Casey Stengel, was hit by a taxicab as he tried to cross a Boston street and suffered a broken leg. Coleman stepped in for 46 games while Stengel recovered (the Braves winning 21). At season's end, Casey was fired and Coleman was named permanent manager of the Braves for 1944. But the wartime Braves were not contenders and after a sixth-place 1944 finish was followed by a sluggish start to 1945, Coleman was replaced by one of his coaches, Del Bissonette. His final record as a major league manager was 128-165 (.437).

He then returned to Evansville as manager of the Evansville Braves, a Boston farm team, and resumed his minor league career. In 35 seasons as a minor league skipper, Coleman's teams won 2,496 games and lost 2,103 (.543).

He died in Boston at age 68 of cancer in 1959.

References

• Lloyd Johnson, ed., The Minor League Register. Durham, N.C.: Baseball America, 1994.

External links

• Baseball Reference
• [1]

Preceded by Casey Stengel	Boston Braves Manager 1943	Succeeded by Casey Stengel
Preceded by Casey Stengel	Boston Braves Manager 1944-1945	Succeeded by Del Bissonette