Harry Danning

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Harry Danning
Harry Danning 1940 Play Ball card.jpeg
Catcher
Born: (1911-09-06)September 6, 1911
Los Angeles, California
Died: November 29, 2004(2004-11-29) (aged 93)
Valparaiso, Indiana
Batted: Right Threw: Right 
MLB debut
July 30, 1933 for the New York Giants
Last MLB appearance
September 25, 1942 for the New York Giants
Career statistics
Batting average     .285
Hits     847
Runs batted in     397
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Harry Danning (September 6, 1911 – November 29, 2004), nicknamed "Harry the Horse", was a professional baseball player.[1] He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Giants, and was considered one of the top defensive catchers of his era.[1][2] He batted and threw right-handed. Danning, who was Jewish, was nicknamed "Harry The Horse" for Damon Runyon's Broadway character.[3] He attended Los Angeles High School in Los Angeles. His brother, Ike Danning, played for the St. Louis Browns in 1928.

Contents

Baseball career [edit]

Danning first played with the New York Giants in 1933. From 1934 to 1936, he served as the Giants reserve catcher, working behind Gus Mancuso. In the 1937 season, Danning and Mancuso shared the catching duties with Danning appearing in 93 games, while Mancuso appeared in 86 games.[4] In 1938 Danning took over the role as the Giants starting catcher.[5] He was selected for the National League All-Star squad in four consecutive years (1938–41), played for the Giants team which defeated the Washington Senators in the 1933 World Series championship, and appeared in the pennant-winning clubs that were defeated by the New York Yankees in the 1936 and 1937 World Series.[1]

In 1934 during spring training a Florida hotel refused entry to Danning and fellow Jew Phil Weintraub. "Hibiscus" was a code word for Hebrew in Florida — as in "we don’t have hibiscus in our hotel." Giants manager and All-Star first baseman Bill Terry threatened to take the entire World Champion team to another hotel unless his Jewish players were given lodging. The hotel's management backed down.[6][7]

From 1938 to 1940 Danning hit .306, .313, and .300, and finished in the top 10 in National League MVP voting in 1939 (9th) and 1940 (7th).[8][9] He collected career highs in home runs (16) in 1939, and in RBIs (91) in 1940.[1] He led all National League catchers with a .991 fielding average in 1939.[10]

On June 9, 1939, Danning hit one of the five home runs in an inning that helped the Giants to set a record.[11] Then, on June 15, 1940, he hit for the cycle in a game against Pittsburgh.[12] His home run came on an inside-the-park home run that landed 460 feet (140 m) on the fly in front of the Giants' clubhouse, wedged behind the Eddie Grant memorial.[13]

Through 2010, he was ninth all-time in career hits (behind Al Rosen) among Jewish major league baseball players.[14]

Career statistics [edit]

Danning was a career .285 hitter with 57 home runs and 397 RBIs in 890 games.[1] He had a career fielding percentage of .985.[1] Danning led National League catchers three times in putouts, and twice in assists and baserunners caught stealing.[1] He caught the screwballer Carl Hubbell, and also was a teammate of Mel Ott, Bill Terry and Travis Jackson, four Hall of Famers.

After baseball [edit]

Danning retired from baseball after serving in the military, working later as a minor league coach.[3] He received one vote in Hall of Fame Voting in both 1958 and 1960. Danning died in Valparaiso, Indiana, at the age of 93.[3]

Other highlights [edit]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Harry Danning at Baseball Reference". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011. 
  2. ^ ''Harry Danning: Catching Star of Another Era'', by Rick Van Blair, Baseball Digest, October 1994, Vol. 53, No. 10, ISSN 0005-609X. Books.google.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011. 
  3. ^ a b c Harry Danning Obituary at The New York Times
  4. ^ "1937 New York Giants at Baseball Reference". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011. 
  5. ^ "1938 New York Giants at Baseball Reference". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011. 
  6. ^ "www.jewishpress.com". 72.14.209.104. Retrieved January 22, 2011. 
  7. ^ www.thejewishweek.com[dead link]
  8. ^ "1939 National League Most Valuable Player Award voting results at Baseball Reference". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011. 
  9. ^ "1940 National League Most Valuable Player Award voting results at Baseball Reference". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011. 
  10. ^ Baseball Digest, July 2001, P.86, Vol. 60, No. 7, ISSN 0005-609X. Books.google.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011. 
  11. ^ "Home Runs in a Game by a Team Records at Baseball Almanac". Baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011. 
  12. ^ "Catchers Who Hit For The Cycle at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers". Members.tripod.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011. 
  13. ^ "Inside The Park Home Runs by Catchers at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers". tripod.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011. 
  14. ^ "Career Batting Leaders through 2010". Career Leaders. Jewish Major Leaguers. Retrieved February 10, 2011. 

External links [edit]

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