Miller James Huggins (March 27, 1879 – September 25, 1929), nicknamed "Mighty Mite", was a baseball player and manager. He managed the powerhouse New York Yankee teams of the 1920s and won six American League pennants and three World Series championships.
[edit] Early life
Huggins was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his father (an Englishman) was a grocer. Huggins' father was a devout Methodist who was opposed to Sunday baseball.[1] To keep his father from noticing, Huggins played semi-professional baseball under an assumed name.[2] He attended the University of Cincinnati where one of his professors was William Howard Taft. He eventually got a law degree, but realized that he made more money playing baseball.[2]
[edit] Playing career
As a player, Huggins joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1904 as a second baseman. Despite his short stature (5-foot-6-inches)—or perhaps because of it—Huggins proved very adept at getting on base. Over a 13-year career (Cincinnati 1904–09, St. Louis Cardinals, 1910–16) he led the league in walks four times and regularly posted an on base percentage near .400. He scored 100 or more runs three times and regularly stole 30 or more bases. He finished his career with 324 steals.
[edit] Player-manager and Manager
Huggins became player-manager for St. Louis in 1913. Serving as the Cardinals' manager until 1917, he didn't find any substantial success (they never finished higher than third place).
Huggins was able to build on his experience as the manager of a budding New York Yankee team beginning in 1918. As the Yankees skipper until his death in 1929, and with one of the finest offenses ever assembled (including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri and Bob Meusel), Huggins presided over six American League championships (1921–1923, 1926–1928) and three World Series championships (1923, 1927 and 1928). He finished his managerial career with a 1413–1134 record. His 1413 wins as a manager ranks 20th all-time.
Huggins died at the age of 50 on September 25, 1929, as a result of erysipelas, visible under his right eye, which progressed into sepsis. The league canceled its games for the following day out of respect; the viewing of his casket at Yankee Stadium drew thousands of tearful fans. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
On May 30, 1932, the Yankees dedicated a monument to Huggins, and placed it in front of the flagpole in center field at Yankee Stadium. Huggins was the first of many Yankees legends granted this honor, which eventually became "Monument Park", dedicated in 1976. The monument calls Huggins "A splendid character who made priceless contributions to baseball."
[edit] See also
- ^ Leonard Koppett. The Man in the Dugout: Baseball's Top Managers and How They Got That Way. Temple University Press. p. 83. ISBN 1566397456.
- ^ a b Koppett, p. 83
[edit] External links
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