Solly Hemus
| Solly Hemus | |
|---|---|
 Hemus in about 1953. |
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| Shortstop / Second baseman | |
| Born: April 17, 1923 Phoenix, Arizona |
|
| Batted: Left | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| April 27, 1949 for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 14, 1959 for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .273 |
| Home runs | 51 |
| Runs batted in | 263 |
| Teams | |
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As Player
As Manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Solomon Joseph Hemus (born April 17, 1923 in Phoenix, Arizona) is a retired infielder, manager and coach in American Major League Baseball.[1]
Contents |
Baseball career [edit]
As a player (1949–1959) with the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, Hemus was primarily a shortstop, although he also saw significant time as a second baseman. He compiled a lifetime batting average of .273 in 969 games, with 51 home runs. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.[1]
Hemus was a hard-nosed player known for battling with opponents and umpires. When he was traded to the Phillies in May 1956, Hemus wrote a letter to Cardinals owner August "Gussie" Busch, expressing his pride in being a Cardinal and his gratitude to the baseball club. With his career winding down, he was reacquired by the Cardinals during the autumn of 1958 and named the St. Louis player-manager by Busch, who admired Hemus' fiery personality and remembered his letter from 2½ years before.[2]
As a player, Hemus appeared in 24 games — mostly as a pinch-hitter — in 1959 before concentrating on his managerial responsibilities. His Cardinals were inconsistent: a seventh place (71–83) finish in his rookie managerial campaign (1959) was followed by a 15-game improvement (86–68) and a leap to third place in his second season (1960).[1] The Redbirds followed with a poor start in 1961, losing 16 of their first 19 games. They were mired in sixth place in July (at 33–41) when Hemus was replaced by one of his coaches, Johnny Keane.[3] His career major league managing record was 190–192 (.497).[1]
Hemus then served as a coach with the New York Mets (1962–1963) and Cleveland Indians (1964–1965).[4][5][6][7] He managed the Mets' top farm club, the Jacksonville Suns of the AAA International League,[8] in 1966 before leaving baseball and entering the oil business in his adopted home city of Houston, Texas.[9]
During his tenure in Philadelphia, Hemus made history when he was removed for pinch runner John Kennedy at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey, during a league game against the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 22, 1957. It marked the Major League debut of Kennedy, the first African-American player in the Phillies' history.[10][11] Ironically, in 2011 Hall-of-Famer Bob Gibson indicated that racial prejudice on Hemus's part had intruded on his later role as the Cards' manager when Hemus disparaged both Gibson and teammate Curt Flood by telling them they weren't good enough to make it as Major Leaguers and should try something else.[12] Hemus' replacement, coach Johnny Keane, was a Gibson supporter who had managed the pitcher in the minor-leagues.[13]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d Career Playing and Managing Statistics and History at Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ "Solly Hemus Given Raise in 1961 St. Louis Contract". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. 23 September 1960. p. 26. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
- ^ 1961 St. Louis Cardinals Schedule, Box Scores and Splits at Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ Sheehan, Joe (3 October 1961). "Mets Appoint Lavagetto and Hemus Coaches as Stengel Returns". The New York Times. p. 48.
- ^ "Mets Bank On Return Of Stengel". Hartford Courant. Associated Press. 11 October 1963. p. 21.
- ^ Loomis, Tom (6 April 1964). "Hot Seat Won't Burn Strickland". Toledo Blade. p. 19. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- ^ "Dick Sisler Gets Post With Cards". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 20 October 1965. p. 26. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- ^ "Former Mets Named to New Jobs". The New York Times. Associated Press. 4 January 1966.
- ^ Anderson, Dave (29 March 1982). "World of baseball hasn't forgotten Ken Boyer". St. Petersburg Times. p. 4C.
- ^ "Phillies Find New Shortstop". Star-News. Associated Press. 26 March 1957. p. 1.
- ^ Brooklyn Dodgers 5, Philadelphia Phillies 1 Retrosheet Boxscore and Play-by-Play for April 22, 1957
- ^ "HBO: The Curious Case of Curt Flood". Home Box Office, Inc. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ^ Gibson, Bob (1994). Stranger to the Game. New York: Viking. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-670-84794-5. More than one of
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External links [edit]
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Retrosheet
| Preceded by Stan Hack |
St. Louis Cardinals manager 1959–1961 |
Succeeded by Johnny Keane |
| Preceded by Franchise created |
New York Mets third-base coach 1962–1963 |
Succeeded by Don Heffner |
| Preceded by George Strickland |
Cleveland Indians third-base coach 1964 |
Succeeded by George Strickland |
| Preceded by Elmer Valo |
Cleveland Indians first-base coach 1965 |
Succeeded by Reggie Otero |
| Preceded by Grover Resinger |
Jacksonville Suns manager 1966 |
Succeeded by Bill Virdon |
- 1923 births
- Living people
- Baseball players from Arizona
- Cleveland Indians coaches
- Columbus Red Birds players
- Houston Buffaloes players
- Major League Baseball infielders
- Major League Baseball player–managers
- New York Mets coaches
- People from Phoenix, Arizona
- Philadelphia Phillies players
- Pocatello Cardinals players
- St. Louis Cardinals players
- St. Louis Cardinals managers
