| Billy Herman | |
|---|---|
 Herman with the Boston Red Sox in 1965 | |
| Second baseman /Manager | |
| Born:(1909-07-07)July 7, 1909 New Albany, Indiana, U.S. | |
| Died: September 5, 1992(1992-09-05) (aged 83) West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 29, 1931, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 1, 1947, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .304 |
| Hits | 2,345 |
| Home runs | 47 |
| Runs batted in | 839 |
| Managerial record | 189–274 |
| Winning % | .408 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
As player
As manager | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1975 |
| Election method | Veterans Committee |
William Jennings Bryan Herman (July 7, 1909 – September 5, 1992) was an Americansecond baseman andmanager inMajor League Baseball (MLB) during the 1930s and 1940s. He reached theWorld Series four times (1932, 1935, 1938, 1941) but lost each time. Known for his stellar defense and consistent batting, Herman still holds manyNational League (NL) defensive records for second basemen and was inducted into theNational Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.
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Born inNew Albany, Indiana, in 1909, and named afterWilliam Jennings Bryan, the three-time presidential candidate and statesman of the turn of the 20th century,[1] Herman attendedNew Albany High School.
Herman broke into the majors in1931 with theChicago Cubs and asserted himself as a star the following season,1932, by hitting .314 and scoring 102 runs. His firstat-bat was memorable. FacingCincinnati Reds pitcherSi Johnson, Herman chopped a pitch into the back of home plate, which then bounced up and hit Herman in the back of the head, knocking him out.[2] A fixture in the Chicago lineup over the next decade, Herman was a consistent hitter and solid producer. He regularly hit .300 or higher (and as high as .341 in1935) and drove in a high of 93runs in1936. He also hit 57 doubles in both1935 and1936.
After a sub-standard offensive year in1940, Herman was traded to theBrooklyn Dodgers in1941. He had one of his finest offensive season in1943, when he batted .330 with a .398on-base percentage and 100 runs driven in.
Herman missed the1944 and1945 seasons to serve in World War II, but returned to play in1946 with the Dodgers andBoston Braves (after being traded mid-season). At 37, he was considered primemanagerial material by the new owners of thePittsburgh Pirates. On September 30, 1946, Herman was traded to Pittsburgh with three marginal players (outfielderStan Wentzel,pitcherElmer Singleton andinfielderWhitey Wietelmann) forthird basemanBob Elliott andcatcherHank Camelli. Herman was promptly named playing manager of the1947 Pirates, but he was aghast at the cost—Elliott—the Pirates had paid for him. "Why, they've gone and traded the whole team on me", he said.[3] Elliott won the1947NL Most Valuable Player award and led Boston to the1948 National League pennant. Herman's 1947 Pirates lost 92 games and finished tied for seventh in the NL, and he resigned before the season's final game. (His last appearance as a Major League player was on August 1 of that year.)
Herman then managed in the minor leagues and became a Major Leaguecoach with the Dodgers (1952–57) and Braves (now based in Milwaukee) (1958–59)—serving on five National League pennant winners in eight seasons. Then he moved to theAmerican League (AL) as the third-base coach of theBoston Red Sox for five years (1960–64), before managing the Red Sox to lackluster records in1965 and1966; his 1965 Boston club lost 100 games. After his firing by the Red Sox in September 1966, he coached for theCalifornia Angels (1967) andSan Diego Padres (1978–79) and served in player development roles with the Padres andOakland Athletics.
Herman finished his 1,922-game big-league career with a .304batting average, 1,163runs scored, 2,345hits, 486doubles, 82triples, 47home runs, 839runs batted in, 737bases on balls and 428strikeouts. Defensively, he recorded an overall .968fielding percentage. He won four NL pennants (1932,1935,1938, and1941) but noWorld Series championships as a player (although he was a coach on the1955 World Series champion Brooklyn Dodgers). His record as a Major League manager was 189-274 (.408). Herman holds the NL records for mostputouts 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 moved toPalm Beach Gardens, Florida in 1968. He was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame in1975. He died of cancer in 1992.[4]
In 2013, theBob Feller Act of Valor Award honored Herman as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in theUnited States Navy during World War II. According to his honorable discharge, he was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. He held the rank of Specialist (A) Third Class at the time of his separation.[5]
Herman's granddaughter isCheri Daniels, wife of former Indiana GovernorMitch Daniels.[6]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| PIT | 1947 | 153 | 61 | 92 | .399 | resigned | – | – | – | – |
| PIT total | 153 | 61 | 92 | .399 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
| BOS | 1964 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 8th in AL | – | – | – | – |
| BOS | 1965 | 162 | 62 | 100 | .383 | 9th in AL | – | – | – | – |
| BOS | 1966 | 146 | 64 | 82 | .438 | fired | – | – | – | – |
| BOS total | 310 | 128 | 182 | .413 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
| Total | 463 | 189 | 274 | .408 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
· Baseball Almanac| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Milwaukee Bravesthird-base coach 1958–1959 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Boston Red Soxthird-base coach 1960–1964 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | California Angelsthird-base coach 1967 | Succeeded by |
