| Jerry Coleman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Jerry Coleman, August 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second baseman /Manager | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born:(1924-09-14)September 14, 1924 San Jose, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died: January 5, 2014(2014-01-05) (aged 89) San Diego, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| April 20, 1949, for the New York Yankees | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 29, 1957, for the New York Yankees | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .263 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 217 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial record | 73–89 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning % | .451 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As player As manager | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Gerald Francis Coleman (September 14, 1924 – January 5, 2014) was an AmericanMajor League Baseball (MLB)second baseman for theNew York Yankees and manager of theSan Diego Padres for one year. Coleman was named the rookie of the year in 1949 byAssociated Press, and was anAll-Star in 1950 and later that year was named theWorld Series Most Valuable Player. Yankees teams on which he was a player appeared in sevenWorld Series during his career, winning five times. Coleman served as aMarine Corps pilot inWorld War II and theKorean War, flying combat missions with theVMSB-341 Torrid Turtles (WWII) andVMA-323 Death Rattlers (Korea) in both wars.[2] He later became a broadcaster, and he was honored in 2005 by theNational Baseball Hall of Fame with theFord C. Frick Award for his broadcasting contributions.[3]
Born inSan Jose, California, Coleman graduated fromLowell High School,[4] then spent his entire playing career with theNew York Yankees.[5] He played six years in the Yankees' minor league system before reaching the big club in 1949. Coleman hit .275 in his first year and led all second basemen in fielding percentage. He was theAssociated Press rookie of the year in 1949 and finished third inballoting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.[6]
Coleman avoided asophomore slump by earning a selection to theAll-Star team in 1950. He then shone in theWorld Series with brilliant defense, earning him theBBWAA'sBabe Ruth Award as the series's most valuable player.[6]
Nicknamed "The Colonel" because he was a U.S. Marine Corpslieutenant colonel,[7] Coleman was aMarine aviator who postponed his entry into professional baseball inWorld War II and later left baseball to serve in theKorean War. While a Marine Corps aviator he flew 120 combat missions (57 during World War II and 63 in Korea).[2][3] and received numerous honors and medals including twoDistinguished Flying Crosses.[8] In the years before his death, Coleman received numerous honors, including induction into the USMC Sports Hall of Fame,[9] for his call to duty. Coleman was the only Major League Baseball player to see combat in two wars. (WhileTed Williams served during both World War II and Korea, he flew combat missions only in the Korean War.)[10][11][12]
Coleman's career declined after he was injured the following season, relegating him to a bench role. He was forced to retire after the 1957 season, but he left on a good note, hitting .364 in aWorld Series loss against theMilwaukee Braves. He appeared in the World Series six times in his career, winning four of them.[13]
Coleman appeared on the February 5, 1957 of the CBS game showTo Tell the Truth as an imposter for singerDon Rondo. He received two votes.[14]
In 1958,New York Yankees general managerGeorge Weiss named Coleman personnel director, which involved Colemanscoutingminor league players.Roy Hamey terminated Coleman from that position, upon becoming the Yankees' general manager.[15] It was only after Coleman met withHoward Cosell that Coleman considered becoming a broadcaster.[15]
In 1960, Coleman began a broadcasting career withCBS television, conducting pregame interviews on the network'sGame of the Week broadcasts. His broadcasting career nearly ended that year; he was in the midst of an interview withCookie Lavagetto when thenational anthem began playing. Coleman kept the interview going through the anthem, prompting an avalanche of angry letters to CBS.[16]
In1963, he began a seven-year run calling Yankees games onWCBS radio andWPIX television. During this time, he lived inRidgewood, New Jersey, which he described as being "19.9 miles from Yankee Stadium, but a million miles from New York".[17]
After broadcasting for theCalifornia Angels for two years, in1972 Coleman became the lead radio announcer for theSan Diego Padres, a position he held every year until his death in2014 except for1980, when the Padres hired him to manage (predating a trend of broadcasters-turned-managers that started in the late 1990s).[18] He was known inSan Diego for his signature catchphrase, "You can hang a star on that one, baby!", which he would deliver after a spectacular play.[19] During home games, the phrase would be accompanied by a tinsel star swinging from a fishing pole that emanated from his broadcast booth.[20] Coleman's other catchphrases included "Oh Doctor!", "And the beat goes on", and "The natives are getting restless".[21]
Coleman lent these catchphrases to great use when thePadres defeated theChicago Cubs in Game 5 of the1984 National League Championship Series to clinch the pennant and their first ever trip to theWorld Series.
Here's theGoose...the 1–1 pitch. A one hopper toNettles, toWiggins...and the Padres have theNational League pennant!!! Oh doctor, you can hang a star on that baby!!!
He also called national regular-season and postseason broadcasts forCBS Radio from the mid-1970s to 1997.[22]
During an interview in the height of the steroids scandal in 2005, Coleman stated, "If I'm emperor, the first time 50 games, the second time 100 games and the third strike you're out",[23] referring to how baseball should suspend players for being caught taking steroids. After the2005 World Series, Major League Baseball put a similar policy in effect.
Coleman was known as the "Master of theMalaprop" for making sometimes embarrassing mistakes on the microphone,[24] but he was nonetheless popular. In 2005, he was given theFord C. Frick Award of theNational Baseball Hall of Fame for broadcasting excellence, and is one of six Frick award winners who also played in the Major Leagues (the others areJoe Garagiola,Tony Kubek,Tim McCarver,Bob Uecker andKen Harrelson).[25]
He was inducted into theSan Diego Padres Hall of Fame in 2001.[26] In fall 2007, Coleman was inducted to theNational Radio Hall of Fame as a sports broadcaster for his years as the play-by-play voice of the San Diego Padres.[3] The Padres would also dedicate their press box to Coleman, renaming it "The Jerry Coleman Broadcast Center".
Ted Leitner andAndy Masur replaced Coleman for most of the radio broadcasting efforts for each Padres game. He did, however, still work middle innings as a color analyst. As of the2010 season, he reduced his broadcast schedule down to 20–30 home day games.[27] As of November 2010[update], Coleman was the third-oldest active play-by-play announcer, behind only fellow Hall of FamersFelo Ramirez andRalph Kiner.[28]
Coleman collaborated on hisautobiography with longtimeNew York Times writerRichard Goldstein; their bookAn American Journey: My Life on the Field, In the Air, and On the Air was published in 2008. On September 15, 2012, the Padres unveiled aColeman statue atPetco Park.[29] Coleman's statue is the second statue at Petco Park, the other being of Hall of Fame outfielderTony Gwynn.[15]
Coleman was the recipient of the following medals:[30]
In 2011, Coleman was inducted into theInternational Aerospace Hall of Fame in a ceremony at theSan Diego Air & Space Museum for his service as a combat pilot in World War II and the Korean War.[31] Although several Major League ballplayers flew during WWII, he was the only active member of MLB to do the deed twice, forgoing his career to fly in combat in both wars.[32] The SDASM restored a vintage F4U "Corsair" fighter-bomber in the markings of Coleman's aircraft during the Korean War and it is displayed under their SBD "Dauntless" dive bomber (which Coleman flew in combat during WW2).[33]
Coleman's death was reported by the San Diego Padres on January 5, 2014. He died after being hospitalized after a fall in his home.[34] He was 89.[3] Coleman was interred atMiramar National Cemetery after a private funeral.[35]
In 2015, a sports facility atMarine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego was named in honor of Coleman.[36]
Coleman played in six World Series and was The Associated Press's rookie of the year in 1949. He was also the MVP of the 1950 World Series.
Coleman is famous for his pet phrases "Oh Doctor!", "You can hang a star on that baby!", "And the beat goes on", and "The natives are getting restless".
2005: Jerry Coleman – Yankees: 1963–69; Padres: 1972–79, 1981–present; CBS Radio: 1970s–1997
Still enjoying his time in the game as baseball's oldest active play-by-play announcer with the Padres, Coleman is just grateful to have come home safely.
His military service record includes 120 missions, earning him two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 13 Air Medals and three Navy citations.
The San Diego Padres today announced Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Jerry Coleman will be inducted by the San Diego Air & Space Museum into its International Air & Space Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 5. Coleman will be honored, along with the rest of the distinguished Class of 2011, at the 48th Hall of Fame Induction Celebration, Legends of Flight.
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