Billy Consolo
Encyclopedia
William Angelo Consolo was an American
shortstop
and coach
in Major League Baseball
who played for five different teams between and , most notably the Boston Red Sox
and Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins
.
Primarily used in a reserve role, he enjoyed his best season with the 1957 Red Sox, batting
.270 in 68 games. He later served as a coach for the Detroit Tigers
for 14 seasons from 1979 to 1992 and again in 1995 under manager Sparky Anderson
, including the Tigers' 1984 World Series
title. Listed at 5'11", 180 lb., he batted and threw right-handed.
, Consolo grew up in Los Angeles, California
, graduating from Dorsey High School
. While in high school, Consolo (along with longtime friend Sparky Anderson
) played on the school's baseball team. Consolo also ran track at Dorsey and was named the Los Angeles High School Baseball city player of the year in 1951 and 1952.
Consolo also played (along with Anderson) for the Crenshaw Post 715 American Legion
team, winning the American Legion Baseball national title in , winning the championship at Briggs Stadium, the stadium Consolo where he coached the Detroit Tigers.
Consolo went directly to the Red Sox from high school after signing in 1953 (bonus baby
). Consolo joined the Red Sox at age 18, Sparky Anderson said that he was the finest athlete he's seen at that age. Consolo played for the Red Sox during six and half years. Consolo was traded to the Washington Senators
on June 11, 1959 in a four-player deal that sent relief pitcher Murray Wall
and Consolo to the Senators for relief pitcher Dick Hyde
and infielder Herb Plews
. The Twins later traded Consolo to the Milwaukee Braves
on June 1, 1961 for Billy Martin
and some cash. In addition to the Senators/Twins (1959–61), Consolo played for the Philadelphia Phillies
, Los Angeles Angels
and Kansas City Athletics
in his final 1962 season. His 1957 average of .270 was 41 points better than he hit in any other year.
In a 10-season career, Consolo was a .221 hitter (260 for 1178) with nine home run
s and 83 runs batted in
in 603 games
, including 158 runs
, 31 doubles
, 11 triples
, nine stolen base
s, and a .315 on base percentage
.
After his playing days ended in 1962, Consolo returned to Los Angeles and like his father before him he became a barber at the old Statler
Hilton Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
He also worked at Los Angeles Pierce College
in Woodland Hills
as a sports instructor.
Consolo told one story of early in his career, Consolo was spotted by Ted Williams
limping away from the ball park in street clothes after a game in which he hadn't played. Consolo was limping because he had one of the Kid's bats hidden in one of his pant legs. He planned to give it to a friend.
Williams, who knew what was going on, yelled out to Consolo:
"Tough game, eh, Billy?"
Consolo related another story of how one time he hit the ball into the alley of the oufield getting an inside-the-park home run. However the umpire called him out for missing second base. Consolo said he charged the umpire from the dugout and told the umpire;
"You're wrong. I touched second base. I missed third. But I touched second."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
and coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for five different teams between and , most notably the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
.
Primarily used in a reserve role, he enjoyed his best season with the 1957 Red Sox, batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.270 in 68 games. He later served as a coach for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
for 14 seasons from 1979 to 1992 and again in 1995 under manager Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
, including the Tigers' 1984 World Series
1984 World Series
The 1984 World Series began on October 9 and ended on October 14, 1984. The American League champion Detroit Tigers played against the National League champion San Diego Padres, with the Tigers winning the series four games to one....
title. Listed at 5'11", 180 lb., he batted and threw right-handed.
Career
Born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Consolo grew up in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, graduating from Dorsey High School
Susan Miller Dorsey High School
Susan Miller Dorsey High School is a high school located in Los Angeles, California.Dorsey is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. The school serves Baldwin Hills, Baldwin Village, Jefferson Park, Leimert Park, and portions of Crenshaw....
. While in high school, Consolo (along with longtime friend Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
) played on the school's baseball team. Consolo also ran track at Dorsey and was named the Los Angeles High School Baseball city player of the year in 1951 and 1952.
Consolo also played (along with Anderson) for the Crenshaw Post 715 American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
team, winning the American Legion Baseball national title in , winning the championship at Briggs Stadium, the stadium Consolo where he coached the Detroit Tigers.
Consolo went directly to the Red Sox from high school after signing in 1953 (bonus baby
Bonus Rule
The Bonus Rule was a rule instituted by Major League Baseball in 1947 that prevented teams from assigning certain players to farm clubs. The rule stipulated that when a Major league team signed a player to a contract in excess of $4,000 , the Major League team was required to keep that player on...
). Consolo joined the Red Sox at age 18, Sparky Anderson said that he was the finest athlete he's seen at that age. Consolo played for the Red Sox during six and half years. Consolo was traded to the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
on June 11, 1959 in a four-player deal that sent relief pitcher Murray Wall
Murray Wall (baseball)
Murray Wesley Wall was an American middle relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played between the and seasons for the Boston Braves , Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators . Listed at , , Wall batted and threw right-handed...
and Consolo to the Senators for relief pitcher Dick Hyde
Dick Hyde
Richard Elde Hyde is an American former relief pitcher in professional baseball who worked in the Major Leagues for six seasons from to for the Washington Senators and Baltimore Orioles...
and infielder Herb Plews
Herb Plews
Herbert Eugene Plews is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He played four years in the majors, from 1956 to 1959. In the minor leagues he played for Kansas City, Binghamton, Norfolk, and Denver before hitting the majors in 1956. After 1959, Herb finished his career playing back in the...
. The Twins later traded Consolo to the Milwaukee Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
on June 1, 1961 for Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
and some cash. In addition to the Senators/Twins (1959–61), Consolo played for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
and Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in his final 1962 season. His 1957 average of .270 was 41 points better than he hit in any other year.
In a 10-season career, Consolo was a .221 hitter (260 for 1178) with nine home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 83 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 603 games
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, including 158 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, 31 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 11 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, nine stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s, and a .315 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
.
After his playing days ended in 1962, Consolo returned to Los Angeles and like his father before him he became a barber at the old Statler
Statler Hotel
The Statler Hotel company was one of the United States' early chains of hotels catering to traveling businessmen and tourists. It was founded by Ellsworth Milton Statler in Buffalo, New York.- Early ventures :...
Hilton Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
He also worked at Los Angeles Pierce College
Los Angeles Pierce College
Los Angeles Pierce College, also known as Pierce College, Pierce, is a community college that serves more than 23,000 students in the northern Chalk Hills of Woodland Hills, a community within the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.The college began with 70 students...
in Woodland Hills
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
Woodland Hills is a district in the city of Los Angeles, California.Woodland Hills is located in the southwestern area of the San Fernando Valley, east of Calabasas and west of Tarzana, with Warner Center in its northern section...
as a sports instructor.
Consolo told one story of early in his career, Consolo was spotted by Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
limping away from the ball park in street clothes after a game in which he hadn't played. Consolo was limping because he had one of the Kid's bats hidden in one of his pant legs. He planned to give it to a friend.
Williams, who knew what was going on, yelled out to Consolo:
"Tough game, eh, Billy?"
Consolo related another story of how one time he hit the ball into the alley of the oufield getting an inside-the-park home run. However the umpire called him out for missing second base. Consolo said he charged the umpire from the dugout and told the umpire;
"You're wrong. I touched second base. I missed third. But I touched second."
Fact
- According to Baseball AmericaBaseball AmericaBaseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
, Consolo was signed within the bonus limit—officially, at least—but the Red Sox supposedly enhanced their offer to as much as $75,000 by arranging to purchase the barber shop confectionery at the Los Angeles HiltonHilton HotelsHilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
on behalf of his father.