Billy DeMars
Encyclopedia
William Lester DeMars is a retired American
shortstop
and coach
in Major League Baseball
. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 5'10" (178 cm) tall and weighed 160 pounds (73 kg) during his playing career.
Originally signed by his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers
during the Second World War, DeMars was selected by the Philadelphia Athletics
in the 1947 rule 5 draft
after batting
.328 with 88 runs batted in for the Class B Asheville Tourists
of the Tri-State League
— DeMars' best overall season in professional baseball. He would play 80 major league games over three seaons for the A's and the St. Louis Browns
, batting .237 with no home runs and 14 RBI in 211 at bats. He spent the prime of his career with the AAA Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League
from 1952-55.
On May 25, 1958, DeMars began an 11-year minor league
managerial career
in the Baltimore Orioles
' farm system with the Class C Aberdeen Pheasants
of the Northern League
, who had lost 23 of their first 25 games. While the Pheasants continued to flounder under DeMars, winning only 37 of 100 games, the improved performance earned DeMars an invitation to return to the Orioles' system with the Class C Stockton Ports
of the California League
in 1959, where he posted a winning record. He managed in the Baltimore organization through 1968 — working alongside future major league managers such as Earl Weaver
, Joe Altobelli
, Darrell Johnson
, Jim Frey
, Clyde King
, Cal Ripken, Sr.
, and Billy Hunter
. He succeeded Weaver as pilot of the AAA Rochester Red Wings
in 1968, and led the Red Wings into the playoffs. Overall, his managing record was 711 wins, 729 losses (.493) with one championship, won with the Class A Fox Cities Foxes of the Midwest League
in 1964.
DeMars began a 19-year major league coaching career with the Philadelphia Phillies
, eventually becoming one of the most respected batting coaches in the game. He was a member of the Phils' staff for 13 seasons, including the world championship
club — first in Phillies' history — and National League East Division champion teams in 1976
-77
-78
. DeMars left the Phils after the season and coached six more seasons with the Montreal Expos
(1982-84) and Cincinnati Reds
(1985-87), where he was a key advisor to playing manager Pete Rose
; Rose called DeMars the best hitting coach with whom he had ever worked. Although his 1987 resignation from the Cincinnati coaching staff ended his MLB career, DeMars would remain in baseball, and return to the Phillies, as a roving minor league batting instructor during the 1990s.
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...
. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 5'10" (178 cm) tall and weighed 160 pounds (73 kg) during his playing career.
Originally signed by his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
during the Second World War, DeMars was selected by the Philadelphia 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 the 1947 rule 5 draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
after 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 :...
.328 with 88 runs batted in for the Class B Asheville Tourists
Asheville Tourists
The Asheville Tourists are a minor league baseball team based in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. They play in the Class A South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Colorado Rockies since 1994....
of the Tri-State League
Tri-State League
The Tri-State League was the name of five different circuits in American minor league baseball.-History:The first league of that name played for four years and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia....
— DeMars' best overall season in professional baseball. He would play 80 major league games over three seaons for the A's and the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, batting .237 with no home runs and 14 RBI in 211 at bats. He spent the prime of his career with the AAA Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
from 1952-55.
On May 25, 1958, DeMars began an 11-year minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
managerial career
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
' farm system with the Class C Aberdeen Pheasants
Aberdeen Pheasants
The Aberdeen Pheasants were a class C minor league baseball team located in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The Pheasants were the Class C minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Browns until 1953. When the Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954 and changed their name to the Orioles, the Pheasants remained in...
of the Northern League
Northern League (baseball, 1902-71)
This article refers to the original incarnations of the Northern League, which operated between 1902 and 1971. For the more recent league, see Northern League ...
, who had lost 23 of their first 25 games. While the Pheasants continued to flounder under DeMars, winning only 37 of 100 games, the improved performance earned DeMars an invitation to return to the Orioles' system with the Class C Stockton Ports
Stockton Ports
The Stockton Ports are a baseball team in Stockton, California. The Ports play in the Northern Division of the Class A – Advanced California League and are a Minor League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Their home field is Banner Island Ballpark which seats over 5,000 people and opened in...
of the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
in 1959, where he posted a winning record. He managed in the Baltimore organization through 1968 — working alongside future major league managers such as Earl Weaver
Earl Weaver
Earl Sidney Weaver is a former Major League Baseball manager. He spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Baltimore Orioles . Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.-Playing career:After playing for Beaumont High School in St...
, Joe Altobelli
Joe Altobelli
Joseph Salvatore Altobelli is an American former player, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. In , he succeeded Hall of Famer Earl Weaver as manager of the Baltimore Orioles and led the team to their sixth American League pennant and their third World Series championship.- Personal life...
, Darrell Johnson
Darrell Johnson
Darrell Dean Johnson was an American Major League Baseball catcher, coach, manager and scout.-Playing career:...
, Jim Frey
Jim Frey
James Gottfried Frey is a former manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He led the Kansas City Royals to their first American League championship in 1980, in his first year with the team...
, Clyde King
Clyde King
Clyde Edward King was an American pitcher, coach, manager, general manager and front office executive in Major League Baseball. King, whose career in baseball spanned over 60 years, was perhaps best known for his longtime role as a special baseball advisor to George Steinbrenner, late owner of the...
, Cal Ripken, Sr.
Cal Ripken, Sr.
Calvin Edwin Ripken, Sr. was a coach and manager in Major League Baseball who spent 36 years in the Baltimore Orioles organization, also as a player and scout. He played in the Orioles' farm system beginning in 1957, and later served as manager of the parent club, on which his sons Cal Jr...
, and Billy Hunter
Billy Hunter (baseball)
Gordon William Hunter is a retired American shortstop, coach and manager in Major League Baseball.A slick-fielding, light-hitting shortstop from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the right-handed-batting Hunter was originally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers. With his path to the majors blocked by Pee Wee...
. He succeeded Weaver as pilot of the AAA Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
in 1968, and led the Red Wings into the playoffs. Overall, his managing record was 711 wins, 729 losses (.493) with one championship, won with the Class A Fox Cities Foxes of the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
in 1964.
DeMars began a 19-year major league coaching career with 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...
, eventually becoming one of the most respected batting coaches in the game. He was a member of the Phils' staff for 13 seasons, including the world championship
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
club — first in Phillies' history — and National League East Division champion teams in 1976
1976 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees ; Johnny Bench, MVP*All-Star Game, July 13 at Veterans Stadium: National League, 7-1; George Foster, MVP-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Naranjeros de Hermosillo...
-77
1977 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Reggie Jackson, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: None*National League Championship Series MVP: Dusty Baker...
-78
1978 in baseball
-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Indios de Mayagüez *College World Series: USC*Japan Series: Yakult Swallows over Hankyu Braves *Little League World Series: Pin-Kuang, Pin-Tung, Taiwan-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player...
. DeMars left the Phils after the season and coached six more seasons with the Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
(1982-84) and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1985-87), where he was a key advisor to playing manager Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
; Rose called DeMars the best hitting coach with whom he had ever worked. Although his 1987 resignation from the Cincinnati coaching staff ended his MLB career, DeMars would remain in baseball, and return to the Phillies, as a roving minor league batting instructor during the 1990s.