Don Blasingame
Encyclopedia
Don Lee Blasingame was a second baseman
in Major League Baseball
who played with the St. Louis Cardinals
(1955–1959), San Francisco Giants
(1960–1961), Cincinnati Reds
(1961–1963), Washington Senators
(1963–1966) and Kansas City Athletics
(1966). Blasingame batted left-handed and threw right-handed. His father-in-law, Walker Cooper
, also was a major leaguer.
Nicknamed “Blazer”, Blasingame was a hustling everyday second baseman with five MLB teams in 12 seasons, but he was best known for becoming only the third American
(after Wally Yonamine and Joe Lutz
) to manage
in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
Blasingame was a .258 career hitter
with 21 home run
s and 308 RBI
in 1444 games
.
A classic line drive
hitter, Blasingame was also a skillful bunter and a fast and smart runner. In 1956, he started as a regular with the Cardinals replacing Red Schoendienst
. In his career, Blasingame was particularly fast getting down the line, hitting into fewer double play
s (one in every 123 at-bats
) than anyone in major league history except Don Buford
.
Blasingame enjoyed his best season in 1957, when he hit .271 and posted career-highs in home runs (8), RBI (58), runs
(101), hits
(176) and stolen base
s (21). In 1958, he followed with .274, 19 doubles
, 10 triples
and 20 steals, and also was named to the National League All-Star
team. In 1959, Blasingame hit .289 with 26 doubles
, both career highs.
After seven years shared with the Reds, Giants, Senators and Athletics, Blasingame finished his major league career in the 1966 season.
Opting to continue his playing career in Japan
, Blasingame joined the Nankai Hawks
in 1967, playing as a second baseman for three years until 1969, when he joined the team‘s coaching
staff for the next nine seasons. In 1978, he was named head coach of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp
for just one season. Blasingame then managed the Hanshin Tigers
for two seasons before returning to the Nankai Hawks from 1981 to 1982. As manager for the two teams, he compiled a record of 180-208-28 (ties are played in Japanese baseball).
Blasingame died in Fountain Hills, Arizona at the age of 73.
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
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 with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(1955–1959), San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1960–1961), 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....
(1961–1963), Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1963–1966) 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....
(1966). Blasingame batted left-handed and threw right-handed. His father-in-law, Walker Cooper
Walker Cooper
William Walker Cooper was an American professional baseball player. He was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played for six National League teams from 1940 to 1957...
, also was a major leaguer.
Nicknamed “Blazer”, Blasingame was a hustling everyday second baseman with five MLB teams in 12 seasons, but he was best known for becoming only the third American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(after Wally Yonamine and Joe Lutz
Wally Kaname Yonamine
Wallace Kaname "Wally" Yonamine , also known as Wally Yonamine, was a multi-sport American athlete who played in the All-America Football Conference and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball....
) to manage
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 Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
Blasingame was a .258 career hitter
Batting (baseball)
In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher...
with 21 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 308 RBI
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 1444 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,...
.
A classic line drive
Types of batted balls in baseball
In baseball, a batted ball is any ball that, after a pitch, is contacted by the batter's bat. One or more of several terms are used to describe a batted ball, depending on how it comes off the bat and where in the field it lands....
hitter, Blasingame was also a skillful bunter and a fast and smart runner. In 1956, he started as a regular with the Cardinals replacing Red Schoendienst
Red Schoendienst
Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst is an American Major League Baseball coach, former player and manager, and 10-time All-star. After a 19-year playing career with the St...
. In his career, Blasingame was particularly fast getting down the line, hitting into fewer double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
s (one in every 123 at-bats
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
) than anyone in major league history except Don Buford
Don Buford
Donald Alvin Buford is a former Major League Baseball player. An infielder/outfielder, the switch-hitting Buford played for the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles ....
.
Blasingame enjoyed his best season in 1957, when he hit .271 and posted career-highs in home runs (8), RBI (58), 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...
(101), hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(176) and 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 (21). In 1958, he followed with .274, 19 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....
, 10 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....
and 20 steals, and also was named to the National League All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
team. In 1959, Blasingame hit .289 with 26 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....
, both career highs.
After seven years shared with the Reds, Giants, Senators and Athletics, Blasingame finished his major league career in the 1966 season.
Opting to continue his playing career in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Blasingame joined the Nankai Hawks
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
The are a Japanese baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The team was bought on January 28, 2005 by the SoftBank Corporation.The team was formerly known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. In 1988, Daiei bought the team from Osaka's Nankai Electric Railway Co., and its headquarters were...
in 1967, playing as a second baseman for three years until 1969, when he joined the team‘s coaching
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...
staff for the next nine seasons. In 1978, he was named head coach of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp
Hiroshima Toyo Carp
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda. Mazda is the largest single shareholder , which is less than the portion owned by the Matsuda family . Because of that,...
for just one season. Blasingame then managed the Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
for two seasons before returning to the Nankai Hawks from 1981 to 1982. As manager for the two teams, he compiled a record of 180-208-28 (ties are played in Japanese baseball).
Blasingame died in Fountain Hills, Arizona at the age of 73.
Trivia
- Five times, César TovarCésar TovarCésar Leonardo Tovar , nicknamed "Pepito" and "Mr. Versatility", was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins , Philadelphia Phillies , Texas Rangers , Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees...
and Eddie MilnerEddie MilnerEdward James Milner is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants , primarily as a center fielder. Milner batted and threw left-handed.Eddie Milner was drafted out of Central State...
collected their teams' only hit in a single game, an MLB record. Blasingame is the runner up, with four.- July 13, 1962: CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Cal KoonceCal KoonceCalvin Lee Koonce , was a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1962-1971. He played for the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs.-External links:...
one-hits the Reds, a singleSingle (baseball)In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
by Blasingame, to win, 1–0. - August 6, 1963: YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
Stan WilliamsStan Williams (baseball)Stanley Wilson Williams , nicknamed "Big Daddy" and "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball starting and relief pitcher who threw and batted right-handed. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Yankees , Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , St...
one-hits the Senators, giving up a double to Blasingame. - August 20, 1963: Two weeks later, Blasingame singles off the A's Moe DrabowskyMoe DrabowskyMyron Walter Drabowsky was a Polish-American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs , Milwaukee Braves , Cincinnati Reds , Kansas City Athletics , Baltimore Orioles , Kansas City Royals , St...
for the only hit for the Senators in a 9–0 loss. - September 25, 1965: TwinsMinnesota TwinsThe 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...
hurler Mudcat GrantMudcat GrantJames Timothy "Mudcat" Grant is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , Los Angeles Dodgers , Montreal Expos , St. Louis Cardinals , Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates...
one-hits the Senators to win, 5–0. Blasingame's double in the 3rd inning is the only hit against Washington.t - Married the daughter of St. Louis Cardinal teammate Walker CooperWalker CooperWilliam Walker Cooper was an American professional baseball player. He was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played for six National League teams from 1940 to 1957...
Sara (Miss Missouri 1957) to which Cooper responded, "You know you are getting too old when your daughter marries one of your teammates." Cooper was kidded by his old friend George MungerRed MungerGeorge David "Red" Munger was an American professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher who spent a decade in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates...
, "The only way that Sara could have ever become Miss Missouri is because she takes after her Mom and not you."
- July 13, 1962: Cubs