Garvin Hamner
Encyclopedia
Wesley Garvin Hamner was an American
professional baseball
player. A second baseman
and shortstop
, he appeared in one season (1945
) for the Philadelphia Phillies
of Major League Baseball
. His younger brother, Granny Hamner
, would become the Phillies' star shortstop of the 1950 "Whiz Kids"
National League
championship team, while Garvin spent all but two months of his 11-year career in minor league baseball
.
The two Hamners were teammates briefly on the 1945 Phils. While Granny was the better prospect, and had a 17-year MLB career, the similarity in their names caused a mixup during the Rule 5 draft
. The St. Louis Browns
had scouted Granny and wanted to draft him off the Phils' Utica Blue Sox
minor-league roster. But they selected Garvin's name by mistake — and Granny remained with the Phillies, for whom he would later star.
Garvin Hamner, a lifelong resident of Richmond, Virginia
, threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 in 11 in (1.8 m) tall and weighed 172 pounds (78 kg). In 32 Major League games in 1945, he collected 20 hits
in 101 at bats, including three doubles
, for a batting average
of .198. He was sent to the Atlanta Crackers
of the Southern Association
in June and played the rest of his career in the minors. He died at age 79 in Richmond.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player. A second baseman
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...
and 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...
, he appeared in one season (1945
1945 Philadelphia Phillies season
- Offseason :* February 10, 1945: Jimmie Foxx was signed as a free agent by the Phillies.* Prior to 1945 season **Tommy Lasorda was signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies....
) 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...
of 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...
. His younger brother, Granny Hamner
Granny Hamner
Granville Wilbur Hamner was an American shortstop and second baseman in Major League Baseball. Hamner was one of the key players on the "Whiz Kids", the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies...
, would become the Phillies' star shortstop of the 1950 "Whiz Kids"
1950 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies won the National League pennant by two games over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Nicknamed the "Whiz Kids" because of the youth of their roster, they went on to lose the World Series to the New York Yankees in four straight games....
National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
championship team, while Garvin spent all but two months of his 11-year career in minor league baseball
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...
.
The two Hamners were teammates briefly on the 1945 Phils. While Granny was the better prospect, and had a 17-year MLB career, the similarity in their names caused a mixup during the 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...
. 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...
had scouted Granny and wanted to draft him off the Phils' Utica Blue Sox
Utica Blue Sox
The Utica Blue Sox were a minor league baseball team based in Utica, New York. In their most recent incarnation, the Blue Sox played in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League from 1977-2001, with their home games at Donovan Stadium at Murnane Field...
minor-league roster. But they selected Garvin's name by mistake — and Granny remained with the Phillies, for whom he would later star.
Garvin Hamner, a lifelong resident of Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 in 11 in (1.8 m) tall and weighed 172 pounds (78 kg). In 32 Major League games in 1945, he collected 20 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....
in 101 at bats, including three 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....
, for a batting average
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 :...
of .198. He was sent to the Atlanta Crackers
Atlanta Crackers
The Atlanta Crackers were minor league baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee in 1966....
of the Southern Association
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
in June and played the rest of his career in the minors. He died at age 79 in Richmond.