Herb Plews
Encyclopedia
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 minors for Toronto, Birmingham, Hawaii, Tacoma, and Arkansas, retiring in 1965. During his playng career he served in the military from 1951 to 1952, during the Korean War.
. He entered the game as a replacement in the 8th inning and stole a base on his first career attempt. He played 13 games for the Blues, tallying 13 hits to make for a .298 batting average
. Later he had a very brief stint for the Class B Quincy Gems
, appearing in two games but did not record an official at bat
.
In January of 1953, Plews was invited to attend training camp with the New York Yankees
. In April, it was announced he did not make the team and was also assigned to the minor league Class A Binghamton Triplets
. He was later moved to the Class B Norfolk Tars
, where he had immediate success. Through his first 53 games in the Piedmont League
, he hit for a .323 batting average, one of the highest in the league, 2nd only to teammate Jerry Lynch
and his mark of .331. He ended the season with a .304 average, good enough for 6th in the league, 2 home runs, and 111 hits.
In March of 1954, Plews and teammate Jim Ludtka accomplished the rare feat of hitting two Inside-the-park home run
in a single game, hitting both off pitcher Roger Higgins of the Little Rock Travelers
.
In 1954 he led the Southern Association
in Triples
and the following year at Denver he drew the attention of the Senators who in turn got him a trade with New York.
. He currently lives in a retirement community in Boulder, Colorado.
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...
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...
. He played four years in the majors, from 1956 to 1959. In the minor leagues
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...
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 minors for Toronto, Birmingham, Hawaii, Tacoma, and Arkansas, retiring in 1965. During his playng career he served in the military from 1951 to 1952, during the Korean War.
Early Career
On June 17, 1950, fresh off his stint in college at the University of Illinois, Plews played in his first professional baseball game for the Class AAA Kansas City BluesKansas City Blues (American Association)
The Kansas City Blues are a former minor league baseball team located in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Midwestern United States. The team was one of the eight founding members of the American Association....
. He entered the game as a replacement in the 8th inning and stole a base on his first career attempt. He played 13 games for the Blues, tallying 13 hits to make for a .298 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 :...
. Later he had a very brief stint for the Class B Quincy Gems
Quincy Gems
The Quincy Gems are a collegiate summer league baseball team located in Quincy, Illinois. The team plays in the Prospect League, which absorbed their former league, the Central Illinois Collegiate League.Records- Records :CareerGames...
, appearing in two games but did not record an official at bat
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...
.
In January of 1953, Plews was invited to attend training camp with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The 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...
. In April, it was announced he did not make the team and was also assigned to the minor league Class A Binghamton Triplets
Binghamton Triplets
The Binghamton Triplets were a minor league baseball team in Binghamton, New York, affiliated with the New York Yankees ; the team also had brief affiliations with the Kansas City Athletics and the Milwaukee Braves...
. He was later moved to the Class B Norfolk Tars
Norfolk Tars
The Norfolk Tars were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1906 to 1955. Based in Norfolk, Virginia, they played in the Virginia League from 1906 to 1918 and from 1921 to 1928, in the Eastern League from 1931 to 1932 and in the Piedmont League from 1934 to 1955, and from 1934...
, where he had immediate success. Through his first 53 games in the Piedmont League
Piedmont League
The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States.- Former :...
, he hit for a .323 batting average, one of the highest in the league, 2nd only to teammate Jerry Lynch
Jerry Lynch
Gerald Thomas Lynch is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds . He was born in Munger, Michigan....
and his mark of .331. He ended the season with a .304 average, good enough for 6th in the league, 2 home runs, and 111 hits.
In March of 1954, Plews and teammate Jim Ludtka accomplished the rare feat of hitting two Inside-the-park home run
Inside-the-park home run
In baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
in a single game, hitting both off pitcher Roger Higgins of the Little Rock Travelers
Little Rock Travelers
The Little Rock Travelers were an American minor league baseball team located in Little Rock, Arkansas and members of the Southern Association, which as a Class A, A1 or AA circuit was typically two rungs below Major League Baseball...
.
In 1954 he led 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 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 the following year at Denver he drew the attention of the Senators who in turn got him a trade with New York.
Personal
Herb attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. He currently lives in a retirement community in Boulder, Colorado.