Jim Hearn
Encyclopedia
James Tolbert Hearn was an American
right-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
for 13 seasons (1947–59). A right-hander, he stood 6 in 3 in (1.91 m) tall and weighed 205 pounds (93 kg).
, Hearn attended Georgia Tech
and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals
in . He spent two years in the minor leagues
and three in military service during World War II
, before being called up in . After compiling a 21-17 record for the Cardinals over all or parts of four seasons, he was placed on waivers and claimed by the New York Giants
on July 10, . He then went on to lead the National League
in earned run average
(2.49) and win 11 of 14 decisions for manager Leo Durocher
that season.
Hearn was a crucial member of the Giants' starting rotation, winning 17 games and helping them overcome a 13½-game mid-August deficit to the Brooklyn Dodgers
to win the NL pennant. He defeated the Dodgers 3-1 in Game 1 of the NL pennant playoff, and pitched effectively in the 1951 World Series
, defeating the eventual champion New York Yankees
6-2 in his only start, in Game 3 at the Polo Grounds
. He gave up only one earned run
in the Series, for a Fall Classic ERA of 1.04.
Hearn pitched in New York for five more seasons, but compiled only a 50-54 record through 1956. The following season he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
, where he had some success as a relief pitcher
. During his last season , Hearn was involved in a bizarre episode. On May 10, he pitched 1⅓ innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates
and gave up two runs before the game was suspended. He was given his unconditional release 12 days later. The suspended game was resumed in July, and Pittsburgh held on to win. Thus Hearn was charged with a loss, weeks after his career had ended.
Overall, Hearn appeared in 396 games, winning 109, losing 89, with an ERA of 3.81. He was an excellent golf
er and opened a golf school after his baseball career ended. He died at age 77 in Boca Grande, Florida
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In 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...
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...
for 13 seasons (1947–59). A right-hander, he stood 6 in 3 in (1.91 m) tall and weighed 205 pounds (93 kg).
Career
Born in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Hearn attended Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
and signed 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...
in . He spent two years 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...
and three in military service during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, before being called up in . After compiling a 21-17 record for the Cardinals over all or parts of four seasons, he was placed on waivers and claimed by the New York 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....
on July 10, . He then went on to lead the 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...
in earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(2.49) and win 11 of 14 decisions for manager Leo Durocher
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher , nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by...
that season.
Hearn was a crucial member of the Giants' starting rotation, winning 17 games and helping them overcome a 13½-game mid-August deficit to the 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...
to win the NL pennant. He defeated the Dodgers 3-1 in Game 1 of the NL pennant playoff, and pitched effectively in the 1951 World Series
1951 World Series
The 1951 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the New York Giants, who had won the National League pennant in a thrilling three-game playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers on the legendary home run by Bobby Thomson .In the Series, the Yankees showed some power of...
, defeating the eventual champion 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...
6-2 in his only start, in Game 3 at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
. He gave up only one earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
in the Series, for a Fall Classic ERA of 1.04.
Hearn pitched in New York for five more seasons, but compiled only a 50-54 record through 1956. The following season he was traded to 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...
, where he had some success as a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. During his last season , Hearn was involved in a bizarre episode. On May 10, he pitched 1⅓ innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
and gave up two runs before the game was suspended. He was given his unconditional release 12 days later. The suspended game was resumed in July, and Pittsburgh held on to win. Thus Hearn was charged with a loss, weeks after his career had ended.
Statistics
Another interesting footnote about Hearn is that he hit two inside-the-park home runs, including one in a game on July 9, 1955 in which he also hit a traditional fence-clearing homer. Hearn's feat is notable in that there have been only a total of eight inside-the-park home runs hit by pitchers since 1954.Overall, Hearn appeared in 396 games, winning 109, losing 89, with an ERA of 3.81. He was an excellent golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er and opened a golf school after his baseball career ended. He died at age 77 in Boca Grande, Florida
Boca Grande, Florida
Boca Grande is a small residential community on Gasparilla Island, in southwest Florida. Gasparilla Island is a part of both Charlotte and Lee Counties, while the actual village of Boca Grande, which is home to many seasonal and some year-round residents, is entirely in the Lee County portion of...
.