Solly Hemus
Encyclopedia
Solomon Joseph Hemus is a retired infielder
, manager
and coach
in American
Major League Baseball
.
As a player (1949–59) with the St. Louis Cardinals
and Philadelphia Phillies
, Hemus was primarily a shortstop
, although he also saw significant time as a second baseman
. He compiled a lifetime batting average
of .273 in 969 games, with 51 home run
s. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Hemus was a hard-nosed player known for battling with opponents and umpires. When he was traded to the Phillies in May , Hemus wrote a letter to Cardinals owner August "Gussie" Busch
, expressing his pride in being a Cardinal and his gratitude to the baseball club. With his career winding down, he was reacquired by the Cardinals during the autumn of 1958 and named the St. Louis player-manager by Busch, who admired Hemus' fiery personality and remembered his letter from 2½ years before.
As a player, Hemus appeared in 24 games - mostly as a pinch-hitter - in before concentrating on his managerial responsibilities. His Cardinals were inconsistent: a seventh place (71-83) finish in his rookie managerial campaign (1959) was followed by a 15-game improvement (86-68) and a leap to third place in his second season . The Redbirds followed with a poor start in , losing 16 of their first 19 games. They were mired in sixth place in July (at 33-41) when Hemus was replaced by one of his coaches, Johnny Keane
. His career major league managing record was 190-192 (.497).
Hemus then served as a coach with the New York Mets
(1962–63) and Cleveland Indians
(1964–65). He managed the Mets' top farm club, the Jacksonville Suns
of the AAA International League
, in 1966 before leaving baseball and entering the oil business in his adopted home city of Houston, Texas
.
During his tenure in Philadelphia, Hemus made history when he was removed for pinch runner
John Kennedy at Roosevelt Stadium
in Jersey City, New Jersey
, during a league game against the Brooklyn Dodgers
on April 22, 1957. It marked the major league debut of Kennedy, the first African-American player in Philadelphia Phillies history. Ironically, in 2011 Hall-of-Famer Bob Gibson
indicated that racial prejudice on Hemus's part had intruded on his later role as the Cards' manager when Hemus disparaged both Gibson and teammate Curt Flood
by telling them they weren't good enough to make it as major leaguers and should try something else. Hemus' replacement, coach Johnny Keane, was a Gibson supporter who had managed the pitcher in the minor-leagues.
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
, manager
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...
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 American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
.
As a player (1949–59) 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...
and 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...
, Hemus was primarily a 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...
, although he also saw significant time as 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...
. He compiled a lifetime 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 .273 in 969 games, with 51 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. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Hemus was a hard-nosed player known for battling with opponents and umpires. When he was traded to the Phillies in May , Hemus wrote a letter to Cardinals owner August "Gussie" Busch
Gussie Busch
August "Gussie" Anheuser Busch, Jr. was an American brewing magnate who built the Anheuser-Busch Companies into the largest brewery in the world as company chairman from 1946–75, and became a prominent sportsman as owner of the St...
, expressing his pride in being a Cardinal and his gratitude to the baseball club. With his career winding down, he was reacquired by the Cardinals during the autumn of 1958 and named the St. Louis player-manager by Busch, who admired Hemus' fiery personality and remembered his letter from 2½ years before.
As a player, Hemus appeared in 24 games - mostly as a pinch-hitter - in before concentrating on his managerial responsibilities. His Cardinals were inconsistent: a seventh place (71-83) finish in his rookie managerial campaign (1959) was followed by a 15-game improvement (86-68) and a leap to third place in his second season . The Redbirds followed with a poor start in , losing 16 of their first 19 games. They were mired in sixth place in July (at 33-41) when Hemus was replaced by one of his coaches, Johnny Keane
Johnny Keane
John Joseph Keane was an American manager in Major League Baseball. Born in St. Louis, Missouri and known as a patient manager of young players, Keane participated in one of the strangest turns of events in baseball history in , his final season at the helm of the St...
. His career major league managing record was 190-192 (.497).
Hemus then served as a coach with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
(1962–63) and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(1964–65). He managed the Mets' top farm club, the Jacksonville Suns
Jacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The team is currently a member of the Southern League and is the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team...
of the AAA 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...
, in 1966 before leaving baseball and entering the oil business in his adopted home city of Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
During his tenure in Philadelphia, Hemus made history when he was removed for pinch runner
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
John Kennedy at Roosevelt Stadium
Roosevelt Stadium
Roosevelt Stadium was a baseball park at Droyer's Point in Jersey City, New Jersey. It opened in April 1937 and hosted high-minor league baseball, seven major league baseball games, plus championship boxing matches, top-name musical acts, important regional high school football and even soccer...
in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, during a league game against 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...
on April 22, 1957. It marked the major league debut of Kennedy, the first African-American player in Philadelphia Phillies history. Ironically, in 2011 Hall-of-Famer Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
indicated that racial prejudice on Hemus's part had intruded on his later role as the Cards' manager when Hemus disparaged both Gibson and teammate Curt Flood
Curt Flood
Curtis Charles Flood was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. A defensive standout, he led the National League in putouts four times and in fielding percentage twice, winning Gold Glove Awards in his last seven full seasons...
by telling them they weren't good enough to make it as major leaguers and should try something else. Hemus' replacement, coach Johnny Keane, was a Gibson supporter who had managed the pitcher in the minor-leagues.