Billy Herman (1975)


Date of Birth: 7/7/1909
Date of Death: 9/5/1992
Birthplace: New Albany, Indiana

Billy Herman started his professional baseball career in 1928 with the Louisville Colonels of the American Association. After more than three years with them, his contract was purchased by the Chicago Cubs in August, 1931.

Chicago Cubs

Herman made his first start in the major leagues in 1931 with the Cubs, playing in 25 games with them. The next year, Herman's first full season in the major leagues, he batted .314 with 206 hits and 42 doubles in 154 games.

Herman batted .279 in 153 games in 1933. He had 173 hits, 35 doubles, and 44 RBIs. A good defensive player, he led all NL second basemen in double plays turned with 114 and in putouts with 466. The following season, he batted .303 with 138 hits in 113 games.

Herman's best seasons were 1935 and 1936. He had a career high of 57 doubles in each season. He led the NL in hits and doubles in 1935. He finished the season with a career high 227 hits, 57 doubles, 83 RBIs, and a career high batting average of .341 in 154 games. In 1936, he batted .334 with 211 hits and 93 RBIs in 153 games. He also played well defensively both seasons, leading NL second basemen in 1935 in assists (520), double plays turned (109), and putouts (416), and in 1936 in putouts with 457.

In 1937, Herman had another good year, batting .335 in 138 games. He had 189 hits, 35 doubles, and 65 RBIs. His batting average dropped to .277 in 1938, but he played well defensively, again leading NL second basemen in putouts with 404.

Herman had another strong season in 1939, with career highs in games played (156) and triples (18). He led the NL in triples and assists (520). He also led all NL second basemen in double plays turned (95) and putouts (377). He finished the 1940 season, his last one with the Cubs, with 163 hits and a .292 batting average in 135 games. He again led NL second basemen in putouts with 366.

Brooklyn Dodgers

In 1941, after 11 games and a batting average of .194, the Cubs traded Herman to the Brooklyn Dodgers. He played with the Dodgers from 1941-1943. He had a good season in 1943, batting .330 with 193 hits and a career high 100 RBIs in 153 games.

After the 1943 season ended, Herman left to serve in World War II. He returned to the Dodgers in 1946, and after 47 games, he was traded to the Boston Braves. He played in 75 games with the Braves. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 30, 1946.

Final Years as a Player

Herman spent 1947, his last season as a player in the major leagues, with the Pirates, playing in just 15 games that season. He was also manager of the Pirates and the team ended the season with 61 wins to 92 losses.

Career Statistics

Statistics for Herman in 13 full seasons (1932-1943, 1946) in the major leagues include:

  • 10 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 227 in 1935
  • 11 seasons with 30 or more doubles, with a high of 57 in 1935 and 1936
  • 7 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .341 in 1935

Career batting statistics for Herman include:

  • 1,922 games played
  • 2,345 hits
  • 486 doubles
  • 82 triples
  • 839 RBIs
  • 428 strikeouts to 737 walks
  • .304 batting average
  • .367 on-base percentage
  • .774 OPS

Career fielding statistics for Herman at second base include:

  • 1,813 games played
  • 5,681 assists
  • 1,177 double plays
  • 4,780 putouts
  • 354 errors
  • .967 fielding percentage

Postseason statistics for Herman include:

  • 4 postseasons
  • 18 games played
  • 66 at-bats
  • 16 hits
  • 3 doubles
  • 1 triple
  • 1 home run
  • 7 RBIs
  • 9 strikeouts to 4 walks
  • .242 batting average

Post Playing Career

After retiring as a major league player, Herman managed in the minor leagues for four years (1948-1951).

In 1952, Herman returned to the major leagues as a coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He remained in that position for six years, and then switched to the Milwaukee Braves for two years.

In 1960, Herman left his coaching position with the Braves to become a coach with the Boston Red Sox. After coaching the Red Sox for five years, Herman became their manager for the 1965 and 1966 seasons. He was not successful as a manager with Boston and his record with them was 128 wins to 182 losses.

In 1967, Herman returned to coaching, this time with the California Angels. After that season, he retired from major league baseball until 1978, when he returned to be a coach for the San Diego Padres for two years.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Billy Herman
ESPN - Billy Herman
Baseball Reference - Billy Herman

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