Frankie Hayes

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Frankie Hayes
Runs batted in
628
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Franklin Witman "Blimp" Hayes (October 13, 1914 – June 22, 1955) was an American professional

Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and the Boston Red Sox.[1]

Although Hayes was considered one of the best catchers in the American League in the late 1930s and early 1940s, he played for an Athletics team that routinely finished in last place. He holds the major league record of most consecutive games played by a catcher.[2][3]

Early years

Born and raised in Jamesburg, New Jersey, Hayes was nicknamed "Blimp", even though he was listed at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) and 185 lb (84 kg).[4] He first caught the attention of an umpire who then recommended him to Connie Mack, the owner and manager of the Philadelphia Athletics.[5]

Philadelphia Athletics

Hayes made his major league debut with the Athletics on September 21, 1933, at the age of 18, making him the youngest player in the league at the time.[6] He was hitless in five at bats that season.[1]

After the Athletics' regular catcher,

Albany Senators of the International League.[9]

Hayes returned to the major leagues in

runs batted in. His batting average improved in 1940, when he posted a .308 batting average with 16 home runs and 70 runs batted in.[1] Hayes' on-base percentage also improved from .348 in 1939 to .389, and was once again named as a reserve player for the American League team in the 1940 All-Star Game.[1][13] He had another respectable season in 1941, hitting for a .280 average along with 12 home runs and 63 runs batted in, and for the third consecutive year, was named to as a reserve player for the American League in the 1941 All-Star Game.[1][14]
Despite his contributions, the Athletics finished in last place for the second consecutive season.

Brief stint with the Browns

In January

Most Valuable Player Award balloting.[20][21]

Cleveland Indians

Although Hayes was rated as one of the top catchers in Major League Baseball, he had a reputation for being temperamental and, this may have played a role in Mack's decision to trade him to the

Cleveland Indians for catcher Buddy Rosar in May 1945.[22][23] Contemporary news reports expressed astonishment over the trade, as Hayes was considered one of the best catchers in the league while Rosar was refusing to play for the Indians due to a salary dispute.[24] Hayes immediately assumed the starting catcher's role for the Indians, leading American League catchers with 145 games played and a .988 fielding percentage.[25] He was selected to be a reserve catcher for the American League in the 1945 All-Star Game however, the game was cancelled due to wartime travel restrictions.[26]

From October 2,

no hitter and, he provided the only run of the game with a ninth-inning home run.[27]

Chicago White Sox

In the middle of the 1946 season while mired in a hitting slump, Hayes had a falling out with Indians' manager Lou Boudreau over being benched in favor of Sherm Lollar.[28] Five days after starting for the American League in the 1946 All-Star game, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox.[17][29] He was released by the White Sox after the 1946 season then, signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent.[17] He was given his unconditional release by the Red Sox on May 17, 1947, at the age of 32.[30]

Career statistics

In a fourteen-year major league career, Hayes played in 1,364

runs batted in and a .343 on-base percentage.[1] He ended his career with a .977 fielding percentage.[1] He compiled 30 career stolen bases along with 213 doubles and 32 triples.[1] During his career, he was named to six All-Star teams.[1] He led the American League three times in total chances per game, twice each in putouts, double plays, and once each in assists and fielding percentage as a catcher.[3] When he caught 155 games in 1944, he set a still-standing American League record for games played in a season as catcher.[3][31] His accomplishment of 312 consecutive games caught remains an unbroken major league record. Hayes' 29 double plays in 1945 is the second-highest season total ever for a catcher, behind Steve O'Neill's record of 36, set in 1916.[3][32]

Later life

Hayes operated a sporting goods store in

retroperitoneal hemorrhage in the site's "Too Young to Die" entries for 1955.[33]

Sources

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Frankie Hayes at Baseball Reference". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Ironmen Catchers". The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d "Frankie Hayes". baseballbiography.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  4. ^ a b The Fans speak Out. January 1996. Retrieved 31 January 2012. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Frankie Hayes New York Times obituary". thedeadballera.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  6. ^ "1933 American League Awards, All-Stars and Other Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  7. ^ "Texas catcher earning respect". Times Daily. Associated Press. 21 April 1992. p. 4. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  8. ^ "Baseball's 1934 All Star Tour Of Japan". philadelphiaathletics.org. Archived from the original on 6 May 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  9. ^ "Frankie Hayes minor league statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  10. ^ "Frankie Hayes Equals Major League Record". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. 26 July 1936. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  11. ^ "Doubles Records". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  12. ^ "1939 All-Star Game". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  13. ^ "1940 All-Star Game". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  14. ^ "1941 All-Star Game". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  15. ^ "Mack Refuses Deal, Retains Injured Star". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 23 May 1942. p. 14. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  16. ^ "Frankie Hayes Is Traded To Browns". Times Daily. Associated Press. 27 May 1942. p. 7. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  17. ^ a b c "Frankie Hayes Trades and Transactions". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  18. ^ "Hayes Making Mack Smart Trader by Great Comeback". The Evening Independent. Associated Press. 25 May 1944. p. 14. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  19. ^ "1944 American League Fielding Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  20. ^ "1944 All-Star Game". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  21. ^ "1944 American League Most Valuable Player Award voting results". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  22. ^ "Major league stardom value tumbles as Chisox get Frank Hayes for $7500". Reading Eagle. 21 July 1946. p. 15. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  23. ^ "Mack Gets Rosar for Frank Hayes". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. 30 May 1945. p. 6. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  24. ^ "Plenty of guesses but no answers why Mr. Mack trades Frank Hayes". The Windsor Daily Star. 30 May 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  25. ISSN 0005-609X
  26. ^ "1945 All-Star Game". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  27. ^ "April 30, 1946 Indians-Yankees box score". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  28. ^ Gibbons, Frank (November 1946). The Hayes Misunderstanding. Retrieved 31 January 2012. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  29. ^ "1946 All-Star Game". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  30. ^ "Frankie Hayes Is Dropped by Sox". San Jose News. United Press International. 22 May 1947. p. 15. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  31. ISSN 0005-609X
  32. ^ "Catchers' Double Play records". The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  33. ^ TheDeadball Era.com

External links

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