Rollie Hemsley
Rollie Hemsley | |
---|---|
Catcher | |
Born: Syracuse, Ohio, U.S. | June 24, 1907|
Died: July 31, 1972 Washington, D.C., U.S. | (aged 65)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 19, 1928, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
Last MLB appearance | |
April 17, 1947, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .262 |
Home runs | 31 |
Runs batted in | 555 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
Ralston Burdett Hemsley (June 24, 1907 – July 31, 1972) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for 19 seasons from 1928 to 1947. Born in Syracuse, Ohio, he was nicknamed "Rollicking Rollie".[1] Hemsley batted and threw right-handed.
Major league career
Hemsley began his major league career in
Hemsley became the starting catcher for the Browns in the
After playing another season in Cleveland, Hemsley was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds for a second stint on December 4,
Career statistics
In a nineteen-year major league career, Hemsley played in 1,593
Battle with alcoholism
Hemsley was known for having a drinking problem, one which caused him to be kicked off four separate clubs.[3] Hemsley would later attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to help himself sober up.[1] He revealed his membership to the press in 1940, becoming the first AA member to break their anonymity on a national level.[10] Hemsley's anonymity break was one of the first developments to raise questions and concern about personal anonymity in the organization.[11]
Post-playing career
After retiring, Hemsley operated a real estate office in
References
- ^ a b c "Rollie Hemsley Left His Imprint on Baseball, by Hal Lebovitz, Baseball Digest, November 1972, Vol. 31, No. 11, ISSN 0005-609X".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Rollie Hemsley Statistics – Baseball-Reference.com". Retrieved 2007-05-26.
- ^ a b c "Rollie Hemsley". Retrieved 2007-05-28.
- ^ "Catching Feud May Speed Up Indian's Drive". The Sunday Morning Star. United Press. 16 April 1939. p. 26. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ "Retrosheet Boxscore: Cleveland Indians 1, Chicago White Sox 0". www.retrosheet.org.
- ^ "Baseball Digest, July 2001, P.86, Vol. 60, No. 7, ISSN 0005-609X".
- ^ a b "Buddy Gets Protection". Time. August 3, 1942. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
- ^ "Hemsley Picked For Job Buddy Rosar Gives Up". The Milwaukee Journal. United Press. 20 July 1942. p. 6. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ "Pennant Parade". Time. September 11, 1944. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
- ^ "Timelines in AA's history, 1940". Retrieved 2007-05-28.
- ^ Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age. Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc. 1957. pp. 24–25.
- ^ a b "Rollie Hemsley is dead at 65: Catcher played for seven clubs". August 1, 1972. Retrieved 2007-05-30 – via The New York Times.
- ^ "Rollie Hemsley Minor Leagues Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.