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| {{Short description|American baseball player (1910–1940)}} | |||
| {{Infobox MLB player | |||
| {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} | |||
| {{Infobox baseball biography | |||
| |name=Willard Hershberger | |name=Willard Hershberger | ||
| |position=] | |position=] | ||
| |image=Willard Hershberger. |
|image=Willard Hershberger 1939.jpg | ||
| |width=250px | |||
| |caption=Hershberger, circa 1939 | |||
| |bats=Right | |bats=Right | ||
| |throws=Right | |throws=Right | ||
| |birth_date={{Birth date|1910|5|28|mf=y}} | |birth_date={{Birth date|1910|5|28|mf=y}} | ||
| |birth_place=] | |birth_place=], U.S. | ||
| |death_date={{death date and age|1940|8|3|1910|5|28}} | |death_date={{death date and age|1940|8|3|1910|5|28}} | ||
| |death_place=] | |death_place=], U.S. | ||
| |debutleague = MLB | |||
| |debutdate=April 19 | |debutdate=April 19 | ||
| |debutyear=1938 | |debutyear=1938 | ||
| |debutteam=Cincinnati Reds | |debutteam=Cincinnati Reds | ||
| |finalleague = MLB | |||
| |finaldate=August 2 | |finaldate=August 2 | ||
| |finalyear=1940 | |finalyear=1940 | ||
| |finalteam=Cincinnati Reds | |finalteam=Cincinnati Reds | ||
| |statleague = MLB | |||
| |stat1label=] | |stat1label=] | ||
| |stat1value=.316 | |stat1value=.316 | ||
| |stat2label=]s | |stat2label=]s | ||
| Line 21: | Line 28: | ||
| |stat3label=] | |stat3label=] | ||
| |stat3value=70 | |stat3value=70 | ||
| |teams= |
|teams= | ||
| *] ({{ |
*] ({{baseball year|1938}}–{{baseball year|1940}}) | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Willard McKee Hershberger''' (May 28, 1910 – August 3, 1940) was an American baseball ] for the ] of ] (MLB) from 1938 to 1940. In 160 career games, Hershberger recorded a ] of .316 and accumulated 5 ] and 41 ]. He |
'''Willard McKee Hershberger''' (May 28, 1910 – August 3, 1940) was an American baseball ] for the ] of ] (MLB) from 1938 to 1940. In 160 career games, Hershberger recorded a ] of .316 and accumulated 5 ] and 41 ]. He is the only major league player to date to die by ] during the season. | ||
| Born and raised in California, |
Born and raised in California, Hershberger attended ] where he was a baseball standout. He was signed by the ] and was part of their minor league system for eight years. He was traded after the 1937 season to the ], where he found a place on the major league roster as a backup behind ]. For three seasons, Hershberger played in relief of Lombardi, stepping in if he needed a day off or was injured. After a slump in late July and early August, Hershberger died by suicide on August 3, 1940, in his hotel room; the Reds went on to win the ]. | ||
| ==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
| Willard Hershberger was born in ]. His family moved to ], when his father, Claude, got a job working in the city's ] fields.<ref name=si>{{cite |
Willard Hershberger was born in ]. His family moved to ], when his father, Claude, got a job working in the city's ] fields.<ref name=si>{{cite magazine|first=William|last=Nack|title=The Razor's Edge|magazine=]|date=May 6, 1991|pages=52–64|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1991/05/06/the-razors-edge-as-the-cincinnati-reds-chased-a-pennant-in-1940-a-dark-family-legacy-tortured-the-mind-of-catcher-willard-hershberger|access-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref> He lived in Fullerton with his father, his mother Maude, and his sister Lois. Hershberger attended ], where he distinguished himself on both the ] and ] teams, playing alongside ] and future President ].<ref name=si/> The 1926 baseball team won the ] championship, and in 2003, he was named to the school's All-Time baseball team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fuhsalumni.0catch.com/pleiades/psports.htm|title=FUHS Baseball Greats Come Home For Reunion and Game|publisher=Pleiades Online Sports|access-date=November 24, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110130015859/http://fuhsalumni.0catch.com/pleiades/psports.htm|archive-date=January 30, 2011}}</ref> | ||
| Claude, Willard's father, was ] over financial problems, and on November 21, 1928, he fatally shot himself with a ] in the family home's bathroom; Willard, then |
Claude, Willard's father, was ] over financial problems, and on November 21, 1928, he fatally shot himself with a ] in the family home's bathroom; Willard, then 18, discovered the body.<ref name=si/> Hershberger graduated high school in 1929; the high school yearbook called Hershberger "the boy with the golden toe" due to his status as the football team's ] and "the greatest little catcher to ever put on the Fullerton uniform."<ref name=sabr>{{cite journal|title=Willard Hershberger and the Legacy of Suicide|url=http://research.sabr.org/journals/files/SABR-National_Pastime-20.pdf|last=Wigley|first=Brian J.|year=2000|journal=National Pastime|volume=20|pages=72–76|publisher=Society for American Baseball Research|access-date=November 24, 2010}}</ref> In 1930, scouts ] of the ] and ] of the ] came to Fullerton to watch Vaughan and Hershberger play, respectively. Essick took a detour and Griggs ended up signing Vaughan instead, while Essick signed Hershberger to a contract to play in the Yankees organization.<ref name=si/> | ||
| ==Minor league career== | ==Minor league career== | ||
| Hershberger made his professional debut with the ], playing for them in 1930 and 1931; in 1931 he had a batting average of .356.<ref name=brm>{{cite web|url= |
Hershberger made his professional debut with the ] of the ], playing for them in 1930 and 1931; in 1931 he had a batting average of .356.<ref name=brm>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=hershb001wil|title=Willard Hershberger Minor League Statistics & History|work=]|access-date=January 24, 2013}}</ref> He spent the 1932 season with three minor league teams, and mostly played for the ] of the ] where he hit .339 in 94 games.<ref name=brm/> The following year, Hershberger was promoted to the ] of the ] (NYPL). For the season, he had a .306 batting average, was named to the NYPL All-Star Team, and helped the Triplets win the NYPL title.<ref>{{cite news|title=Capable Piloting By Bill Meyer Brings Title To Binghamton|first=E. J.|last=Lally|work=]|date=October 12, 1933|page=6}}</ref> In 1934, he was promoted to the ] of the ] (PCL), and had a .307 batting average and 18 ] in 114 games. Hershberger was promoted to the ] of the ] in 1935, and had a batting average of .310.<ref name=brm/> The following year, he split time with the Bears and the ] of the PCL. At one point in the season, he was batting .313, and was noted as a player who should have a shot at the major leagues.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LMorAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SIMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5139,2181565|title=Marty, Spindel Rate as Coast's Prize Rookies, Majors Eye Others|work=]|page=6|date=August 27, 1936}}</ref> By the end of the season, his average went down to .263 over 89 games.<ref name=brm/> | ||
| The 1937 season started off poorly for Hershberger. While he remained with the Newark Bears, the Yankees released him from his contract, and partly due to the success of catcher ], the Yankees no longer had an interest in Hershberger.<ref>{{cite news|title=New York Waiting For 'Sit Out' Strike|work=The Sporting News|date=January 21, 1937|page=1}}</ref> He spent the full season with the Bears, splitting time with ] at catcher. The team ended up with a 109–43 record and the International League title; the Bears have been called the third greatest minor league team in history by Minor League Baseball.<ref>{{cite web|url= |
The 1937 season started off poorly for Hershberger. While he remained with the Newark Bears, the Yankees released him from his contract, and partly due to the success of catcher ], the Yankees no longer had an interest in Hershberger.<ref>{{cite news|title=New York Waiting For 'Sit Out' Strike|work=The Sporting News|date=January 21, 1937|page=1}}</ref> He spent the full season with the Bears, splitting time with ] at catcher. The team ended up with a 109–43 record and the International League title; the Bears have been called the third greatest minor league team in history by Minor League Baseball.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://secure.milb.com/milb/history/top100.jsp?idx=3|title=Top 100 Teams|publisher=Minor League Baseball|first=Bill|last=Weiss|first2=Marshall|last2=Wright|access-date=January 26, 2013}}</ref> Hershberger hit 15 doubles and had a .325 average in 96 games, and hit .364 in the Junior Series against the ]. As a result, Yankees owner ] noted that he would spend the offseason working to get the players on major league rosters.<ref>{{cite news|title=Newark Bears Stage Remarkable Come-Back to Win Junior Series|work=The Sporting News|date=October 14, 1937|page=2}}</ref> On December 3, 1937, Hershberger was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for ] ] and $40,000, ending his tenure in the Yankees organization.<ref name=br>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hershwi01.shtml|title=Willard Hershberger Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=January 24, 2013}}</ref> | ||
| ==Cincinnati Reds== | ==Cincinnati Reds== | ||
| ] | |||
| Reds manager ] noted that Hershberger was playing so well in ] that there was the possibility of him beating out ] for the starting catcher job in 1938.<ref>{{cite news|url= |
Reds manager ] noted that Hershberger was playing so well in ] that there was the possibility of him beating out ] for the starting catcher job in 1938.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cP1IAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mwINAAAAIBAJ&pg=3601,630498|title=Pro Grid and Mat Ace Reds Mound "Find"|first=Gayle|last=Talbot|work=]|date=March 17, 1938|page=5}}</ref> He made the roster and served as the backup to Lombardi that season, and played in 49 games and had a .276 batting average.<ref name=br/> He earned the nickname of "Little Slug" due to his ], and as a contrast to Lombardi's nickname of "Big Slug".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kaxQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aCIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4304,1184831|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216040701/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kaxQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aCIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4304,1184831|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 16, 2013|title=Big Slug Can't Hide His Thoughts, But Neither Can The Other Boys|first=Frank E.|last=Carey|work=The Milwaukee Journal|date=August 4, 1940|page=22}}</ref> In 1939, Hershberger gained extra playing time due to a Lombardi injury in June; during that stretch, Hershberger had eight hits and five ] in five games.<ref>{{cite news|title=Reds Pass Test on Reserve Strength|first=Tom|last=Swope|work=The Sporting News|date=June 22, 1939|page=5}}</ref> For the season, he hit .345 in 63 games, and played in two games of the ] against the Yankees. In the series, he had one hit in two at-bats as the Reds lost in four games.<ref name=br/> His one hit in the World Series brought in the tying run in Game 4, but the Yankees fought back to win the game and the series.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 9, 1939 |title=Errors In Final Game Lose Chances For Cincinnati Reds |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post-champions-forced-int/156860665/ |access-date=2024-10-10 |work=] |page=6 |via=]}}</ref> | ||
| Hershberger spent the ] as the backup to Lombardi, as had been the case the previous two seasons. He had been hitting well in relief of Lombardi, and had a batting average of .429 at the end of May and .345 at the end of June.<ref name=log>{{cite web|url= |
Hershberger spent the ] as the backup to Lombardi, as had been the case the previous two seasons. He had been hitting well in relief of Lombardi, and had a batting average of .429 at the end of May and .345 at the end of June.<ref name=log>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=hershwi01&t=b&year=1940|title=Willard Hershberger 1940 Batting Gamelogs|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=January 26, 2013}}</ref> In July, Lombardi suffered an injured finger, and Hershberger's playing time increased that month as a result. Lombardi then sprained his ankle on July 26, putting Hershberger in the starting role indefinitely; at the time his batting average was .354.<ref name=log/><ref name=sporting>{{cite news|first=Tom|last=Swope|title=Hershberger Suicide No Unpremeditated Act|work=The Sporting News|page=5|date=August 8, 1940}}</ref> However, in a game against the ] at the ] on July 31, the Reds took a 4–1 lead into the ninth and lost 5–4, with the comeback capped by a game-ending home run by ]. After an off-day for the team, the Reds lost both games of a doubleheader on August 2 to the ], by scores of 10–3 and 4–3. Hershberger played in the second game and went hitless in six trips to the plate.<ref name=sporting/> | ||
| ==Death== | ==Death== | ||
| Hershberger blamed himself for the losses to the Giants and Bees, telling ] ] that "If Ernie had been catching, we wouldn't have lost those ball games."<ref name=si/> |
Hershberger blamed himself for the losses to the Giants and Bees, telling ] ] that "If Ernie had been catching, we wouldn't have lost those ball games."<ref name=si/> He felt he called the wrong pitch to Danning, resulting in the home run. In the game against the Bees, Hershberger failed to field a ], and after the game alluded to his father's suicide to McKechnie in private, saying "My father killed himself, and I'm gonna do it too."<ref name=si/> However, after about an hour, Hershberger had calmed down considerably, and McKechnie believed he would be fine.<ref name=sabr/> | ||
| The following afternoon, Reds publicist and traveling secretary ] called Hershberger's room at the ] after Hershberger missed batting practice. He said that he |
The following afternoon, Reds publicist and traveling secretary ] called Hershberger's room at the ] after Hershberger missed batting practice. He said that he was not going to play that afternoon because he was not feeling well; McKechnie, worried, wanted him there in street clothes, and Hershberger agreed.<ref name=sabr/><ref name=sporting/> After he missed the first game of another doubleheader against the Bees, McKechnie had Dan Cohen, a friend of Hershberger's, head to the hotel to check in on him. He found the door locked, and asked an employee to open the door. Inside, Cohen found Hershberger's body by the bathtub with his throat slit.<ref name=sabr/> After the second game, McKechnie had coach ] bring all the players together in the locker room, stating, "I want to tell you something. Willard Hershberger has just destroyed himself."<ref name=si/> | ||
| After giving his team the news, McKechnie had the Reds dedicate themselves to winning the World Series "for Hershie". His number was retired for the season by the team as a tribute.<ref name=sporting/> McKechnie never publicly revealed what Willard Hershberger said to him during their meeting the day before: "It had nothing to do with anybody on the team", he told reporters. "He told it to me in confidence, and I will not utter it to anyone".<ref name=si/> The Cincinnati Reds would go on to defeat the ] champion ] in seven games to win the ]. Reds players decided to share a portion of their championship money, totaling $5,803, with Hershberger's mother, Maude.<ref>{{cite news|url= |
After giving his team the news, McKechnie had the Reds dedicate themselves to winning the World Series "for Hershie". His number 5 was retired for the season by the team as a tribute.<ref name=sporting/> It would later be permanently retired in honor of the Reds' Hall of Fame catcher, ]. McKechnie never publicly revealed what Willard Hershberger said to him during their meeting the day before: "It had nothing to do with anybody on the team", he told reporters. "He told it to me in confidence, and I will not utter it to anyone".<ref name=si/> The Cincinnati Reds would go on to defeat the ] champion ] in seven games to win the ]. Reds players decided to share a portion of their championship money, totaling $5,803, with Hershberger's mother, Maude.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YuMxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_eEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3666,6219018|title=Full Share Voted to Hershberger's Mother|work=]|date=October 5, 1940|page=14}}</ref> Hershberger was buried at Visalia Public Cemetery in ]. | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| * ] | |||
| ⚫ | {{Portal|Baseball}} | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
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| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| {{Commons}} | |||
| {{ |
{{baseballstats |br=h/hershwi01 |fangraphs=1005742 |brm=hershb001wil}} | ||
| *{{sabrbio|willard-hershberger}} | |||
| *{{Find a Grave|17914010}} | |||
| ⚫ | {{Portal bar|Biography|Baseball|California}} | ||
| {{Authority control |
{{Authority control}} | ||
| {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. --> | |||
| | NAME = Hershberger, Willard | |||
| {{good article}} | |||
| | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | |||
| | SHORT DESCRIPTION = American baseball player | |||
| | DATE OF BIRTH = May 28, 1910 | |||
| | PLACE OF BIRTH = Lemon Cove, California | |||
| | DATE OF DEATH = August 3, 1940 | |||
| | PLACE OF DEATH = Boston, Massachusetts | |||
| }} | |||
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Hershberger, Willard}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Hershberger, Willard}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 06:42, 31 December 2024
American baseball player (1910–1940)Baseball player
| Willard Hershberger | |
|---|---|
 Hershberger, circa 1939 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: (1910-05-28)May 28, 1910 Lemon Cove, California, U.S. | |
| Died: August 3, 1940(1940-08-03) (aged 30) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| Batted: RightThrew: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 19, 1938, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 2, 1940, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .316 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs batted in | 70 |
Stats at Baseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Willard McKee Hershberger (May 28, 1910 – August 3, 1940) was an American baseball catcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1938 to 1940. In 160 career games, Hershberger recorded a batting average of .316 and accumulated 5 triples and 41 runs. He is the only major league player to date to die by suicide during the season.
Born and raised in California, Hershberger attended Fullerton Union High School where he was a baseball standout. He was signed by the New York Yankees and was part of their minor league system for eight years. He was traded after the 1937 season to the Cincinnati Reds, where he found a place on the major league roster as a backup behind Ernie Lombardi. For three seasons, Hershberger played in relief of Lombardi, stepping in if he needed a day off or was injured. After a slump in late July and early August, Hershberger died by suicide on August 3, 1940, in his hotel room; the Reds went on to win the 1940 World Series.
Early life
Willard Hershberger was born in Lemon Cove, California. His family moved to Fullerton, California, when his father, Claude, got a job working in the city's oil fields. He lived in Fullerton with his father, his mother Maude, and his sister Lois. Hershberger attended Fullerton Union High School, where he distinguished himself on both the baseball and football teams, playing alongside Arky Vaughan and future President Richard Nixon. The 1926 baseball team won the California Interscholastic Federation championship, and in 2003, he was named to the school's All-Time baseball team.
Claude, Willard's father, was depressed over financial problems, and on November 21, 1928, he fatally shot himself with a shotgun in the family home's bathroom; Willard, then 18, discovered the body. Hershberger graduated high school in 1929; the high school yearbook called Hershberger "the boy with the golden toe" due to his status as the football team's placekicker and "the greatest little catcher to ever put on the Fullerton uniform." In 1930, scouts Bill Essick of the New York Yankees and Art Griggs of the Pittsburgh Pirates came to Fullerton to watch Vaughan and Hershberger play, respectively. Essick took a detour and Griggs ended up signing Vaughan instead, while Essick signed Hershberger to a contract to play in the Yankees organization.
Minor league career
Hershberger made his professional debut with the El Paso Texans of the Arizona–Texas League, playing for them in 1930 and 1931; in 1931 he had a batting average of .356. He spent the 1932 season with three minor league teams, and mostly played for the Erie Sailors of the Central League where he hit .339 in 94 games. The following year, Hershberger was promoted to the Binghamton Triplets of the New York–Pennsylvania League (NYPL). For the season, he had a .306 batting average, was named to the NYPL All-Star Team, and helped the Triplets win the NYPL title. In 1934, he was promoted to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), and had a .307 batting average and 18 doubles in 114 games. Hershberger was promoted to the Newark Bears of the International League in 1935, and had a batting average of .310. The following year, he split time with the Bears and the Oakland Oaks of the PCL. At one point in the season, he was batting .313, and was noted as a player who should have a shot at the major leagues. By the end of the season, his average went down to .263 over 89 games.
The 1937 season started off poorly for Hershberger. While he remained with the Newark Bears, the Yankees released him from his contract, and partly due to the success of catcher Bill Dickey, the Yankees no longer had an interest in Hershberger. He spent the full season with the Bears, splitting time with Buddy Rosar at catcher. The team ended up with a 109–43 record and the International League title; the Bears have been called the third greatest minor league team in history by Minor League Baseball. Hershberger hit 15 doubles and had a .325 average in 96 games, and hit .364 in the Junior Series against the Columbus Red Birds. As a result, Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert noted that he would spend the offseason working to get the players on major league rosters. On December 3, 1937, Hershberger was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for shortstop Eddie Miller and $40,000, ending his tenure in the Yankees organization.
Cincinnati Reds
Reds manager Bill McKechnie noted that Hershberger was playing so well in spring training that there was the possibility of him beating out Ernie Lombardi for the starting catcher job in 1938. He made the roster and served as the backup to Lombardi that season, and played in 49 games and had a .276 batting average. He earned the nickname of "Little Slug" due to his pinch hitting, and as a contrast to Lombardi's nickname of "Big Slug". In 1939, Hershberger gained extra playing time due to a Lombardi injury in June; during that stretch, Hershberger had eight hits and five runs batted in in five games. For the season, he hit .345 in 63 games, and played in two games of the 1939 World Series against the Yankees. In the series, he had one hit in two at-bats as the Reds lost in four games. His one hit in the World Series brought in the tying run in Game 4, but the Yankees fought back to win the game and the series.
Hershberger spent the 1940 Cincinnati Reds season as the backup to Lombardi, as had been the case the previous two seasons. He had been hitting well in relief of Lombardi, and had a batting average of .429 at the end of May and .345 at the end of June. In July, Lombardi suffered an injured finger, and Hershberger's playing time increased that month as a result. Lombardi then sprained his ankle on July 26, putting Hershberger in the starting role indefinitely; at the time his batting average was .354. However, in a game against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds on July 31, the Reds took a 4–1 lead into the ninth and lost 5–4, with the comeback capped by a game-ending home run by Harry Danning. After an off-day for the team, the Reds lost both games of a doubleheader on August 2 to the Boston Bees, by scores of 10–3 and 4–3. Hershberger played in the second game and went hitless in six trips to the plate.
Death
Hershberger blamed himself for the losses to the Giants and Bees, telling third baseman Billy Werber that "If Ernie had been catching, we wouldn't have lost those ball games." He felt he called the wrong pitch to Danning, resulting in the home run. In the game against the Bees, Hershberger failed to field a bunt, and after the game alluded to his father's suicide to McKechnie in private, saying "My father killed himself, and I'm gonna do it too." However, after about an hour, Hershberger had calmed down considerably, and McKechnie believed he would be fine.
The following afternoon, Reds publicist and traveling secretary Gabe Paul called Hershberger's room at the Copley Plaza Hotel after Hershberger missed batting practice. He said that he was not going to play that afternoon because he was not feeling well; McKechnie, worried, wanted him there in street clothes, and Hershberger agreed. After he missed the first game of another doubleheader against the Bees, McKechnie had Dan Cohen, a friend of Hershberger's, head to the hotel to check in on him. He found the door locked, and asked an employee to open the door. Inside, Cohen found Hershberger's body by the bathtub with his throat slit. After the second game, McKechnie had coach Hank Gowdy bring all the players together in the locker room, stating, "I want to tell you something. Willard Hershberger has just destroyed himself."
After giving his team the news, McKechnie had the Reds dedicate themselves to winning the World Series "for Hershie". His number 5 was retired for the season by the team as a tribute. It would later be permanently retired in honor of the Reds' Hall of Fame catcher, Johnny Bench. McKechnie never publicly revealed what Willard Hershberger said to him during their meeting the day before: "It had nothing to do with anybody on the team", he told reporters. "He told it to me in confidence, and I will not utter it to anyone". The Cincinnati Reds would go on to defeat the American League champion Detroit Tigers in seven games to win the 1940 World Series. Reds players decided to share a portion of their championship money, totaling $5,803, with Hershberger's mother, Maude. Hershberger was buried at Visalia Public Cemetery in Visalia, California.
See also
References
- ^ Nack, William (May 6, 1991). "The Razor's Edge". Sports Illustrated. pp. 52–64. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- "FUHS Baseball Greats Come Home For Reunion and Game". Pleiades Online Sports. Archived from the original on January 30, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
- ^ Wigley, Brian J. (2000). "Willard Hershberger and the Legacy of Suicide" (PDF). National Pastime. 20. Society for American Baseball Research: 72–76. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
- ^ "Willard Hershberger Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- Lally, E. J. (October 12, 1933). "Capable Piloting By Bill Meyer Brings Title To Binghamton". The Sporting News. p. 6.
- "Marty, Spindel Rate as Coast's Prize Rookies, Majors Eye Others". Ellensburg Daily Record. August 27, 1936. p. 6.
- "New York Waiting For 'Sit Out' Strike". The Sporting News. January 21, 1937. p. 1.
- Weiss, Bill; Wright, Marshall. "Top 100 Teams". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
- "Newark Bears Stage Remarkable Come-Back to Win Junior Series". The Sporting News. October 14, 1937. p. 2.
- ^ "Willard Hershberger Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- Talbot, Gayle (March 17, 1938). "Pro Grid and Mat Ace Reds Mound "Find"". The Meriden Daily Journal. p. 5.
- Carey, Frank E. (August 4, 1940). "Big Slug Can't Hide His Thoughts, But Neither Can The Other Boys". The Milwaukee Journal. p. 22. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013.
- Swope, Tom (June 22, 1939). "Reds Pass Test on Reserve Strength". The Sporting News. p. 5.
- "Errors In Final Game Lose Chances For Cincinnati Reds". The Palm Beach Post. October 9, 1939. p. 6. Retrieved October 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Willard Hershberger 1940 Batting Gamelogs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
- ^ Swope, Tom (August 8, 1940). "Hershberger Suicide No Unpremeditated Act". The Sporting News. p. 5.
- "Full Share Voted to Hershberger's Mother". Reading Eagle. October 5, 1940. p. 14.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Willard Hershberger at the SABR Baseball Biography Project
- Willard Hershberger at Find a Grave
Categories:
- 1910 births
- 1940 suicides
- Cincinnati Reds players
- Major League Baseball catchers
- Suicides by sharp instrument in the United States
- Suicides in Massachusetts
- Major League Baseball players with retired numbers
- Newark Bears (International League) players
- Oakland Oaks (baseball) players
- El Paso Texans players
- Hollywood Stars players
- Baseball players from Tulare County, California
- Baseball players from Fullerton, California
- 1940 deaths
- Fullerton Union High School alumni
- 20th-century American sportsmen