Billy Hunter (baseball)

Billy Hunter

Shortstop

Born: June 4, 1928
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

Batted: Right

Threw: Right

MLB debut

April 14, 1953, for the St. Louis Browns

Last MLB appearance

September 27, 1958, for the Cleveland Indians

MLB statistics

Batting average

.219

Hits

410

Runs batted in

144

Teams

As Player

As Manager

Texas Rangers (1977–1978)

Career highlights and awards

All-Star (1953)

Gordon William Hunter (born June 4, 1928) is a retired American shortstop, coach and manager in Major League Baseball.

Playing career

A slick-fielding, light-hitting shortstop from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the right-handed-batting Hunter was originally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers. With his path to the Majors blocked by Pee Wee Reese, he was sold to the St. Louis Browns of the American League on October 14, 1952, for $150,000 after leading the Texas League in fielding and stolen bases. Hunter was the starting shortstop for the last Browns club in 1953 and the first modern MLB Orioles team when the Brownies transferred to Baltimore in 1954. For the remainder of his career, however, he was a second-string infielder for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics and Cleveland Indians. Hunter batted .219 in 630 games over his six-year (1953–58) AL career.

Scout and coach

When Hunter's playing career ended, he scouted for the Indians, managed in the Baltimore farm system and was appointed on November 20, 1963 as the Orioles' third-base coach by former Yankees teammate Hank Bauer who had become the team's manager one day earlier.^[1] He performed that role for almost 14 seasons for four AL champions and two World Series winners. In late 1971, Hunter declined a chance to become manager of the California Angels.^[2]

MLB manager and college head coach

Hunter left the Orioles on June 28, 1977, to take the helm of the Texas Rangers — the club's fourth skipper of the 1977 season (including Eddie Stanky, who signed to succeed Frank Lucchesi but returned to retirement after one game, and Connie Ryan, who managed six games in the interim between Stanky and Hunter).^[3] Under Hunter, the Rangers won 60 of their final 93 games and climbed from fourth to second place in the American League West Division. Hopes were high for 1978, but the Rangers finished tied for second, five games behind the division-leading Kansas City Royals. During the season, Hunter had a confrontation with pitcher Dock Ellis on a team bus. Ellis was later quoted saying Hunter "may be Hitler, but he ain't making no lampshade out of me."^[4] After turning down a five-year contract extension in midseason,^[5] offered by Rangers' young owner, Brad Corbett, Hunter was fired with one day left in the campaign due to his poor relationship with his team. When asked if he was sorry he took the manager's job, Hunter replied "yes."^[6]

Hunter's record over his one-and-a-half seasons was 146–108 (.575), but he never returned to the Major Leagues as a coach or manager though he claimed to have received a half dozen job offers in the winter of 1978.^[7] He became head baseball coach and athletic director at Maryland's Towson State University, retiring in 1995.

He was a 1996 honoree into the Orioles Hall of Fame, inducted with Jerry Hoffberger and Cal Ripken, Sr. These three men were so well thought of in Baltimore that a crowd of 400 showed up at the luncheon at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel.^[8]

References

↑ Birds' Bauer Names Woodling And Hunter," United Press International, Thursday, November 21, 1963.
↑ Hunter declines Angel position
↑ "Hunter takes over Texas". The Gadsden Times. Associated Press. 28 June 1977. p. 13. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
↑ Dock Ellis ready to break rules
↑ Rangers Corbett not very happy
↑ Once Texas hero, Hunter fired for poor relationship with team
↑ Hunter shuns majors
↑ Badger, Sylvia. Hunter, Hoffberger, Ripken Sr. enter Orioles Hall of Fame, The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, 1 September 1996. Retrieved on 2010-6-26

External links

Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Preceded by Luke Appling	Baltimore Orioles third-base coach 1964–1977	Succeeded by Cal Ripken, Sr.

Baltimore Orioles 1966 World Series Champions

2 Bob Johnson 3 Curt Blefary 5 Brooks Robinson 6 Paul Blair 8 Andy Etchebarren 9 Russ Snyder 11 Luis Aparicio 15 Davey Johnson 16 Sam Bowens 17 John Miller 19 Dave McNally 20 Frank Robinson (World Series MVP) 22 Jim Palmer 23 Vic Roznovsky 24 Frank Bertaina 25 Moe Drabowsky 26 Boog Powell 27 Wally Bunker 28 Eddie Fisher 29 Dick Hall

Manager 42 Hank Bauer Coaches 14 Gene Woodling 31 Harry Brecheen 41 Sherm Lollar 55 Billy Hunter

Regular season

Baltimore Orioles 1970 World Series Champions

5 Brooks Robinson (World Series MVP) 6 Paul Blair 7 Mark Belanger 8 Andy Etchebarren 9 Don Buford 10 Elrod Hendricks 14 Merv Rettenmund 15 Davey Johnson 16 Bobby Grich 19 Dave McNally 20 Frank Robinson 22 Jim Palmer 24 Pete Richert 25 Moe Drabowsky 26 Boog Powell 29 Dick Hall 30 Chico Salmon 31 Curt Motton 32 Marcelino López 35 Mike Cuellar 36 Tom Phoebus 37 Terry Crowley 39 Eddie Watt 40 Dave Leonhard 44 Jim Hardin

Manager 4 Earl Weaver Coaches 31 George Bamberger 41 Jim Frey 48 George Staller 55 Billy Hunter

Regular season American League Championship Series

Texas Rangers managers

Mickey Vernon (1961–1963)
Eddie Yost (1963)
Gil Hodges (1963–1967)
Jim Lemon (1968)
Ted Williams (1969–1972)
Whitey Herzog (1973)
Del Wilber (1973)
Billy Martin (1973–1975)
Frank Lucchesi (1975–1977)
Eddie Stanky (1977)
Connie Ryan (1977)
Billy Hunter (1977–1978)
Pat Corrales (1978–1980)
Don Zimmer (1981–1982)
Darrell Johnson (1982)
Doug Rader (1983–1985)
Bobby Valentine (1985–1992)
Toby Harrah (1992)
Kevin Kennedy (1993–1994)
Johnny Oates (1995–2001)
Jerry Narron (2001–2002)
Buck Showalter (2003–2006)
Ron Washington (2007–2014)
Tim Bogar (2014)
Jeff Banister (2015–)

Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame

Roberto Alomar Brady Anderson Luis Aparicio Harold Baines George Bamberger Steve Barber Hank Bauer Mark Belanger Paul Blair Mike Boddicker Mike Bordick Hal Brown Don Buford Al Bumbry Mike Cuellar Rich Dauer Doug DeCinces Rick Dempsey Jack Dunn III Mike Flanagan Jim Gentile Bobby Grich Dick Hall Elrod Hendricks Chris Hoiles Billy Hunter Davey Johnson John Lowenstein Dennis Martínez Tippy Martinez Lee May Scott McGregor Dave McNally Ray Miller Stu Miller Melvin Mora Eddie Murray Mike Mussina Johnny Oates Gregg Olson Jim Palmer Milt Pappas Boog Powell Paul Richards Cal Ripken, Jr. Cal Ripken, Sr. Brooks Robinson Frank Robinson Gary Roenicke Ken Singleton B. J. Surhoff Gus Triandos Eddie Watt Earl Weaver Hoyt Wilhelm Gene Woodling

Herb Armstrong Award Richie Bancells Rex Barney Rob Brown Frank Cashen Harry Dalton Jerold Hoffberger Phil Itzoe Lenny Johnston Lee MacPhail Bill O'Donnell Hank Peters Don Pries Ralph Salvon Chuck Thompson Ernie Tyler Julie Wagner Eddie Weidner

"Wild Bill" Hagy Award Wild Bill Hagy

Towson Tigers head baseball coaches

Earl Killian (1966–1974) Charlie Field (1975–1977) Bob Ziegler (1978) Billy Hunter (1979–1987) Mike Gottlieb (1988– )

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, March 05, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.