Fred Haney
Encyclopedia
Fred Girard Haney was an American
third baseman
, manager
, coach
and executive in Major League Baseball
. As a manager, he won two pennants and a world championship with the Milwaukee Braves
and, as an executive, he was the first general manager
of the expansion Los Angeles Angels
of the American League
. Indeed, for years Haney was one of the most popular baseball figures in Los Angeles
. In 1974 he was presented with the King of Baseball
award given by Minor League Baseball.
Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico
, and raised in Los Angeles, Haney's major league playing career lasted all or part of seven seasons (1922–27, 1929). Primarily a third baseman
— despite his diminutive (5 feet, 6 inches/1.67 m) size — Haney compiled a .275 batting average
for the Detroit Tigers
and Boston Red Sox
, plus brief appearances with the Chicago Cubs
and St. Louis Cardinals
. Much of his playing career was spent in his hometown with the city's two Pacific Coast League
clubs, the original, PCL Angels
and the Hollywood Stars
. He threw and batted right-handed.
of the AA American Association
, top farm team of the St. Louis Browns
. In 1939
, he took over the lowly Browns — and the team lost 111 games. They improved by 24 games in 1940
, but when the 1941
Brownies dropped 32 of their first 44 contests, Haney was replaced by Luke Sewell
.
After briefly returning to Toledo to manage through 1942, Haney went home to Los Angeles (and the Coast League) as the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Hollywood Stars and Los Angele Angels for six seasons, starting in 1943. In 1949, he moved back into the dugout as the manager of the Hollywood club. During his four years (1949–52) as manager, the Stars won two PCL pennants.
As a reward, Haney was named manager of the Stars' parent club: the worst team in the National League
, the Pittsburgh Pirates
. The Pirates rang up three last place finishes in Haney's 1953-55 tenure, losing 104, 101 and 94 games. Finally, he was given the pink slip by the Bucs, and he joined the Milwaukee Braves as a coach for 1956
. Adversity turned into good fortune, however, when the Braves — slow out of the gate in '56 — fired skipper Charlie Grimm
on June 17 and turned to Haney. Milwaukee played at a .630 clip for the rest of the season and improved from fifth to second place, only one game behind the Brooklyn Dodgers
, securing Haney's tenure in the Beer City.
, with a lineup that included future Baseball Hall of Fame members Henry Aaron, Eddie Mathews
, Warren Spahn
, and Red Schoendienst
— and stars such as the pitchers Lew Burdette
and Bob Buhl
, and the regular players Johnny Logan and Del Crandall
— the Braves won the National League
pennant by eight games over the St. Louis Cardinals
. During the regular season, Haney lead the Braves in overcoming season-ending injuries to their star first baseman, Joe Adcock
, and their fleet center fielder Bill Bruton
, and slow starts to the season by their starting left fielder and second baseman, both of whom were traded in mid-June for Schoendienst.
Then, led by Burdette's three complete-game victories in the World Series
, the Braves defeated the New York Yankees
in seven games - including winning the crucial seventh game 5 - 0 in Yankee Stadium
with Burdette pitching - thus making him the World Series Most Valuable Player.
Two highlights of the 1957 season were that Haney managed Aaron to the National League Most Valuable Player award, and Spahn to the lone Major League
Cy Young Award
. (Two of these latter awards were not given out per year until 1967.)
In 1958
, the Milwaukee Braves repeated as the National League champions, this time again by a margin of eight games. (This time, it was a victory over Haney's old friends in Pittsburgh, back in contention under their manager Danny Murtaugh
). The core of the Braves team was once again Aaron, Matthews, Adcock, Spahn, and Burdette; and Bruton come back from his season-ending injury in 1957 to play in 100 games. Logan played a full season with 145 games. Aaron lead the team with 196 hits, 109 runs scored, and 95 runs batted in, and Matthews lead the team with 31 home runs.
However, in 1958 their starting pitcher, Bob Buhl
was injured after pitching in just 11 games - winning five, and that put even more pressure on Haney, Spahn, and Burdette to win. Also because of injuries, Adcock played in only 105 games, and Covington played in just 90. Schoendienst played in just 106 games, including some as just a pinch hitter, and it was discovered the next year that he had tuberculosis
. In this difficult situation, Haney managed Spahn to a 22 - 11 record in 290 innings pitched and 23 complete games, and Burdette to a 20 - 10 record in 275 innings. The Braves finished first in the National League with a 92 - 62 record and returned to the World Series.
The Yankees again won the American League, hence the two teams faced off against each other again in the World Series
. The Braves roared ahead by winning three of the first four games for a (3 - 1) league in the series. However, the Yankees then regrouped, and they won Games five, six, and seven to win the World Championship - in this case, with the final two games being played in Milwaukee County Stadium
, the Braves' home stadium.
In 1959
, the Milwaukee Braves Braves back in the thick of contention again, with the same core of regular players, and a stronger pitching staff, since Buhl came bacl to pitch 200 innings in 31 games, with a 15 - 9 record. Spahn and Burdette both shone, each with a 21 - 15 record, 290 innings pitched, and a combined total of 41 complete games. Adcock played in 115 games, Bruton playes in 133, and Aaron and Matthews had incredible seaons. Aaron lead the league with careers highs in 223 hits, a 0.355 batting average, and 400 total bases, and he also lead the league in slugging percentage. Aaron also hit 39 home runs and had 123 runs batted in. However, Matthews lead the team with 46 home runs, and he batted in 114 runs.
On the minus side of the equation, second baseman
Schoendienst played in only five games and then went into a long, but successful, treatment for tuberculosis
, and outfielder Wes Covington played in just 105 games.
Still, Harvey managed the Braves to an end-of-the-season tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers
for first place records of 86 wins and 68 losses. This forced the two teams into a best-two-out-of-three games playoff. The Dodgers, who had lost playoffs for the pennant in both 1946 and 1951, were not to be denied in 1959. The Dodgers swept the first two games of the playoff, and they won their first pennant in their new home city — Haney's hometown of Los Angeles
.
A few days later, Haney, approaching the age of 61, was inexplicably dismissed as the manager of the Braves, and he was replaced by the former Dodger coach Chuck Dressen
.
Thus, during his tenure of a little more than three-and-one-half seasons, Haney led the only two pennant winners, and the only World Champion, during the 13-year existence (1953–65) of the Milwaukee Braves. With his other two clubs "near misses," Haney stands as by far the most successful manager of the Braves' years in Milwaukee.
Harvey's career managing record — tarnished by his poor teams in St. Louis and Pittsburgh — was 629-757 (0.454). However, with the Braves, he won 341 games and lost just 231 (0.596).
he made a brief return to broadcasting, teaming with Lindsey Nelson
to call weekend baseball for NBC television. Then, the following year, the American League granted an expansion team to Los Angeles
, the Los Angeles Angels, and its owner, Gene Autry
, chose Haney to operate the team and its organization for him. While the Angels usually struggled on the playing field during Haney's tenure as GM from 1961–68, they did finish a surprising third in 1962
, and contended for the 1967
pennant as well. Haney made the team competitive in its early years by selecting future stars such as the shortstop
Jim Fregosi
and the pitcher
Dean Chance
in the expansion draft, and acquiring sluggers such as Leon Wagner
and Lee Thomas
. Haney also oversaw the Angels' relocation in 1966
from Chavez Ravine
down the freeway to Anaheim Stadium in Orange County.
Upon his retirement at the end of the 1968 baseball season, Haney became a part-time consultant for the California Angels, and he was succeeded as the team's general manager by Dick Walsh
.
Haney died on November 9, 1977 at age 79 in Beverly Hills, California
, when he suffered a severe heart attack
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
, coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
and executive in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. As a manager, he won two pennants and a world championship with the Milwaukee Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
and, as an executive, he was the first general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the expansion Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. Indeed, for years Haney was one of the most popular baseball figures in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. In 1974 he was presented with the King of Baseball
King of Baseball
King of Baseball is a ceremonial title awarded by Minor League Baseball to one person each year in recognition of longtime dedication and service to professional baseball.- Background :The title was first awarded in 1951...
award given by Minor League Baseball.
Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, and raised in Los Angeles, Haney's major league playing career lasted all or part of seven seasons (1922–27, 1929). Primarily a third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
— despite his diminutive (5 feet, 6 inches/1.67 m) size — Haney compiled a .275 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, plus brief appearances with the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
and St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. Much of his playing career was spent in his hometown with the city's two Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
clubs, the original, PCL Angels
Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
The Los Angeles Angels were a team based in Los Angeles, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1957, after which they transferred to Spokane, Washington to become the Spokane Indians. Los Angeles would later become the host city to a Major League Baseball team, the...
and the Hollywood Stars
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early and mid 20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.-Hollywood Stars :...
. He threw and batted right-handed.
Manager and broadcaster
Haney became a manager in 1936, piloting the Toledo Mud HensToledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
of the AA American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
, top farm team of the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. In 1939
1939 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*On May 17, 1939, Princeton University and Columbia University played the first televised baseball game. On August 26, the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers played the first televised Major League Baseball game...
, he took over the lowly Browns — and the team lost 111 games. They improved by 24 games in 1940
1940 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Detroit Tigers *All-Star Game, July 9 at Sportsman's Park: National League, 4-0-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player**Hank Greenberg - OF, Detroit Tigers...
, but when the 1941
1941 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Joe Dimaggio hits in 56 consecutive games. After being hitless in the 57th game, he hit safely in 16 more consecutive games for a streak of 72 of 73 games.*Ted Williams ended the season with a .406 batting average...
Brownies dropped 32 of their first 44 contests, Haney was replaced by Luke Sewell
Luke Sewell
James Luther Sewell was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Cleveland Indians , Washington Senators , Chicago White Sox and the St. Louis Browns . Sewell batted and threw right-handed...
.
After briefly returning to Toledo to manage through 1942, Haney went home to Los Angeles (and the Coast League) as the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Hollywood Stars and Los Angele Angels for six seasons, starting in 1943. In 1949, he moved back into the dugout as the manager of the Hollywood club. During his four years (1949–52) as manager, the Stars won two PCL pennants.
As a reward, Haney was named manager of the Stars' parent club: the worst team in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. The Pirates rang up three last place finishes in Haney's 1953-55 tenure, losing 104, 101 and 94 games. Finally, he was given the pink slip by the Bucs, and he joined the Milwaukee Braves as a coach for 1956
1956 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers ; Don Larsen, MVP*All-Star Game, July 10 at Griffith Stadium: National League, 7-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Cienfuegos *College World Series: Minnesota...
. Adversity turned into good fortune, however, when the Braves — slow out of the gate in '56 — fired skipper Charlie Grimm
Charlie Grimm
Charles John Grimm , nicknamed "Jolly Cholly", was a first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Chicago Cubs; he was also a sometime radio broadcaster, and a popular goodwill ambassador for baseball...
on June 17 and turned to Haney. Milwaukee played at a .630 clip for the rest of the season and improved from fifth to second place, only one game behind the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, securing Haney's tenure in the Beer City.
Golden years of the Braves' Milwaukee era
In 19571957 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees ; Lew Burdette, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Busch Stadium: American League, 6-5-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: California...
, with a lineup that included future Baseball Hall of Fame members Henry Aaron, Eddie Mathews
Eddie Mathews
Edwin Lee "Eddie" Mathews was an American Major League Baseball third baseman. He is regarded as one of the greatest third basemen ever to play the game.-Early life:...
, Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
, and Red Schoendienst
Red Schoendienst
Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst is an American Major League Baseball coach, former player and manager, and 10-time All-star. After a 19-year playing career with the St...
— and stars such as the pitchers Lew Burdette
Lew Burdette
Selva Lewis Burdette, Jr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves...
and Bob Buhl
Bob Buhl
Robert Ray Buhl was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies...
, and the regular players Johnny Logan and Del Crandall
Del Crandall
Delmar Wesley Crandall is a former professional baseball catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who played most of his career with the Boston & Milwaukee Braves...
— the Braves won the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennant by eight games over the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. During the regular season, Haney lead the Braves in overcoming season-ending injuries to their star first baseman, Joe Adcock
Joe Adcock
Joseph Wilbur "Billy Joe" Adcock was an American first baseman and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the powerful Milwaukee Braves teams of the 1950s, whose career included numerous home run feats...
, and their fleet center fielder Bill Bruton
Bill Bruton
William Havon Bruton was a Major League Baseball center fielder who played for the Milwaukee Braves in 1953 through 1960, and for the Detroit Tigers in 1961 through 64. Bruton batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
, and slow starts to the season by their starting left fielder and second baseman, both of whom were traded in mid-June for Schoendienst.
Then, led by Burdette's three complete-game victories in the World Series
1957 World Series
The 1957 World Series featured the defending champions, the New York Yankees , playing against the Milwaukee Braves . After finishing just one game behind the N.L. Champion Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956, the Braves came back in 1957 to win their first pennant since moving from Boston in 1953...
, the Braves defeated the New York Yankees
1957 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 55th season for the team in New York, and its 57th season overall. The team finished with a record of 98-56 to win their 23rd pennant, finishing eight games ahead of the Chicago White Sox. New York was managed by Casey Stengel...
in seven games - including winning the crucial seventh game 5 - 0 in Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
with Burdette pitching - thus making him the World Series Most Valuable Player.
Two highlights of the 1957 season were that Haney managed Aaron to the National League Most Valuable Player award, and Spahn to the lone Major League
Major League
See Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.Major League may also refer to:-Sport:* Major League Baseball, the highest level of play in professional baseball in North America* Major League Cricket...
Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
. (Two of these latter awards were not given out per year until 1967.)
In 1958
1958 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves ; Bob Turley, MVP*All-Star Game, July 8 at Memorial Stadium: American League, 4-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: USC...
, the Milwaukee Braves repeated as the National League champions, this time again by a margin of eight games. (This time, it was a victory over Haney's old friends in Pittsburgh, back in contention under their manager Danny Murtaugh
Danny Murtaugh
Daniel Edward Murtaugh was an American second baseman, manager, front-office executive and coach in Major League Baseball best known for his 29-year association with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a player and manager...
). The core of the Braves team was once again Aaron, Matthews, Adcock, Spahn, and Burdette; and Bruton come back from his season-ending injury in 1957 to play in 100 games. Logan played a full season with 145 games. Aaron lead the team with 196 hits, 109 runs scored, and 95 runs batted in, and Matthews lead the team with 31 home runs.
However, in 1958 their starting pitcher, Bob Buhl
Bob Buhl
Robert Ray Buhl was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies...
was injured after pitching in just 11 games - winning five, and that put even more pressure on Haney, Spahn, and Burdette to win. Also because of injuries, Adcock played in only 105 games, and Covington played in just 90. Schoendienst played in just 106 games, including some as just a pinch hitter, and it was discovered the next year that he had tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. In this difficult situation, Haney managed Spahn to a 22 - 11 record in 290 innings pitched and 23 complete games, and Burdette to a 20 - 10 record in 275 innings. The Braves finished first in the National League with a 92 - 62 record and returned to the World Series.
The Yankees again won the American League, hence the two teams faced off against each other again in the World Series
1958 World Series
The 1958 World Series was a rematch of the 1957 Series, with the New York Yankees beating the defending champion Milwaukee Braves in seven games for their eighteenth title, and their seventh in ten years...
. The Braves roared ahead by winning three of the first four games for a (3 - 1) league in the series. However, the Yankees then regrouped, and they won Games five, six, and seven to win the World Championship - in this case, with the final two games being played in Milwaukee County Stadium
Milwaukee County Stadium
Milwaukee County Stadium was a ballpark in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1953 to 2000. It was primarily used as a baseball stadium for the Milwaukee Braves and Brewers, but was also used for football games, ice skating, religious services, concerts and other large events...
, the Braves' home stadium.
In 1959
1959 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox ; Larry Sherry, MVP*All-Star Game , July 7 at Forbes Field: National League, 5-4*All-Star Game , August 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: American League, 5-3...
, the Milwaukee Braves Braves back in the thick of contention again, with the same core of regular players, and a stronger pitching staff, since Buhl came bacl to pitch 200 innings in 31 games, with a 15 - 9 record. Spahn and Burdette both shone, each with a 21 - 15 record, 290 innings pitched, and a combined total of 41 complete games. Adcock played in 115 games, Bruton playes in 133, and Aaron and Matthews had incredible seaons. Aaron lead the league with careers highs in 223 hits, a 0.355 batting average, and 400 total bases, and he also lead the league in slugging percentage. Aaron also hit 39 home runs and had 123 runs batted in. However, Matthews lead the team with 46 home runs, and he batted in 114 runs.
On the minus side of the equation, second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
Schoendienst played in only five games and then went into a long, but successful, treatment for tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, and outfielder Wes Covington played in just 105 games.
Still, Harvey managed the Braves to an end-of-the-season tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
for first place records of 86 wins and 68 losses. This forced the two teams into a best-two-out-of-three games playoff. The Dodgers, who had lost playoffs for the pennant in both 1946 and 1951, were not to be denied in 1959. The Dodgers swept the first two games of the playoff, and they won their first pennant in their new home city — Haney's hometown of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
A few days later, Haney, approaching the age of 61, was inexplicably dismissed as the manager of the Braves, and he was replaced by the former Dodger coach Chuck Dressen
Chuck Dressen
Charles Walter Dressen , known as both "Chuck" and "Charlie," was an American third baseman, manager and coach in professional baseball during a career that lasted almost fifty years, and was best known as the manager of the powerful Brooklyn Dodgers of 1951–1953...
.
Thus, during his tenure of a little more than three-and-one-half seasons, Haney led the only two pennant winners, and the only World Champion, during the 13-year existence (1953–65) of the Milwaukee Braves. With his other two clubs "near misses," Haney stands as by far the most successful manager of the Braves' years in Milwaukee.
Harvey's career managing record — tarnished by his poor teams in St. Louis and Pittsburgh — was 629-757 (0.454). However, with the Braves, he won 341 games and lost just 231 (0.596).
First general manager of the AL Angels
Haney was not out of work long. In 19601960 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over New York Yankees ; Bobby Richardson, MVP*All-Star Game , July 11 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5-3*All-Star Game , July 13 at Yankee Stadium: National League, 6-0...
he made a brief return to broadcasting, teaming with Lindsey Nelson
Lindsey Nelson
Lindsey Nelson was an American sportscaster best known for his broadcasts of college football and New York Mets baseball.-Early life and career:...
to call weekend baseball for NBC television. Then, the following year, the American League granted an expansion team to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, the Los Angeles Angels, and its owner, Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, chose Haney to operate the team and its organization for him. While the Angels usually struggled on the playing field during Haney's tenure as GM from 1961–68, they did finish a surprising third in 1962
1962 in baseball
The 1962 season is perhaps most notable for the dismal 40–120 record of the New York Mets, the third-worst winning percentage and the record for most games lost since 1900.-Major League Baseball:...
, and contended for the 1967
1967 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox ; Bob Gibson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 11 at Anaheim Stadium: National League, 2-1 ; Tony Pérez, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Arizona State...
pennant as well. Haney made the team competitive in its early years by selecting future stars such as the shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Jim Fregosi
Jim Fregosi
James Louis Fregosi is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played from 1961–1978 for four different teams, primarily the Los Angeles and California Angels. In that franchise's first eleven years of play, he became its first star as the team's...
and the pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Dean Chance
Dean Chance
Wilmer Dean Chance is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Over the right hander's 11-year major league career, he would play for the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Detroit Tigers...
in the expansion draft, and acquiring sluggers such as Leon Wagner
Leon Wagner
Leon Lamar Wagner was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the San Francisco Giants , St. Louis Cardinals , Los Angeles Angels , Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
and Lee Thomas
Lee Thomas (baseball)
James Leroy "Lee" Thomas is a former player and front-office executive in American Major League Baseball...
. Haney also oversaw the Angels' relocation in 1966
1966 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Frank Robinson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 12 at Busch Stadium: National League, 2–1 ; Brooks Robinson, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Ohio State...
from Chavez Ravine
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
down the freeway to Anaheim Stadium in Orange County.
Upon his retirement at the end of the 1968 baseball season, Haney became a part-time consultant for the California Angels, and he was succeeded as the team's general manager by Dick Walsh
Dick Walsh (U.S. sports executive)
Richard Bishop Walsh, Jr. was an American sporting executive who, during a 50-plus year career, held high-level positions in Major League Baseball, professional soccer , and in convention center management...
.
Haney died on November 9, 1977 at age 79 in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
, when he suffered a severe heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - career managing record and playing statistics
- Photo
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