Steve Hertz
Encyclopedia
Stephen Allan Hertz (born February 26, 1945) is a former 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...
player. He is now manager of the Tel Aviv Lightning
Tel Aviv Lightning
The Tel Aviv Lightning is an Israeli baseball team from Tel Aviv in the Israel Baseball League.The Lightning finished the inaugrual 2007 season in second place with a 26-14 record, and lost to the Modi'in Miracle in the semifinals of the 2007 IBL championship.6' 5" lefthander Aaron Pribble was...
in the Israel Baseball League
Israel baseball league
The Israel Baseball League was a six-team professional baseball league in Israel. The first game was played on June 24, 2007...
.
High school
Hertz starred as an All-City and All-State infielder at Miami High School in Florida.Professional baseball career
In 19641964 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees ; Bob Gibson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 7 at Shea Stadium: National League, 7–4; Johnny Callison, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Minnesota...
Hertz, at the age of 19 (the 8th-youngest player in the league), played for the Houston Colt .45's
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
(now the Astros). He appeared in only 5 games, two at third base
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...
, with 4 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s in which he struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
3 times. He had the statistical oddity of scoring
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
twice, though he did not have a hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
or a walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
and was not hit by a pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
, resulting in a .000 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
.
He had a successful minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
career, and ended his playing days by winning an International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
title with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
' triple-A farm team, the Tidewater Tides, in 1969
1969 in baseball
-Expansion:Four expansion teams joined Major League Baseball for this season: the San Diego Padres, the Kansas City Royals, the Seattle Pilots, and the first MLB team in Canada, the Montreal Expos. To accommodate the additional teams, the two leagues were split into two divisions of East and West...
.
During his pro career, Hertz found time to return to Miami in the off-season and receive his physical education degree from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
.
Coaching
Following an outstanding high school coaching career, in which he managed his Miami Coral Park High SchoolMiami Coral Park High School
Miami Coral Park Senior High School is a secondary school, located at 8865 S.W. 16th Street in the Westchester neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. The school was opened in 1963. It was the first school with A/C in south Florida. The principal is Dr. Nick JacAngelo...
team to a Florida State Championship in 1978 and attained 300 career victories, Herz became the baseball coach at Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College, or simply Miami Dade or MDC, is a state college with eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers located throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Florida College System. Miami Dade College is the largest school in the Florida College...
. There, he compiled an impressive 778-283 career mark during his tenure, averaging more than 35 wins per season.
His teams were a constant visitor to the Florida Community College Activities Association state tournament since 1986. He coached many talented players who have played at the major league level, including Jaime Navarro
Jaime Navarro
Jaime Navarro Cintrón is a former Puerto Rican baseball player. Navarro was a 6 foot, four inch tall right-handed pitcher in the major leagues from to , playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and Cleveland Indians...
, Plácido Polanco
Plácido Polanco
Plácido Enrique Polanco is a Major League Baseball player who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies and has also played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers. He is a third baseman, but in the past has played second base and shortstop...
, Orlando Palmeiro
Orlando Palmeiro
Orlando Palmeiro is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He attended high school at Miami Southridge High School and played college baseball at the University of Miami....
, Edward Guzman, Alex Sanchez
Alex Sanchez
Alex Sánchez is a Mexican-American author of award-winning novels for teens and adults. His first novel, Rainbow Boys , was selected by the American Library Association , as a “Best Book for Young Adults”. Subsequent books have won additional awards, including the Lambda Literary Award...
, Andres Torres, Omar Olivares
Omar Olivares
Omar Olivares Palqu is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Colorado Rockies , Philadelphia Phillies , Detroit Tigers , Seattle Mariners , Anaheim Angels , Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates...
, and Juan Pena.
Hertz was selected the Miami Coach of the Year on 6 occasions, and in 1987 he was the coach of the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
-winning South squad at the United States Olympic Festival.
Hertz co-coached the United States entry in the Junior Pan American Maccabiah Games
Maccabiah Games
The Maccabiah is an international Jewish athletic event similar to the Olympics held in Israel every four years under the auspices of the Maccabi Federation, affiliated with the Maccabi World Union. The Maccabiah Games is the third largest international sports competition in the world...
to a gold medal in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
in 2001
2001 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Arizona Diamondbacks*Postseason - October 9 to November 4Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
, and Hertz's American Maccabi
Maccabi (sports)
Maccabi may refer to:* The Maccabi World Union, Maccabiah Games or any one of the following sport organizations around the world:...
team also won a gold medal in 2003 in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
At MDC, in addition to his coaching duties, Hertz also teaches health analysis and improvement and principles of coaching.
As of 2009, Steve Hertz is no longer with MDC.
Managing in the Israel Baseball League
Hertz in 2007 was the Manager of the Tel Aviv Lightning of the Israel Baseball LeagueIsrael baseball league
The Israel Baseball League was a six-team professional baseball league in Israel. The first game was played on June 24, 2007...
http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:a8hG2S20S7MJ:www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3%3Fartid%3D13756+%22steve+hertz%22+colt&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=12&gl=us. The Lightning finished the inaugural 2007 season in second place with a 26-14 (.650) record, and lost to the Modi'in Miracle
Modi'in Miracle
The Modi'in Miracle is an Israeli baseball team from Modi'in in the Israel Baseball League.The Miracle finished the inaugrual 2007 season 22-19 in third place, and after upsetting the # 2 Tel Aviv Lightning in the semi-finals, lost to Ron Blomberg's Bet Shemesh Blue Sox 3-0 in the championship...
in the semifinals of the 2007 championship.
Halls of Fame
In 1985, he was inducted into the Miami High School Hall of Fame.In 2006 Hertz was inducted into the Florida Community College Activities Association Hall of Fame http://www.mdc.edu/Home/Press/coaches_in_hall_of_fame.htm.
Miscellaneous
- Hertz earned his masters degree in administration and supervision from Nova University in 1987.
- Hertz resides in Kendall, FloridaKendall, FloridaKendall is a suburban neighborhood of metropolitan Miami, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the area had a total population of 75,226....
with his wife, Fran, and sons, Jeff and Darren. - Son Darren is a member of Billy DonovanBilly DonovanWilliam John "Billy" Donovan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and a former college and professional basketball player. Donovan is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team of the University of Florida...
's University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
Men's Basketball coaching staff, and has been since 1996. Most recently, Darren is the Assistant to the Head Coach for the 2-time national champion Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
. - Hertz is Jewish.
