Tommy Heath (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Thomas George Heath was an American
catcher
and scout in Major League Baseball
and a manager
in minor league baseball
. He played in parts of three seasons in the majors between and , all for the St. Louis Browns
. Heath stood 5'10" (178 cm) tall and weighed 185 pounds (84 kg) during his playing days.
Heath's major league career was spent with the Browns (1935; 1937-38), where he played 134 total games, compiling a batting average
of .230 in 330 at bats with three home runs and 34 runs batted in. He was somewhat better known for his 18-year career as a minor league manager (-), where he worked in the New York Giants
and Los Angeles Angels
farm systems, and in between coached four Pacific Coast League
clubs between and . As manager of the Giants' Minneapolis Millers
AAA affiliate (-), he sent players such as Willie Mays
and Hoyt Wilhelm
— both members of the Baseball Hall of Fame — to the major leagues. In , he managed the Trenton Giants to the Interstate League
Championship, the only title he won during his managerial career.
Heath served as a scout for the Angels after his managing career ended. He died at age 53 in Los Gatos, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and scout 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...
and a 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...
in minor league baseball
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...
. He played in parts of three seasons in the majors between and , all for 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...
. Heath stood 5'10" (178 cm) tall and weighed 185 pounds (84 kg) during his playing days.
Heath's major league career was spent with the Browns (1935; 1937-38), where he played 134 total games, compiling a 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 :...
of .230 in 330 at bats with three home runs and 34 runs batted in. He was somewhat better known for his 18-year career as a minor league manager (-), where he worked in the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and 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...
farm systems, and in between coached four 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 between and . As manager of the Giants' Minneapolis Millers
Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, until 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League.The team played first in Athletic Park and later Nicollet Park.The name Minneapolis...
AAA affiliate (-), he sent players such as Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
and Hoyt Wilhelm
Hoyt Wilhelm
James Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985....
— both members of the Baseball Hall of Fame — to the major leagues. In , he managed the Trenton Giants to the Interstate League
Interstate League
The Interstate League was the name of five different American minor baseball leagues that played intermittently from 1896 through 1952. The longest tenured of these was the last incarnation, which played in the Middle Atlantic States from 1939 through 1952, and was one of the few mid-level minor...
Championship, the only title he won during his managerial career.
Heath served as a scout for the Angels after his managing career ended. He died at age 53 in Los Gatos, California
Los Gatos, California
The Town of Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 29,413 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains...
.