Billy DeMars facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Billy DeMars |
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| Shortstop/coach | |||
| Born: August 26, 1925 Brooklyn, New York |
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| Died: December 10, 2020 (aged 95) Clearwater, Florida |
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| debut | |||
| May 18, 1948, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 1951, for the St. Louis Browns | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .237 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 14 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Billy DeMars (born August 26, 1925 – died December 10, 2020) was an American baseball player and coach. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB). Later, he became a well-known coach for many years. Billy was born in Brooklyn, New York.
Contents
Playing Career
Starting in Baseball
Billy DeMars first signed with his hometown team, the Brooklyn Dodgers, during World War II. In 1947, he had a great year playing for a minor league team called the Asheville Tourists. He had a batting average of .328. This means he got a hit almost 33% of the times he tried to hit the ball. He also had 88 runs batted in (RBI). An RBI means a player helped a teammate score a run.
Playing in the Major Leagues
After his strong minor league season, the Philadelphia Athletics picked Billy in the 1947 Rule 5 draft. This draft allows teams to pick players from other teams' minor league rosters.
Billy played in the MLB for three seasons. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1948. Then he played for the St. Louis Browns from 1950 to 1951. In total, he played 80 games. He had a batting average of .237 with 50 hits. He also had 14 RBI.
Time in the Minor Leagues
After his time in the MLB, Billy spent many years playing in the Triple-A league. This is the highest level of minor league baseball. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1952 to 1955.
Managing and Coaching Career
Becoming a Manager
In 1958, Billy DeMars started managing minor league teams for the Baltimore Orioles. A manager is like the head coach of a team. He helped a struggling team, the Aberdeen Pheasants, play better. He then managed the Stockton Ports in 1959 and had a winning record.
He managed in the Orioles' system until 1968. During this time, he worked with many future MLB managers. In 1964, he led the Fox Cities Foxes to a championship.
Major League Coach
Billy began his long career as an MLB coach in 1969. He joined the Philadelphia Phillies. He was a coach for the Phillies for 13 seasons.
A big highlight was in 1980. He was part of the Phillies team that won the World Series. This was the first World Series championship in the Phillies' history! He also helped the Phillies win their division in 1976, 1977, and 1978.
After leaving the Phillies in 1981, Billy coached for two more teams. He coached for the Montreal Expos from 1982 to 1984. Then he coached for the Cincinnati Reds from 1985 to 1987.
At the Reds, he was a key advisor to player-manager Pete Rose. Rose said Billy was the best hitting coach he ever worked with. A hitting coach helps players improve how they bat.
Billy DeMars retired from MLB coaching in 1987. However, he continued to work in baseball. He returned to the Phillies in the 1990s as a special batting instructor for their minor league players.
Billy DeMars passed away on December 10, 2020, at the age of 95.
