Hank Bauer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hank Bauer |
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Bauer in 1953
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| Right fielder / Manager | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: July 31, 1922 East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Died: February 9, 2007 (aged 84) Lenexa, Kansas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||||||||||||||||||||
| September 6, 1948, for the New York Yankees | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | |||||||||||||||||||||
| July 21, 1961, for the Kansas City Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .277 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 164 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 703 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial record | 594–544 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning % | .522 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||||||||
As player
As manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Henry Albert Bauer (July 31, 1922 – February 9, 2007) was a famous American baseball player and manager. He played as a right fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Hank Bauer was known for his time with the New York Yankees and later managed the Baltimore Orioles to a World Series championship.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Hank Bauer was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, in 1922. He was the youngest of nine children. His father was an immigrant from Austria who worked as a bartender. The family did not have much money, so Hank learned to be tough from a young age.
He played both baseball and basketball in high school. After graduating in 1941, he worked repairing furnaces. His brother, who played minor league baseball, helped him get a tryout. This led to Hank signing a contract with a minor league team in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Serving in World War II
Just one month after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hank Bauer joined the United States Marine Corps. He served during World War II in the Pacific Ocean area. He was part of important battles, including Guadalcanal, Guam, and Okinawa.
During his service, he received several awards for his bravery. These included two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. He was a sergeant leading a group of Marines. After 32 months of combat, he returned to the United States.
Starting His Professional Baseball Career
After the war, Hank Bauer returned home. A scout for the New York Yankees signed him for a tryout. He played well in the Yankees' minor league system.
In September 1948, Hank Bauer made his debut with the New York Yankees. This was the start of his long and successful career in Major League Baseball.
Playing Career Highlights
Hank Bauer played in Major League Baseball for 14 seasons. He had a career batting average of .277. He hit 164 home runs and had 703 RBIs. He was known for his strong defense in the outfield.
Bauer was a key player on seven World Series-winning teams for the New York Yankees. He once held a World Series record for hitting safely in 17 games in a row. This record was later broken in 2023. One of his most famous moments was in the 1951 World Series. He hit a three-run triple that helped the Yankees win the championship. He also made a great catch for the final out of that game.
In 1959, the Yankees traded Bauer to the Kansas City Athletics. This trade also brought future home run king Roger Maris to the Yankees. Hank Bauer played for the Athletics until 1961.
Career as a Manager
Hank Bauer became a player-manager for the Kansas City Athletics in 1961. He retired as a player a month later. He managed the Athletics until the end of the 1962 season.
After that, he became a coach for the Baltimore Orioles. In 1963, he was promoted to manager of the Orioles. He led the team to a great season in 1964. Then, in 1966, with star player Frank Robinson, he guided the Orioles to their first-ever World Series championship. They beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games.
Bauer was fired from the Orioles in 1968. He then returned to manage the Athletics again in 1969, when they were in Oakland. After that season, he stopped managing in the major leagues. Overall, his record as a manager was 594 wins and 544 losses.
Managerial Record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
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| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| KCA | 1961 | 102 | 35 | 67 | .343 | 9th in AL | – | – | – | – |
| KCA | 1962 | 162 | 72 | 90 | .444 | 9th in AL | – | – | – | – |
| BAL | 1964 | 162 | 97 | 65 | .599 | 3rd in AL | – | – | – | – |
| BAL | 1965 | 162 | 94 | 68 | .580 | 3rd in AL | – | – | – | – |
| BAL | 1966 | 160 | 97 | 63 | .606 | 1st in AL | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | Won World Series (LAD) |
| BAL | 1967 | 161 | 76 | 85 | .472 | 7th in AL | – | – | – | – |
| BAL | 1968 | 80 | 43 | 37 | .538 | fired | – | – | – | – |
| BAL total | 725 | 407 | 318 | .561 | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | |||
| OAK | 1969 | 149 | 80 | 69 | .537 | fired | – | – | – | – |
| KCA/ OAK total | 413 | 187 | 226 | .453 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
| Total | 1138 | 594 | 544 | .522 | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | |||
Personal Life and Legacy
Hank Bauer moved to Prairie Village, Kansas, in 1949. There, he met Charlene Friede, who worked for a baseball club. They later married.
After his baseball career, Hank Bauer owned a liquor store for many years. He also worked as a scout for the Yankees and the Kansas City Royals.
Hank Bauer passed away in 2007 at the age of 84. He is remembered as a tough player and a successful manager who led the Orioles to their first World Series title.
Key Achievements
- October 10, 1951: His bases-loaded triple helped the Yankees win the 1951 World Series.
- He was a three-time American League All-Star (1952–54).
- From 1956–1958, he set a World Series hitting streak record of 17 games.
- In 1957, Bauer led the American League in triples (nine).
- He appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1964.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball player-managers
