Hank Peters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hank Peters
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Peters (left) talking to
Maryland Delegate Curt Anderson |
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| Born | September 16, 1924 |
| Died | January 4, 2015 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Major League Baseball executive |
Henry John "Hank" Peters (September 16, 1924 – January 4, 2015) was an American baseball leader. He held important management jobs for teams in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1965 to 1991. These teams included the Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians, and Baltimore Orioles.
Peters was the general manager of the Baltimore Orioles for 12 years (1976–87). During this time, the Orioles won two major championships. They won the American League title in 1979 and 1983. They also won the 1983 World Series in 1983. Peters was named "Executive of the Year" after both of these winning seasons.
Before working with MLB teams, Peters was the president of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (1972–75). This group manages minor league baseball. He helped save minor league baseball during a very difficult time.
Hank Peters was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He spent over 40 years working in professional baseball.
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Early Life and Military Service
Hank Peters went to Cleveland High School. After graduating, he joined the United States Army. He served for three years during World War II in Europe.
Baseball Career Journey
Starting in Baseball
After his time in the Army, Peters saw a newspaper ad. He joined the St. Louis Browns baseball team. He worked his way up into their scouting department. This meant he helped find new players.
When the Browns moved to Baltimore in 1953 and became the Baltimore Orioles, Peters stayed in the Midwest. In 1954, he managed a minor league team called the Burlington Bees. Then, in 1955, he joined the Kansas City Athletics.
Time with the Kansas City Athletics
By 1960, Peters was in charge of finding new players for the Athletics. He also managed their minor league teams. These are teams where younger players develop their skills.
Later that year, a new owner named Charlie Finley bought the team. Peters then worked for the Cincinnati Reds for one season. But he soon returned to the Athletics and worked for Finley again.
In 1965, Peters became the general manager of the Kansas City Athletics. The team finished last that year. However, Peters had helped build a strong group of players. Many of these players would later help the team win three World Series championships. This happened after the team moved to Oakland, California in 1968. Some of these future stars included Bert Campaneris, Catfish Hunter, Sal Bando, and Rollie Fingers.
Leading Minor League Baseball
After leaving the Athletics, Peters worked for the Cleveland Indians from 1966 to 1971. He helped manage their players.
Then, he became the president of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues. This group oversees all minor league baseball teams. This was a very important time for minor league baseball. For over 20 years, fewer people were attending games. Many teams were struggling and even closing down. Some leagues were almost gone.
Peters worked hard to help these teams survive. He encouraged "co-op" teams. These teams got players from several different MLB clubs. This helped keep struggling leagues alive.
He said, "I’m proud that we were able to create clubs... so that we could put together an unaffiliated team and each league could have at least four teams." Thanks to his efforts, many of those struggling leagues are now strong and successful.
Success with the Baltimore Orioles
On November 3, 1975, Hank Peters became the executive vice president and general manager of the Baltimore Orioles. His big challenge was to keep the Orioles as a top team. This was tough because the team didn't have a lot of money. Also, a new rule called "free agency" meant players could choose which team to play for. This made it harder to keep star players.
In his first year, Peters made some big player trades. These trades were important because of the new free agency rules. For example, he traded for players like Reggie Jackson in April 1976. Later, he traded some players to the New York Yankees to get others like Rick Dempsey, Scott McGregor, and Tippy Martinez. These players became a key part of the Orioles' success for the next ten years.
Peters also built a great system for developing young players. This system produced future stars like Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken Jr., Mike Flanagan, and Dennis Martínez.
With these talented players, the Orioles won the American League pennant in 1979 and 1983. They also won the 1983 World Series in 1983!
After the 1983 World Series win, the Orioles started to struggle. After two losing seasons in a row, Peters was let go on October 5, 1987.
Return to the Cleveland Indians
Less than a month later, on November 2, 1987, Peters returned to the Cleveland Indians. He became their president and chief operating officer.
Even though the Indians didn't have winning seasons while Peters was there, he set them up for future success. He signed young players who would become stars, like Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, and Charles Nagy. He also traded for players like Sandy Alomar Jr. and Carlos Baerga.
Peters also brought John Hart to the Indians. Hart would later lead the Indians to great success in the 1990s. This included winning American League titles in 1995 and 1997.
Personal Life
Hank Peters was married to Dorothy Kleimeier. They had a daughter and a son. Dorothy passed away in 2010.
Hank Peters died on January 4, 2015, in Boca Raton, Florida. He was 90 years old. He passed away due to problems from a stroke.
