Heinie Manush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Heinie Manush |
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1933 baseball card of Manush
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| Left fielder | |||
| Born: July 20, 1901 Tuscumbia, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Died: May 12, 1971 (aged 69) Sarasota, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 20, 1923, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 22, 1939, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .330 | ||
| Hits | 2,524 | ||
| Home runs | 110 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,183 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1964 | ||
| Election Method | Veterans Committee | ||
Henry Emmett Manush (born July 20, 1901 – died May 12, 1971) was a famous American baseball player. People often called him "Heinie". He played professional baseball for 20 years, from 1920 to 1939. Most of this time was spent in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for teams like the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, and Washington Senators.
Heinie Manush was known as one of the best batters of his time. He had a career batting average of .330. This means he got a hit about one-third of the times he came to bat. In 1926, he won the American League batting championship. He also finished second in the voting for the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1928 and 1929. In 1933, he helped the Washington Senators win the American League championship. He was chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Heinie Manush was born in 1901 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. This city is also known as the hometown of Helen Keller. Heinie's father came from Germany and worked as a carpenter. His mother was born in Wisconsin.
Heinie was one of eight children. All seven boys in the family loved baseball. Five of them even played professionally. His older brother, Frank Manush, played professional baseball too. Heinie was only seven when Frank started playing in the major leagues. Heinie remembered looking at Frank's baseball gear and wishing he could wear it. From then on, baseball was all he thought about.
Heinie went to high school in Tuscumbia. Later, he moved to Iowa to work in plumbing with another brother. In 1919, he moved to California and played semi-pro baseball.
Heinie's Professional Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Heinie Manush began his professional baseball career in 1920. He played a few games for the Portland Beavers. In 1921, he played for the Edmonton Eskimos. He hit very well, with a .321 batting average. In 1922, he played for the Omaha Buffaloes. He hit 20 home runs and had an amazing .376 batting average. This was the second-best in his league.
Playing for the Detroit Tigers
After his great 1922 season, the Detroit Tigers bought Heinie's contract. In 1923, he joined a team with famous players like Harry Heilmann and Ty Cobb. Even as a rookie, Heinie played in 109 games. He had a .334 batting average, which was one of the best in the American League.
In 1924, Heinie's batting average dropped a bit. Ty Cobb tried to help him change his hitting style. But Cobb later realized that Heinie, like Babe Ruth, was a "natural" hitter. It was a mistake to try and change something that came so naturally to him.
In 1926, Heinie became the Tigers' main center fielder. This was a position Ty Cobb had held for 20 years! Heinie had his best season yet. He won the American League batting title with a .378 average. He was even ahead of Babe Ruth on the very last day of the season. Heinie got six hits in nine tries that day to win the title. This also stopped Ruth from winning the Triple Crown. Heinie said that beating Ruth on the last day of 1926 was one of the most memorable moments of his career.
His teammate, Harry Heilmann, helped Heinie improve his hitting. Heilmann taught him how to place his hits. This helped Heinie hit the ball between fielders. In 1927, Heinie's batting average dropped, but he still had many hits and triples.
Time with the St. Louis Browns
In December 1927, the Tigers traded Heinie to the St. Louis Browns. Many people thought this was a great deal for the Browns. Heinie proved them right in 1928.
He played in all 154 games for the Browns. He had a .378 batting average, almost winning another batting title. He was just one point behind Goose Goslin. Heinie led the American League with 241 hits and 47 doubles. He also finished second in the voting for the 1928 American League MVP award.
Heinie had another strong season in 1929. He had the third-highest batting average in the league (.355). He was also second in the AL MVP vote again.
Years with the Washington Senators
In June 1930, Heinie was traded to the Washington Senators. He took over as the team's left fielder. In the second half of 1930, he batted an impressive .362.
In 1932, Heinie had one of his best seasons. He had a .342 batting average, which was fourth-highest in the league. He also finished third in the American League MVP voting. He had 214 hits and scored 121 runs.
Heinie continued to play well in 1933. He had the second-highest batting average in the league (.336). He led the American League with 221 hits and 17 triples. He also had a 33-game hitting streak! He finished third in the MVP voting again. Heinie helped lead the 1933 Washington Senators to win the American League championship.
The Senators played in the 1933 World Series against the New York Giants. The Giants won the series. In Game 4, Heinie was called out on a close play at first base. He was very upset with the umpire's call. The Senators lost that game, and Heinie was allowed to play the next day.
In 1934, Heinie started the season very strong. He was chosen to play in the 1934 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He had a .349 batting average for the season, which was third-highest in the league.
Later Career: Boston, Brooklyn, and Pittsburgh
In 1935, Heinie's batting average dropped. In December 1935, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He played 82 games for them in 1936.
In December 1936, Heinie signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Even though he was 36, he played well in spring training. In 1937, he became the Dodgers' starting right fielder. He had a .333 batting average, which was ninth-highest in the National League.
Heinie started the 1938 season with the Dodgers. But his hitting struggled, and he was released in May. He then played for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the minor leagues. In August 1938, the Pittsburgh Pirates bought his contract. He played a few games for them as a pinch hitter. He returned to the Pirates in 1939 but played very little. He played his final major league game on May 22, 1939.
After Playing Baseball
Minor League Manager and Scout
After his playing career, Heinie Manush became a player-manager in the minor leagues. He managed teams like the Rocky Mount Red Sox and the Greensboro Red Sox from 1940 to 1943. He also managed the Scranton Miners in 1944 and the Martinsville A's in 1945.
Heinie also worked as a scout for the Boston Braves. Later, he was a coach for the Senators in 1953 and 1954. He also scouted for the new Washington Senators team in the early 1960s.
Hall of Fame and Lasting Impact
Heinie Manush played 17 seasons in the major leagues. He played in over 2,000 games. He had a career batting average of .330, with 2,524 hits.
Some of his amazing achievements include:
- His .330 career batting average ranks among the best in baseball history.
- His .378 average in 1926 was the highest in Major League Baseball that year. He beat Babe Ruth for the batting title.
- His 241 hits in 1928 were one of the highest single-season totals ever at that time.
- He was also a strong defensive player. He had many putouts (catching fly balls or throws for outs) in left field.
In February 1964, Heinie Manush was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was very surprised and happy when he heard the news.
Heinie was also honored by being inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1964. After he passed away, he was also inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1972.
Family and Later Life
Heinie Manush was married to Betty, and they had three daughters. The family lived in Sarasota, Florida, starting in 1935. Heinie's wife passed away in 1949.
Heinie also enjoyed playing golf. He won several city golf championships in Sarasota.
Heinie Manush passed away on May 12, 1971, after a long illness. He was buried next to his wife in Sarasota.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball triples records
- List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a left fielder leaders
