Larry Hisle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Larry Hisle |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: May 5, 1947 Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| April 10, 1968, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 6, 1982, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .273 | ||
| Home runs | 166 | ||
| Runs batted in | 674 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Larry Eugene Hisle, born on May 5, 1947, is an American former professional baseball player. He was also a hitting coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder for several teams. These included the Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, and Milwaukee Brewers. Larry was chosen for the All-Star team twice. In 1977, he led the American League (AL) in RBIs. As a coach, Hisle helped the Toronto Blue Jays win two World Series championships.
Contents
Playing Baseball
Larry Hisle was picked by the Phillies in the second round of the 1965 MLB draft. He was the 38th player chosen overall. He started playing professionally in 1966. Hisle made his first MLB appearance on April 10, 1968. He played in a few games before going back to the minor leagues.
Early Career and Trades
Hisle played his first full season in 1969. He hit well and had 20 home runs. He finished fourth in the voting for the National League Rookie of the Year. Over the next two seasons, his hitting struggled. Because of this, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1971.
He spent all of 1972 playing for the Triple-A Albuquerque Dukes. There, he had a great season. He hit .325 with 23 home runs and 91 RBIs. He also stole 20 bases. After that season, the Dodgers traded Hisle to the St. Louis Cardinals. A little over a month later, he was traded again. This time, he went to the Minnesota Twins.
Making History with the Twins
In a spring training game on March 6, 1973, Larry Hisle made history. He was the very first designated hitter (DH) in an MLB game. A designated hitter is a player who only bats and does not play in the field. In that game, he hit two home runs, including a grand slam. He also had seven RBIs. A month later, Ron Blomberg became the first DH in a regular-season game.
Hisle was a strong player for the Twins in the mid-1970s. On June 4, 1976, he achieved something special. He hit for the cycle. This means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game.
His best season with the Twins was in 1977. He hit .302 with 28 home runs. He also led the American League with 119 RBIs. This great performance earned him his first trip to the All-Star Game.
Time with the Brewers
After the 1977 season, Hisle became a free agent. He then signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 1978, he had another fantastic year. He hit .290 and finished third in the voting for the American League MVP. He hit 34 home runs and had 115 RBIs.
In 1979, Hisle suffered a serious injury. He tore his rotator cuff in his shoulder. This injury greatly limited his playing time. He played in only 79 games over his last four seasons. He retired from playing baseball in 1982.
After Playing Baseball
After his playing career, Larry Hisle became a hitting coach. He worked for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1992 to 1995. During this time, he helped the Blue Jays win two World Series titles. They won in 1992 and 1993.
In 1993, under Hisle's coaching, three Toronto players did something amazing. John Olerud, Paul Molitor, and Roberto Alomar finished first, second, and third in the American League in batting average.
As of 2019, Hisle works for the Milwaukee Brewers. He is the Manager of Youth Outreach. He also leads an organization called Major League Mentoring in Milwaukee.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
