Pancho Herrera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pancho Herrera |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Herrera in 1961
|
|||
| First baseman | |||
| Born: June 16, 1934 Santiago de Las Vegas, Cuba |
|||
| Died: April 28, 2005 (aged 70) Miami, Florida |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| April 15, 1958, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 1961, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .271 | ||
| Home runs | 31 | ||
| Runs batted in | 128 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Juan Francisco Herrera Villavicencio (born June 16, 1934 – died April 28, 2005) was a baseball player from Cuba. People often called him "Pancho" or "Frank". He played in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1958 to 1961.
Pancho was mostly a first baseman. Before joining the Phillies, he played for the Kansas City Monarchs. This team was part of the Negro American League. He was a powerful hitter in the minor leagues. Pancho was also the first Afro-Latino player for the Phillies.
Contents
Pancho Herrera's Early Baseball Days
Pancho was born in Santiago de las Vegas, a city near Havana, Cuba. He started his professional baseball journey in 1955. He played in the higher levels of the Phillies' minor league system.
In 1957, when he was 23, he played for the Miami Marlins. This team was in the International League. Pancho and his teammates were known for being a great infield. That year, he hit for a .306 average. He also had 173 hits, 17 home runs, and 93 runs batted in.
Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies
Pancho started the 1958 season with the Philadelphia Phillies. But he didn't get any hits in his first 11 tries. So, he was sent back to the Miami Marlins in May. He hit 20 home runs for the Marlins that year.
In September 1958, he rejoined the Phillies. He started 15 games at third base. From September 13 to 17, he played very well. He got 12 hits in 19 tries. His batting average went up a lot. On September 16, he hit his first major league home run. It was against Bill Henry of the Chicago Cubs. Pancho finished his first MLB season with a .270 batting average.
A Great Year in the Minor Leagues
Pancho couldn't make the Phillies team in 1959. He had a leg injury in the winter. He also gained some weight. Even though his leg healed, he went back to the International League. This time, he played for the Buffalo Bisons. This was the Phillies' new Triple-A team.
In 1959, Pancho had an amazing year. He won the league's Most Valuable Player award. He also won the Triple Crown. This means he led the league in three important stats:
- Home runs (37)
- Runs batted in (128)
- Batting average (.329)
He was also chosen for the league's All-Star team as a first baseman.
His Best Major League Season
His great 1959 season led to his best year in the major leagues in 1960. He played in 145 games for the Phillies. He started the season as a second baseman. But in May, he moved to first base permanently.
In 1960, Pancho had 144 hits and 17 home runs. He also hit 26 doubles and six triples. His batting average was .281. He led the National League in strikeouts with 136. This was a league record at the time. He also made 13 errors at first base. Pancho finished second in the Rookie of the Year vote that year.
Later Years with the Phillies
In 1961, Pancho started as the Phillies' regular first baseman. But his performance went down. His batting average dropped to .258. He hit 13 home runs. He also struck out 120 times, which was second in the National League.
After that season, the Phillies traded for Roy Sievers. Roy took over as the team's first baseman in 1962. Pancho then spent the rest of his career playing in the minor leagues.
Pancho Herrera's Minor League Career and Beyond
Pancho had another strong season for Buffalo in 1962. He made the All-Star team. He led the International League in home runs (32). He also tied for the RBI title (108).
After that season, the Phillies traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played seven more years in minor league baseball. This included four more seasons in the International League. He stopped playing in 1969, but played a few games until 1974.
Later, he became a manager. He managed teams in the Mexican and Florida State leagues. He continued to hit many home runs, especially when he was a player-manager in the late 1960s.
In his major league career, Pancho Herrera had 264 hits. He had 46 doubles, eight triples, and 31 home runs. He also had 128 career runs batted in. He struck out 270 times. His lifetime batting average was .271.
Pancho Herrera passed away in Miami in 2005. He was 70 years old. He died from a heart attack. In 2008, he was elected to the International League Hall of Fame.
