Tommy Holmes
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Thomas Francis Holmes (born March 29, 1917, Brooklyn, New York) is a retired outfielder and manager in American Major League Baseball. One of the most popular players in the twilight years of the Boston Braves, "Kelly" Holmes was the Most Valuable Player of the National League in 1945, when he had a batting average of .352 and led the NL in hits (224), home runs (28) and doubles (47). That season, Holmes set an NL record that stood for 33 years by hitting safely in 37 consecutive games (from June 6 through July 8). His mark was broken in 1978 by Pete Rose.
Holmes, who batted and threw lefthanded, signed his first professional contract with the New York Yankees, but could not break into their talent-laden outfield of Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Henrich and Charlie Keller. After three over-.300 seasons with the Yanks' top farm team, the Newark Bears, he was traded to the Braves in February 1942. Given a regular big-league job, Holmes batted over .300 for five consecutive seasons (1944-48). In 1948, he hit .325 in 139 games to help lead Boston to the NL pennant.
After the 1950 season, Holmes, 33, was named player-manager of the team's Class A Hartford farm club. On June 19, 1951, with the big-league Braves floundering in fifth place under Billy Southworth, Holmes was called back to Boston to manage his old team. He also remained on the active roster as a pinch-hitter. It was hoped he could arouse the club, and bring fans back to Braves Field. But the team barely posted a winning record (48-47) under Holmes, and when they lost 22 of their first 35 games in 1952, Holmes was fired May 31 and replaced by Charlie Grimm. The Braves finished seventh, drew only 281,000 fans, and left Boston for Milwaukee the following spring.
Holmes finished the 1952 season as a pinch-hitter for the Brooklyn Dodgers, then managed in the Braves' and Brooklyn farm systems from 1953-56 before leaving baseball. He retired with a .302 lifetime batting average with 88 home runs in his 1,320-game, 11-year major league career, with a managing record of 61-69 (.469).
| Preceded by: Bill Nicholson |
National League Home Run Champion 1945 |
Succeeded by: Ralph Kiner |
| Preceded by: Billy Southworth |
Boston Braves Managers 1951-1952 |
Succeeded by: Charlie Grimm |
