Miller Huggins

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Miller Huggins
Miller Huggins
Second Baseman/Manager
Born: March 27, 1879
Died: September 25, 1929 (aged 50)
Batted: Both Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 15, 1904
for the Cincinnati Reds
Final game
September 13, 1916
for the St. Louis Cardinals
Career statistics
Batting average     .265
Hits     1474
Stolen bases     324
Teams

As Player

As Manager

Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Elected     1964
Election Method     Veteran's Committee

Miller James Huggins (March 27, 1879September 25, 1929), nicknamed "Mighty Mite", was a baseball player and manager. He managed the powerhouse New York Yankee teams of the 1920s and won six American League pennants and three World Series championships.

As a player, Huggins joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1904 as a second baseman. Despite his short stature (5-foot-6-inches)—or perhaps because of it—Huggins proved very adept at getting on base. Over a 13-year career, which shifted to St. Louis in 1910, he led the league in walks four times and regularly posted an on base percentage near .400. He scored 100 or more runs three times and regularly stole 30 or more bases. He finished his career with 324 swipes.

Huggins's monument at Monument Park.
Huggins's monument at Monument Park.

Huggins became a player-manager for St. Louis in 1913. Although as St. Louis's manager until 1917 he didn't find any substantial success (they never finished higher than third place), he was able to build on his experience as the manager of a budding New York Yankee team beginning in 1918. As the Yankees skipper until his death in 1929, and with one of the finest offenses ever assembled (including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Bob Meusel), Huggins presided over six American League championships (1921 - 1923, 1926 - 1928) and three World Series championships (1923, 1927 and 1928). He finished his managerial career with a 1413-1134 record. His 1413 wins as a manager ranks 20th all-time.

Huggins died at the age of 50 on September 25, 1929, of erysipelas, visible under his right eye. The league canceled its games for the following day out of respect; the viewing of his casket at Yankee Stadium drew thousands of tearful fans. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.

Huggins, 1929
Huggins, 1929

On May 30, 1932, the Yankees dedicated a monument to Huggins, and placed it in front of the flagpole in center field at Yankee Stadium. Huggins was the first of many Yankees players granted this honor, which eventually became "Monument Park," dedicated in 1976. The monument calls Huggins "A splendid character who made priceless contributions to baseball."

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Preceded by
Roger Bresnahan
St. Louis Cardinals Manager
1913-1917
Succeeded by
Jack Hendricks
Preceded by
Bill Donovan
New York Yankees Manager
1918-1929
Succeeded by
Art Fletcher
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