Frankie Hayes

Frankie Hayes
Catcher
Born: October 13, 1914(1914-10-13)
Jamesburg, New Jersey
Died: June 22, 1955(1955-06-22) (aged 40)
Point Pleasant, New Jersey
Batted: Right Threw: Right 
MLB debut
September 21, 1933 for the Philadelphia Athletics
Last MLB appearance
May 17, 1947 for the Boston Red Sox
Career statistics
Batting average     .259
Home runs     119
Runs batted in     628
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Frank Witman Hayes (October 13, 1914 - June 22, 1955) was an American professional baseball player.[1] He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1933 to 1947 and, was highly regarded for his defensive abilities.[1][2] He played most of his career for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics and also spent time with the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Boston Red Sox.[1] He hit and threw right-handed, and played his entire career in the American League.[1] Hayes holds the major league record of most consecutive games played by a catcher.[3]

Major League career

Born and raised in Jamesburg, New Jersey, Hayes was nicknamed "Blimp", even though he was listed at 6'0" and 185 lbs.[4] He began his major league career on September 21, 1933 at the age of 18, making him the youngest player in the league at the time.[5] He would go hitless in five at bats that season.[1] Hayes appeared in 92 games in 1934 as a reserve catcher backing up Charlie Berry, before being sent to the minor leagues to play for the Buffalo Bisons in the 1935 season.

He returned to the major leagues in 1936, replacing Paul Richards as the Athletics starting catcher, a position he would hold for the next six seasons.[1] On July 25, 1936, Hayes tied a major league record by hitting 4 doubles in a game against the Cleveland Indians.[6][7] In 1939, he earned his first selection to the American League All-Star team, as a reserve behind Bill Dickey.[8] He ended the year with a .283 batting average along with 20 home runs and 83 runs batted in. His batting average improved in 1940, when he posted a .308 batting average with 16 home runs and 70 runs batted in.[1] Hayes' on base percentage also improved from .348 in to .389. as, he gained his second consecutive All-Star selection.[1][9]

Hayes was traded to the St. Louis Browns for Bob Harris and Bob Swift in 1942.[10] After two shortened seasons with the Browns, he was traded back to the Athletics for Sam Zoldak in 1944.[10] It seemed his career had been rejuvenated after returning to Philadelphia, producing a career-high 144 hits in 581 at bats, for a .248 batting average, with 13 home runs, 18 doubles, 6 triples and 78 runs batted in.[1] Hayes caught every one of the Athletics' 155 games and led American League catchers in games played, putouts, assists, and in baserunners caught stealing.[11] He was also named to the American League All-Star team for the fourth time in his career and, ranked 14th in the 1944 American League Most Valuable Player Award balloting.[12][13]

In May 1945, the Athletics traded Hayes to the Cleveland Indians for Buddy Rosar, another light-hitting catcher with solid defensive skills.[10] He led all American League catchers in 1945 with 145 games played and a .988 fielding percentage.[14] He was selected to be a reserve catcher for the American League in the 1945 All-Star Game however, the game was cancelled due to wartime travel restrictions.

From October 2, 1943 to April 21, 1946, Hayes caught 312 consecutive games, a record for catchers that has never been broken.[3][4] Hayes was the Indians catcher on April 30, 1946 when Bob Feller threw a no hitter and, he provided the only run of the game with a ninth-inning home run.[15] In the middle of the 1946 season while mired in a hitting slump, Hayes had a falling out with Indians' manager Lou Boudreau over being benched in favor of Sherm Lollar.[16] Five days after starting for the American League in the 1946 All-Star game, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox.[10][17] He was released by the White Sox after the 1946 season then, signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent.[10] He retired with the Red Sox on May 17, 1947.

Career statistics

In a 14 year career, Hayes played in 1364 games, accumulating 1164 hits in 4493 at bats for a .259 career batting average along with 119 home runs and 585 runs batted in.[1] He ended his career with a .977 fielding percentage.[1] He compiled 30 career stolen bases along with 213 doubles and 32 triples.[1] During his career, he was named to six All-Star teams.[1] He led the American League three times in total chances per game, twice each in putouts, double plays, and once each in assists and fielding percentage as a catcher.[2] When he caught 155 games in 1944, he set a still-standing American League record for games played in a season as catcher.[2][18] His record of 312 consecutive games caught remains unbroken. Hayes' 29 double plays in 1945 is the second-highest season total ever for a catcher, behind Steve O'Neill's record of 36, set in 1916.[2][19]

Hayes never reached the postseason, and died in Point Pleasant, New Jersey in 1955, seven years after retiring.[20]

Sources

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Frankie Hayes at Baseball Reference
  2. ^ a b c d Frankie Hayes at The Baseball Library
  3. ^ a b Ironmen Catchers at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers
  4. ^ a b Frankie Hayes in Baseball Digest, January 1996, Vol. 55, No. 1, ISSN 0005-609X
  5. ^ 1933 American League Awards, All-Stars and Other Leaders at Baseball Reference
  6. ^ July 25, 1936 Athletics-Indians box score at Baseball Reference
  7. ^ Doubles Records at Baseball Almanac
  8. ^ 1939 All-Star Game at Baseball Reference
  9. ^ 1940 All-Star Game at Baseball Reference
  10. ^ a b c d e Frankie Hayes Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac
  11. ^ 1944 American League Fielding Leaders at Baseball Reference
  12. ^ 1944 All-Star Game at Baseball Reference
  13. ^ 1944 American League Most Valuable Player Award voting results at Baseball Reference
  14. ^ Baseball Digest, July 2001, P.86, Vol. 60, No. 7, ISSN 0005-609X
  15. ^ April 30, 1946 Indians-Yankees box score at Baseball Reference
  16. ^ The Hayes Misunderstanding, by Frank Gibbons, Baseball Digest, November 1946, Vol. 5, No. 9, ISSN 0005-609X
  17. ^ 1946 All-Star Game at Baseball Reference
  18. ^ Frankie Hayes in Baseball Digest, August 1978, Vol. 37, No. 8, ISSN 0005-609X
  19. ^ Catchers' Double Play records at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers
  20. ^ Frankie Hayes New York Times obituary at www.thedeadballera.com