HENRY “HANK” BAUER

BASEBALL

Position: Outfielder
Born: July 31, 1922; East St. Louis, Illinois
Died: February 9, 2007; Lenexa, Kansas
Played For: New York Yankees (1948-1959), Kansas City Athletics (1960-1961)
Managed For: Kansas City Athletics (1961-1962), Baltimore Orioles (1964-1968), Oakland Athletics (1969)

Hank Bauer was born in East St. Louis, Illinois on July 31, 1922. He was the youngest of nine children. Bauer played baseball and basketball at Central Catholic High School that he graduated from in 1941. His brother Herman, who was playing in the minor leagues for the Chicago Whites Sox organization, helped him get a tryout and eventual contract with Oskosh of the Class D Wisconsin State league.

One month after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Bauer enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After contracting malaria that he contracted at Guadalcanal, Bauer survived 32 months of combat was awarded 11 campaign ribbons, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts and the Navy Commendation Medal. Bauer was the Sergeant of a platoon of 64 Marines during the Battle of Okinawa. He was one of only 6 who survived a counterattack by the Japanese. Bauer suffered a severe shrapnel injury to his thigh.  Due to the injury Bauer thought his baseball career may be over and returned to East St. Louis to work in the construction industry.

Danny Menendez, a friend of his brother Joe, who was a scout for the New York Yankees decided to sign Bauer for a tryout with their farm team in Quincy, Illinois.  The terms of the contract were $175 a month with a $250 signing bonus. If he made the team he would earn $200 a month.

Bauer batted .300 for the Kansas City Blues, the top farm club for the Yankees.  Bauer was eventually called up by the Yankees and made his Major League debut in September of 1948.

In his 14 year Major League Baseball career. Bauer had a .277 lifetime batting average with 164 home runs and 703 RBI in the 1,544 games he played.  He had a career fielding percentage of .982.  Bauer was a member of seven World Series winning teams of the New York Yankees. During that time he set a World Series record for hitting in 17 consecutive games which still stands today.  In the sixth and final game of the 1951 World Series Bauer went one for three, hitting a triple that scored three runs.  He made a diving catch of a Sal Yvars line drive for the last out to secure a 4-3 victory over the New York Giants and earned the Yankees their 14th World Series Championship.

At the end of the 1959 season the Yankees traded Bauer to the Kansas City Athletics for Roger Maris.

Bauer played the 1960 season and on June 19th, 1961, Athletics owner Charlie Finley fired manager Joe Gordon and named Bauer as player-manager. A month later Bauer retired as a player.  He managed the A’s for the remainder of 1961 until his firing at the end of the 1962 season with a won-loss record of 107-157. (52)

In 1963 Bauer was named the first base coach for the Baltimore Orioles under then skipper Billy Hitchcock. Hitchcock was eventually fired at the end of the 1963 season.  On November 19, 1963, Bauer was named the next manager of the Orioles. Bauer and the Orioles were in contention for the 1964 American League pennant, eventually finishing third.  With the addition of future Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, Bauer led the Orioles to their first American League pennant and first World Series Championship in 1966.  Bauer led the team to a second place AL finish in 1967. Bauer was dismissed as the Orioles manager on July 10th, 1968 finishing with 407 wins and 318 losses.

Bauer returned to the Kansas City area and became a scout for the Yankees and Kansas City Royals.

Bauer died on February 9th, 2007 at his Kansas City area home at the age of 89.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Charlene nee Friede Bauer.