Billy Hitchcock
Encyclopedia
William Clyde Hitchcock (July 31, 1916 – April 9, 2006) was an American
infielder
, coach
, manager
and scout
in Major League Baseball
. He also served as president of the class AA Southern League
from 1971-80. His older brother, Jimmy Hitchcock
, played briefly for the 1938 Boston Braves
.
, Alabama
and a graduate of Auburn University
, Hitchcock played all four infield positions during a nine-year American League
active career. He broke in with the Detroit Tigers
, spent three years in the Army Air Force
in the Pacific during World War II
, and resumed his major league career from 1946-53. A right-handed batter and thrower, he batted
.243 with five home run
s in 703 games with the Tigers, Washington Senators
, Boston Red Sox
, St. Louis Browns
and Philadelphia Athletics
.
After AAA managing assignments in 1954 and 1961, sandwiched around a six-year (1955–60) term as a Detroit coach, Hitchcock was manager of the 1962-63 Baltimore Orioles
, but the team barely broke the .500 mark (163-161); he was replaced by Hank Bauer
, and moved into Baltimore's minor league department as field coordinator.
Hitchcock began the season as a coach for the Atlanta Braves
under Bobby Bragan
, but when the Braves won only 52 of their first 111 games, Hitchcock took over. The Braves won 33 of their last 51 games to finish fifth in the National League
in their maiden season in Georgia, and Hitchcock was invited back for , but he was fired with the team in the seventh place with three games remaining on the schedule. His career managing record was 274 wins, 261 losses (.514). Hitchcock then scouted for the Montreal Expos
from 1968-71. In 1980 he was presented with the King of Baseball
award given by Minor League Baseball.
In addition to his baseball resume, Hitchcock also made a name for himself in college football
and golf
. As an All-Conference tailback
, he led Auburn
to its first bowl game (a 7-7 tie against Villanova
on January 1, 1937). Later in life, he established the Billy Hitchcock Golf Tournament at his alma mater. In recognition of his contribution to the school, Auburn renamed its renovated baseball stadium "Hitchcock Field" in 2003. Also in that year, Baseball America
named it the best college baseball facility in the country.
at age 89. He was a charter member of Trinity Presbyterian Church of Opelika.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
, coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
, manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
and scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He also served as president of the class AA Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
from 1971-80. His older brother, Jimmy Hitchcock
Jimmy Hitchcock
James Franklin Hitchcock Jr. was an American football player and Major League baseball player in the Depression Era...
, played briefly for the 1938 Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
.
Career in uniform
Born in InvernessInverness, Bullock County, Alabama
Inverness is an unincorporated community in Bullock County in the U.S. state of Alabama.Inverness is located at , south of Union Springs. According to the United States Geological Survey, variant names are Thomas Station and Thomasville....
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and a graduate of Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, Hitchcock played all four infield positions during a nine-year American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
active career. He broke in with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, spent three years in the Army Air Force
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
in the Pacific during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and resumed his major league career from 1946-53. A right-handed batter and thrower, he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.243 with five home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in 703 games with the Tigers, Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
.
After AAA managing assignments in 1954 and 1961, sandwiched around a six-year (1955–60) term as a Detroit coach, Hitchcock was manager of the 1962-63 Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, but the team barely broke the .500 mark (163-161); he was replaced by Hank Bauer
Hank Bauer
Henry Albert "Hank" Bauer was an American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He played with the New York Yankees and Kansas City Athletics ; he batted and threw right-handed...
, and moved into Baltimore's minor league department as field coordinator.
Hitchcock began the season as a coach for the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
under Bobby Bragan
Bobby Bragan
Robert Randall Bragan was a shortstop, catcher, manager, and coach in American Major League Baseball. He also was an influential executive in minor league baseball...
, but when the Braves won only 52 of their first 111 games, Hitchcock took over. The Braves won 33 of their last 51 games to finish fifth in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in their maiden season in Georgia, and Hitchcock was invited back for , but he was fired with the team in the seventh place with three games remaining on the schedule. His career managing record was 274 wins, 261 losses (.514). Hitchcock then scouted for the Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
from 1968-71. In 1980 he was presented with the King of Baseball
King of Baseball
King of Baseball is a ceremonial title awarded by Minor League Baseball to one person each year in recognition of longtime dedication and service to professional baseball.- Background :The title was first awarded in 1951...
award given by Minor League Baseball.
Minor league executive, college athletic star
With Hitchcock as league president, the Southern League added teams, expanded the playoffs and introduced split-season play. The league's attendance figures rose dramatically during his tenure, from 333,500 in 1971 to over 1.7 million in 1980. The league's championship trophy is named after him.In addition to his baseball resume, Hitchcock also made a name for himself in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. As an All-Conference tailback
Tailback
Tailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
, he led Auburn
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
to its first bowl game (a 7-7 tie against Villanova
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
on January 1, 1937). Later in life, he established the Billy Hitchcock Golf Tournament at his alma mater. In recognition of his contribution to the school, Auburn renamed its renovated baseball stadium "Hitchcock Field" in 2003. Also in that year, Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
named it the best college baseball facility in the country.
Death
Hitchcock died at his home in Opelika, AlabamaOpelika, Alabama
Opelika is a city in and the county seat of Lee County in the east central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. According to 2010 Census, the population of Opelika was 26,477...
at age 89. He was a charter member of Trinity Presbyterian Church of Opelika.
External links
- Billy Hitchcock at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...
- SABR biography