Bunn Hearn
Encyclopedia
Charles Bunn "Bunny" Hearn (May 21, 1891 – October 10, 1959) was a major league baseball
pitcher
, major league scout, and minor league, semi-pro
and college level manager.
.
Hearn attended Elon College
and what is now Mississippi State University
. His 109 strikeouts in 1910 was an Elon single season record that stood for sixty seven years.
In the minor leagues, Hearn won twenty two games for the 1916 New London Planters
. The 1916 squad was named one of the one hundred greatest teams in minor league history by the official Minor League Baseball
website.
During his major league career, Hearn played for the St. Louis Cardinals
, the New York Giants
, the Federal League
Pittsburgh Rebels
, and the Boston Braves
. He compiled a record of 13-24 over six seasons. He was later a scout for the Boston Red Sox
.
Following the 1913 season, Hearn was a member of John McGraw
's world touring team. At a game in London, Hearn explained the various grips pitchers used on the ball to King George V
. Later in life, he would often brag that he taught the King of England how to throw a curve.
In 1928, Hearn was a part-owner, manager, and pitcher for the Piedmont League
team in Winston-Salem
that won the title.
During the 1930s, Hearn managed teams in the semi-professional Coastal Plain League including the Kinston Eagles who won the league championship in 1935.
Hearn served as the manager of the North Carolina Tar Heels
in 1917 and 1918, and again from 1932 to 1946. He compiled a record of 214-133-2 while in Chapel Hill. Hearn's Tar Heels won six Southern Conference
titles and two Ration League titles.
He died on October 10, 1959 in Wilson, North Carolina
Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.
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...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
, major league scout, and minor league, semi-pro
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
and college level manager.
Biography
He was born on May 21, 1891 in Chapel Hill, North CarolinaChapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
.
Hearn attended Elon College
Elon University
Elon University is a private liberal arts university in Elon, North Carolina, United States. Formerly known as Elon College, it became Elon University on June 1, 2001. The campus is a botanical garden and features oak trees, brick sidewalks, fountains, and lakes...
and what is now Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
. His 109 strikeouts in 1910 was an Elon single season record that stood for sixty seven years.
In the minor leagues, Hearn won twenty two games for the 1916 New London Planters
New London Planters
The New London Planters were a minor league baseball team based in New London, Connecticut, that entered the now defunct Connecticut League in 1913, which had recently renamed itself the Eastern Association with the arrival of teams outside of the state...
. The 1916 squad was named one of the one hundred greatest teams in minor league history by the official Minor League Baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
website.
During his major league career, Hearn played for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, the Federal League
Federal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that operated as a "third major league", in competition with the established National and American Leagues, from to...
Pittsburgh Rebels
Pittsburgh Rebels
The Pittsburgh Rebels were a professional baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team was a member of the short-lived Federal League, which was a minor league in 1913 but a full-fledged outlaw major league the next two years...
, and the 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....
. He compiled a record of 13-24 over six seasons. He was later a scout for 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"...
.
Following the 1913 season, Hearn was a member of John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
's world touring team. At a game in London, Hearn explained the various grips pitchers used on the ball to King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. Later in life, he would often brag that he taught the King of England how to throw a curve.
In 1928, Hearn was a part-owner, manager, and pitcher for the Piedmont League
Piedmont League
The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States.- Former :...
team in Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
that won the title.
During the 1930s, Hearn managed teams in the semi-professional Coastal Plain League including the Kinston Eagles who won the league championship in 1935.
Hearn served as the manager of the North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...
in 1917 and 1918, and again from 1932 to 1946. He compiled a record of 214-133-2 while in Chapel Hill. Hearn's Tar Heels won six Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
titles and two Ration League titles.
He died on October 10, 1959 in Wilson, North Carolina
Wilson, North Carolina
Wilson is a city and the county seat of Wilson County in the Coastal Plain region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The 18th largest city in the state, Wilson had a population of 49,167 according to the 2010 census.- Geography :...
Legacy
Hearn was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1966, and the ElonElon University
Elon University is a private liberal arts university in Elon, North Carolina, United States. Formerly known as Elon College, it became Elon University on June 1, 2001. The campus is a botanical garden and features oak trees, brick sidewalks, fountains, and lakes...
Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.