- This article is about Fred Hutchinson, the American baseball player and manager. For the medical institution established by his brother in his memory, see Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, located in Seattle, Washington was established in 1975 and is one of the world’s leading cancer-research institutes...
.
Frederick Charles Hutchinson (August 12, 1919 – November 12, 1964) was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
player, a
major leagueMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
pitcherIn 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 it or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is...
for the
Detroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in . The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant 10 times...
. He also was a
managerIn baseball, the head coach of a team is called the manager ; this individual controls 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...
for three major league teams. Stricken with fatal
lung cancerLung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. This growth may lead to metastasis, which is the invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration beyond the lungs. The vast majority of primary lung cancers are carcinomas of the lung, derived from epithelial cells...
at the height of his managerial career as leader of the pennant-contending
Cincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. They are members of the Central Division of the National League....
, he was commemorated one year after his death when his brother, Dr. William Hutchinson, created the
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterThe Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, located in Seattle, Washington was established in 1975 and is one of the world’s leading cancer-research institutes...
as a division of the Pacific Northwest Research Foundation, in the Hutchinsons’ native city of
Seattle, WashingtonSeattle is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Situated in the western part of Washington State on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about south of the Canada – United States border, it is named after Chief Sealth, of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes...
. The
FHCRCThe Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, located in Seattle, Washington was established in 1975 and is one of the world’s leading cancer-research institutes...
, which became independent in 1972, is now one of the best-known facilities of its kind in the world.
Pitching career
Fred Hutchinson, known throughout baseball as “Hutch,” attended the
University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. UW is the largest university in the northwestern United States and one of the oldest public universities on the west coast. The university has three campuses, with its flagship campus...
. A right-handed pitcher, he entered the organized baseball ranks in 1938 with the unaffiliated
Seattle RainiersThe Seattle Rainiers, originally named the Seattle Indians and also known as the Seattle Angels, were a minor league baseball team in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1906, and from 1919 though 1968...
of the AA
Pacific Coast LeagueThe Pacific Coast League is a minor league baseball league operating in the West, Midwest, and Southeast of the United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League...
and caused an immediate sensation at age 19,
winningIn baseball, the win-loss record is the number of wins and losses a pitcher has accumulated either in his career or a single season....
a league-best 25 games and that season’s Minor League Player of the Year award as bestowed by
The Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
. After his contract was purchased by the
Detroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in . The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant 10 times...
of the
American LeagueThe 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, that eventually aspired to major league...
, Hutchinson struggled in his early major league career with a 6-13 record and an earned-run average of 5.43 during the 1939-41 seasons. His ineffectiveness caused his return to the
minor leaguesMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses, and many are members of Minor League Baseball, an umbrella organization for leagues...
in each season. In 1941, at
BuffaloThe Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York which plays in the International League . They are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
of the AA
International LeagueThe International League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball...
, he enjoyed another stellar campaign, leading the league in victories (26) and
innings pitchedIn baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
(284). A successful major league career seemed to await Hutchinson, then 22, when the U.S. entered
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He saw active duty in the
U.S. NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
, rose to the rank of
lieutenant commanderIn the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, lieutenant commander is a mid-ranking officer rank, with the pay grade of O-4...
, and lost four full seasons (-
45-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs *All-Star Game cancelled due to flight restrictions. However, inter-league games were played during the All-Star break.-Other champions:...
) to military service.
In , Hutchinson – approaching 27 – returned to baseball with a vengeance, winning a place in the defending
World SeriesThe World Series has been the annual championship series of the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada since 1903, concluding the postseason of Major League Baseball...
champion Tigers’ starting rotation and beginning a string of six straight campaigns of ten or more wins, including seasons of 18 and 17 victories . He was selected to the American League
All-StarThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
team, and pitched three innings of the junior loop’s 8-3 loss at Hutchinson’s home park, Briggs Stadium.
Overall, Hutchinson compiled a 95-71 career record over 11 seasons, all with Detroit – a stellar mark considering his early-career mishaps. He was known as a good teammate and a ferocious competitor, who once reportedly shattered every light bulb from the dugout to the clubhouse after being lifted from a ballgame. He also was one of the best-hitting pitchers of his time; a left-handed batter, he frequently pinch-hit and
battedBatting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. The two statistics are related, in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages....
over .300 four times during his major league career. His career batting average was .263, with four
home runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring runs for himself and each runner who was already on base, with no errors by the defensive team on the play...
s and 83 runs batted in — excellent totals for a pitcher.
On a dubious note, he is also recalled as the pitcher who gave up the longest homer in
Ted WilliamsTheodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was a left fielder in Major League Baseball. He played 21 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, twice interrupted by military service as a Marine Corps pilot...
' career, a 502-foot (153 m) blast in that broke the straw hat of a startled fan sitting in
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use...
’s right-center-field bleachers. The seat where the home run landed has been painted red since to mark the long ball.
A Major League manager at 32
A slow decline in Hutchinson’s pitching career coincided with an alarming drop in the fortunes of his usually contending Tigers. On July 5, 1952, with Detroit in the surprising position of last place in the eight-team American League, the club fired manager
Red RolfeRobert Abial "Red" Rolfe was an American third baseman, manager and front-office executive in Major League Baseball. A native of Penacook, New Hampshire, he is one of the most prominent players to come from the Granite State...
and handed the job to Hutchinson, still an active player and five weeks shy of his 33rd birthday. Hutchinson was chosen based on his leadership skills; he had been the AL’s Player Representative since 1947. Hutchinson managed the Tigers for the next 2½ years, serving into as a playing manager. He guided them from their eighth-place finish in 1952 to sixth and fifth place during the next two seasons. His reign included the debut of future Baseball Hall of Fame
outfielderOutfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Al KalineAlbert William "Al" Kaline, also known as Mr. Tiger, is a former Major League Baseball player. Kaline was active from 1953 to 1974 and spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers...
. However, Detroit’s ownership and front office were in flux and, at the end of , Hutchinson was forced out as manager and replaced by the veteran
Bucky HarrisStanley Raymond "Bucky" Harris was a Major League Baseball player, manager and executive. He was born in Port Jervis, New York and discovered by baseball promoter Joe Engel, who led the Chattanooga Lookouts at Engel Stadium.In 1919, at the age of 22, Harris came up to the Washington Senators,...
. It marked the end of a 16-year association with the Tigers.
Out of the major leagues for the first time since , Hutchinson went home to
SeattleSeattle is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Situated in the western part of Washington State on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about south of the Canada – United States border, it is named after Chief Sealth, of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes...
and the
RainiersThe Seattle Rainiers, originally named the Seattle Indians and also known as the Seattle Angels, were a minor league baseball team in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1906, and from 1919 though 1968...
of the
PCLThe Pacific Coast League is a minor league baseball league operating in the West, Midwest, and Southeast of the United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League...
, becoming their manager in 1955. Even though the club did not enjoy a major league affiliation, Hutchinson led Seattle to a 95-77 record and a first place finish. His success led to his second major league managerial job when he replaced
Harry WalkerHarry William Walker, known to baseball fans of the middle 20th century as "Harry the Hat" , was an American baseball player, manager and coach....
as skipper of the
St. Louis CardinalsThe 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...
for the 1956 season. The Cardinals, one of baseball's storied franchises, had fallen into the
second divisionFirst division is a term that has had various meanings, at various times, in the sport of baseball.Prior to 1961, the two major baseball leagues — the National League and the American League — contained eight teams each, and a team in first through fourth places collectively was said to...
. With
general managerIn Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
“Frantic”
Frank LaneFrank Lane was an American executive in professional baseball for more than four decades, most notably serving as a general manager in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox, St...
constantly revamping the roster through trades and Hutchinson’s steady hand at the helm, the Cardinals improved by eight games in , and catapulted to second place in , behind only the eventual world champion
Milwaukee BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Braves have played in Turner Field....
. Hutchinson was named
National LeagueThe 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...
Manager of the Year, and his popularity in the Mound City resulted in a new nickname, "The Big Bear", bestowed by Cardinal broadcaster Joe Garagiola. Hutchinson's typical unsmiling expression also led Garagiola to joke that Hutchinson was "really happy inside, only his face didn't know it." However, Lane's departure from the St. Louis front office and the Cardinals’ disappointing season resulted in Hutchinson’s dismissal that September, with the team six games below .500 and in fifth place.
Success in Cincinnati
Once again, Hutchinson returned to Seattle as manager of the Rainiers, but the 1959 team did not have the on-field success of 1955's edition. However, the Rainiers were by then the top farm club of the
Cincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. They are members of the Central Division of the National League....
, who had stumbled coming out of the gate. In July , with the Reds 10 games under .500, Hutchinson was called to Cincinnati to take over the club, replacing
Mayo SmithEdward Mayo Smith was an American player, manager, and scout in Major League Baseball.Smith was born in New London, Missouri, but grew up in Florida. A left-handed batter who threw right-handed, Smith was a career minor league outfielder who spent many seasons in the International League with the...
. Under Hutchinson, Cincinnati went 39-35 and improved two notches in the standings, but the
following season-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over New York Yankees ; Bobby Richardson, MVP*All-Star Game , July 11 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5-3*All-Star Game , July 13 at Yankee Stadium: National League, 6-0...
saw the Reds struggle again to a 67-87 record and sixth place in the
National LeagueThe 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...
. Like Detroit and St. Louis before, the Reds also were in front office turmoil, as the general manager who hired Hutchinson,
Gabe PaulGabriel Howard Paul was an American executive in Major League Baseball who served as general manager of three teams and, perhaps most famously, as president of the New York Yankees under George Steinbrenner during the 1970s.-Early life and career:Born in Rochester, New York, Paul got his start in...
, departed for the expansion
Houston Colt .45sThe Houston Astros is a major league baseball team located in Houston, Texas. The Astros are a member of the Central Division. From 2000 to the present, the Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park . The Astros joined MLB under the name Colt .45s along with the New York Mets in...
and was replaced by
Bill DeWittWilliam Orville DeWitt Sr. was a longtime executive in Major League Baseball whose career spanned more than 50 years in the game. His son William DeWitt, Jr. is currently the principal owner and managing partner of the St...
. The sudden death of longtime owner Powel Crosley before the '61 season meant the team would soon be sold.
As a result, was a crucial season for Hutchinson. The Reds were projected as a second division team, lagging well behind the defending world champion
Pittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions, in addition to the distinction of playing in the first modern World Series. The Pirates are also often...
, the 1959 champion
Los Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. The team is in the Western Division of the National League. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming the Brooklyn...
, and strong
San Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California who currently play in the National League West Division. One of the oldest baseball teams, the Giants hold the honor of having won the most games of any team in the history of baseball...
, Cardinals and Braves outfits. But the Reds stunned the league. Led by NL
MVPIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
Frank RobinsonFrank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball player. He was an outfielder, most notably with the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles...
, they were buoyed by three other factors: the maturation of young players such as outfielder
Vada PinsonVada Edward Pinson, Jr. was an American center fielder and coach in Major League Baseball...
and pitchers
Jim O'TooleJames Jerome O'Toole is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball during the early 1960s. From 1961-64, he won 19, 16, 17 and 17 games for the Cincinnati Reds and played a crucial role in Cincinnati's 1961 National League championship...
, Ken Hunt and
Jim MaloneyJames William Maloney is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Cincinnati Reds and California Angels...
; the acquisition of key contributors such as pitcher
Joey JayJoseph Richard Jay is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1953 through 1966, Jay played for the Milwaukee Braves , Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves...
(who became a 20-game winner) and
third basemanA third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Gene FreeseEugene Lewis Freese was a third baseman in American Major League Baseball for 12 seasons . A journeyman, he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros, batting .254 with 115 home runs in 1,115 games...
; and surprise slugging and clutch hitting performances by
first basemanFirst base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team. A first baseman is the player on the team playing defense who fields the area nearest first base, and is responsible for the...
Gordy ColemanGordon Calvin Coleman was a Major League first baseman with the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds ....
,
Jerry LynchGerald Thomas Lynch , is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds ....
(one the greatest pinchhitters in baseball history), and veteran
Wally PostWalter Charles Post was a right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1949 through 1964, Post played for the Cincinnati Reds & Redlegs , Philadelphia Phillies , Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians...
. The Reds surged into contention with a nine-game winning streak in May, and took first place for good August 16 when they swept the Dodgers in a doubleheader in Los Angeles.
The season was marked by numerous dramatic late-inning comeback victories, overcoming large margins, sometimes in a single inning. The Reds seemed never to be out of any game, until the last out. The Reds won 93 games and their first NL pennant since . It would be Hutchinson’s second trip to the
World SeriesThe World Series has been the annual championship series of the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada since 1903, concluding the postseason of Major League Baseball...
; ironically, he was a Detroit pitcher in
1940The 1940 World Series matched the Cincinnati Reds against the Detroit Tigers, with the Reds winning the Series in seven games for their second championship, their first since the scandal-tainted victory in 1919...
when his Tigers lost the Fall Classic to Cincinnati in seven games. Unfortunately, the 1961 Reds drew one of the best teams of its era as its World Series foe: the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
of
Roger MarisRoger Eugene Maris was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who is primarily remembered for hitting 61 home runs for the New York Yankees during the 1961 season...
,
Mickey MantleMickey Charles Mantle was an American baseball player who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974....
,
Whitey FordEdward Charles "Whitey" Ford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.-Early life and career:...
, et al., who had won 109 games. The Reds could muster only one victory, in Game 2, with utility infielder
Elio ChaconElio Chacón Rodríguez was a Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop who played in the National League from 1960 to 1964. He was the seventh baseball player from Venezuela to play in the majors....
racing home on a
passed ballIn baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control. When, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or the runner on base advance, the catcher is thereby charged...
with the go-ahead run, barely before the crunching body tag of
Elston HowardElston Gene Howard was an American catcher, left fielder and coach in Negro League and Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the New York Yankees...
. Cincinnati lost the
1961 SeriesThe 1961 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Cincinnati Reds , with the Yankees winning in five games to earn their nineteenth championship in their last 39 seasons...
in five games.
Final years and legacy
Winning the 1961 pennant secured Hutchinson’s place in Cincinnati. In , his Reds won 98 games but finished third, 3½ games behind the Giants. While the team fell to fifth in , with an 86-76 mark, it continued to blend in young talent, such as shortstop
Leo CardenasLeonardo Lazaro Cárdenas Alfonso was a prominent shortstop in American Major League Baseball for 16 years...
and rookie second baseman
Pete RosePeter Edward Rose is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from to , and is best known for his 19 years with the Cincinnati Reds....
. With a solid corps of veterans and a strong farm system, the Reds were considered a contending club in , provided that its pitching staff made a comeback. Tragically, an off-season medical examination revealed malignant tumors in Hutchinson's lungs, chest and neck. Given the cancer treatments available at the time, the prognosis was grim. The Reds made their manager’s illness public on January 3, 1964. As
The Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
noted, the team played the 1964 season with the terrible knowledge that Hutchinson “probably was at death’s door.”
His health failing, Hutchinson nevertheless managed the Reds through July 27, when he was hospitalized. He returned to the dugout August 4, but could only endure nine more days before he turned the team over to his first-base coach,
Dick SislerRichard Alan Sisler was an American player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Sisler was the son of Hall of Fame first baseman and two-time .400 hitter George Sisler. Younger brother Dave Sisler was a relief pitcher in the 1950s and 1960s with four MLB...
, on August 13, one day after Hutch's 45th birthday. With their manager now critically ill, the inspired Reds caught fire and won 29 out of their last 47 games as the first-place
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are the defending World Series champions. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern...
collapsed, but the team finished in a tie for second, one game behind the Cardinals. Hutchinson formally resigned as manager October 19; he died three weeks later in
Bradenton, FloridaBradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
.
SPORT magazineSPORT magazine was the original major general interest American sports magazine. Launched in September 1946 by the New York-based publisher, Macfadden Publications, SPORT pioneered the generous use of color photography – it carried eight full colour plates in its first edition – and almost...
posthumously named him "Man of the Year" for 1964 in tribute to his courage in battling his final illness and the Reds permanently retired his uniform number (1). The
Hutch AwardThe Hutch Award is a Major League Baseball award given to an active player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire to win...
is given annually by
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
in his memory as well.
Fred Hutchinson was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1965. His career record as a major league manager, in all or parts of 12 seasons, was 830-827 (.501) with nine tie games. He should be remembered not only for his winning baseball teams, and as the man who launched Cincinnati into an historic winning era (which ended years after his death with the Big Red Machine in the 70's) but for his sometimes hard-driving management of developing talent, such as the young Frank Robinsion — who according to the sports press of the time felt that Hutchinson sometimes rode him excessively hard. On the other hand, Hutchinson is described favorably by pitcher/author
Jim BrosnanJames Patrick Brosnan was a Major League Baseball player from 1954 and 1956 through 1963. He was a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox...
in his two season memoirs,
The Long Season (an account of Brosnan's 1959 campaign) and
Pennant Race (about 1961). Brosnan describes the team's wariness of the manager's hot temper and its respect for his competitive nature and leadership skills, and notes Hutchinson's sense of humor as well.
Wrote Brosnan in 1959: "Most ballplayers respect Hutch. In fact, many of them admire him, which is even better than liking him. He seems to have a tremendous inner power that a player can sense. When Hutch gets a grip on things it doesn't seem probable that he's going to lose it. He seldom blows his top at a player, seldom panics in a game, usually lets the players work out of their own troubles if possible."
On December 24, 1999, the
Seattle Post-IntelligencerThe Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington and the surrounding area...
named Hutchinson Seattle's athlete of the 20th Century.
Meanwhile, the
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterThe Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, located in Seattle, Washington was established in 1975 and is one of the world’s leading cancer-research institutes...
continues to make news as a cancer treatment center — in medical and baseball circles. When
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
rookie left-handed pitcher
Jon LesterJonathan Tyler Lester is a left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Boston Red Sox...
, a Washington native, was diagnosed with
anaplastic large cell lymphomaAnaplastic large cell lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that features in the World Health Organisation classification of lymphomas.Its name derives from anaplasia and large cell lymphoma.-Signs and symptoms:...
during the season, he chose to receive his
chemotherapyChemotherapy, in its most general sense, is the treatment of disease by chemicals especially by killing micro-organisms or cancerous cells. In popular usage, it refers to antineoplastic drugs used to treat cancer or the combination of these drugs into a cytotoxic standardized treatment regimen...
regimen at the Seattle facility. Coming full circle, on November 11, 2008, Lester — a 16-game winner and postseason pitching star — was chosen as the winner of the 2008 Hutch Award.
See also
- 1950 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers had a record of 95-59 , the seventh best winning percentage in the Tigers' 107-year history. After a tight back-and-forth pennant race, they finished in second place, three games behind a Yankees team that swept the Phillies in the 1950 World Series.They 1950 Tigers outscored...
- The Dead Ball Era
External links