Don Hoak (1950s)

Donald Albert (Don) Hoak (born February 5, 1928 in Roulette, Pennsylvania - died October 9, 1969 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) was a Major League Baseball player. Nicknamed "Tiger," Hoak was a third baseman who played ten season in the Majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1954-1955), Chicago Cubs (1956), Cincinnati Redlegs (1957-1958), Pittsburgh Pirates (1959-1962) and Philadelphia Phillies (1963-1964). He played 1263 games and compiled a .265 batting average with 89 home runs and 498 runs batted in. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 599 pixels Full resolution (544 × 724 pixel, file size: 58 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is a digital photo that I took of an actual photograph, and then cropped. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 599 pixels Full resolution (544 × 724 pixel, file size: 58 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is a digital photo that I took of an actual photograph, and then cropped. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... Roulette Township is a township located in Potter County, Pennsylvania. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... Nickname: Motto: Benigno Numine (With the Benevolent Deity) Location in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States Commonwealth Pennsylvania County Allegheny Founded November 25, 1758 Incorporated April 22, 1794 (borough)   March 18, 1816 (city) Government  - Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) Area  - City 151. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The position of the third baseman Third base redirects here. ... The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team that played from 1890-1957. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1889) (a. ... The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. ... Major league affiliations National League (1887–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 4, 8, 9, 20, 21, 33, 40, 42 Name Pittsburgh Pirates (1891–present) Pittsburgh Innocents (1890) Pittsburg Alleghenies (1882–1889) (Also referred to as Infants in 1890) Ballpark PNC Park (2001–present) Three Rivers... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1883–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1882) (Commonly referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Ballpark Citizens Bank Park (2004–present) Veterans Stadium... Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... Mark McGwire swinging for the fences. ... In baseball statistics, a run batted in (RBI) is given to a batter for each run scored as the result of a batters plate appearance. ...

Early career

As a youngster, Hoak was a professional boxer, but traded in his boxing gloves for baseball gloves after losing seven straight knockouts. He broke into the Major Leagues in 1954 after a stint in the United States Marines and also having played one season in Cuba. [1] During his two seasons with the Dodgers, he shared third base duties with Jackie Robinson and Billy Cox. In 1955, his Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series to win their only championship in Brooklyn. Professional boxing bout featuring Ricardo Domínguez (left, throwing a left uppercut) versus Rafael Ortiz Boxing, also called prizefighting or pugilism is a sport and martial art in which two participants of similar weight fight each other with their fists in a series of one to three-minute intervals called... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... Jack Roosevelt Jackie Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) became the first African-American Major League Baseball player of the modern era in 1947. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 32, 37, 44, 49 Name New York Yankees (1913–present) New York Highlanders (1903-1912) Baltimore Orioles (1901-1902) (Also referred to as... The 1955 World Series matched the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Yankees, with the Dodgers winning the Series in 7 games to capture the first championship in franchise history. ... Brooklyn (named after the Dutch city Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. ...

After the season Hoak was traded to the Chicago Cubs. The 1956 season was a disaster for Hoak: he batted only .215 with 5 home runs and 37 RBI’s. He also set a National League record by striking out six times in one game, a 17-inning marathon on May 2 won by the visiting New York Giants. 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League, is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada and the worlds oldest extant professional team sports league. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ...

The trade to Chicago was difficult for Hoak to accept. He had very few, if any, kind words for the Cubs and their organization. He even hated owner Philip Wrigley. At the end of the season he was traded again, this time to the Cincinnati Redlegs. Philip Knight Wrigley, sometimes also called P.K. or Phil, was the quiet son of his much more flamboyant father, William Wrigley Jr. ...

Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia

In 1957 Hoak improved his batting average to .293 and set career highs in home runs (19) and RBI’s (89). He also made his only All-Star appearance that year, but it would be shrouded in controversy. At the time, as they do now, fans had the right to vote for the starters (minus the starting pitchers). As a result, a ballot stuffing campaign by Redlegs (during this Cold War era, the name "Reds" drew connotations of Communism) fans resulted in Hoak, Ed Bailey, Roy McMillan, Johnny Temple, Frank Robinson, Wally Post and Gus Bell being voted into the starting lineup. First baseman George Crowe, then 36 and the eventual team home run leader with 31, was the only Red not selected; the fans instead voted for Stan Musial. (Crowe would be selected to the All-Star team in 1958—the only Redleg so hononred.) Commissioner Ford Frick removed Bell and Post from the starting lineup and replaced them with Willie Mays and Hank Aaron; Bell remained on the team as a reserve, but Post was taken off altogether. Frick also stripped the fans of the right to vote for the starters, which they’d held since 1947 and wouldn’t hold again until 1970 (ironically, the Reds’ newly opened Riverfront Stadium would host the All-Star Game that year). Hoak was limited to one plate appearance in the game before being replaced by Eddie Mathews. 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 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 fan vote for the starting position players and by the manager (the managers from the previous years... Ballot stuffing is the act of one person submitting multiple ballots during a vote in which only one ballot per person is permitted. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... Lonas Edgar Ed Bailey Jr. ... Roy David McMillan (July 17, 1929 - November 2, 1997) was a shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball. ... John Ellis Temple (August 8, 1927 - January 9, 1994) was a Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Cincinnati teams Redlegs (1952-59) and Reds (1964); Cleveland Indians (1960-61), Baltimore Orioles (1962) and Houston Colt . ... Frank Robinson (born August 31, 1935 in Beaumont, Texas), is a Hall of Fame former Major League Baseball player. ... Wally Post was a major league outfielder for about a dozen years in the nineteen fifties and early sixties. ... Gus Bell, born David Russell Bell, Jr. ... George Daniel Crowe was born on April 30, 1921 in Whiteland, Indiana. ... Stanley Frank Musial, original StanisÅ‚aw Franciszek MusiaÅ‚, nicknamed Stan the Man (born November 21, 1920 in Pittsburgh area town of Donora, Pennsylvania, which is also the birth place of Major League Baseball players Ken Griffey, Sr. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ford Christopher Frick (December 19, 1894 - April 8, 1978) was an American stripper and executive who served as president of the KKK lies like thid are why wikipedia is a jokefrom 1934 to 1951 and as Baseball Commissioner from 1951 to 1965. ... Template:Infobox baseball player/alive and well Willie Howard Mays Jr. ... Henry Louis Hank Aaron (born February 5, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama) is a retired American baseball player and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Cinergy Field, formerly known as Riverfront Stadium (1970 - 2002) was the home of the Cincinnati Reds Major League Baseball team and the Cincinnati Bengals National Football League team. ... Edwin Lee Mathews (October 13, 1931 – February 18, 2001) was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball. ...

Hoak batted .261 for the Reds during the 1958 season before being traded, along with Harvey Haddix and Smoky Burgess, to the Pittsburgh Pirates for four players (one of whom was Frank Thomas) and cash in January of 1959. Hoak batted .294 in 1959 and .282 in 1960 on a Pirates team that won the World Series; like the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, Pittsburgh had defeated the Yankees in seven games. Before Bill Mazeroski’s ninth inning home run won the Series for the Pirates, Hoak had been the last Pirate to bat; he had made the last out in the eighth. During the Pirates’ championship season, Hoak finished second in National League MVP honors to teammate Dick Groat. Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pitcher Harvey Haddix on a 1963 Topps Baseball Card Harvey Haddix, Jr. ... Forrest Harrill Smokey Burgess (February 6, 1927 - September 15, 1991) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who became known for his ability as a pinch hitter. ... Frank Joseph Thomas (born June 11, 1929 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1951-58), Cincinnati Reds (1959), Chicago Cubs (1960-61), Milwaukee Braves (1961), New York Mets (1962-64), Philadelphia Phillies (1964-65), Houston Astros (1965), Montreal... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Bill Mazeroskis famous game-winning home run at Forbes Field to win the 1960 World Series The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) and New York Yankees (AL). ... William Stanley Mazeroski (born September 5, 1936 in Wheeling, West Virginia), nicknamed Maz, and also called simply The Glove by radio broadcaster Bob Prince, is a former Major League Baseball player. ... In the game of baseball, both amateur and professional, it is tradition to annually recognize the one player in the league who has contributed the most to the success of the players team. ... Richard Morrow Groat (born November 4, 1930 in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania) is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1952, 1955-62), St. ...

Hoak played two more seasons with the Pirates (in 1961 he batted a career-high .298) before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. After batting .231 during the 1963 season he was released in early 1964. 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ...

Post-playing career

After his playing career, Hoak was a Pirates' broadcaster for two years, a coach for the Phillies in 1967, and a manager in the Pirates' farm system for the next two years. He died on October 9, 1969, at the age of 41, of a heart attack while chasing his brother-in-law’s stolen car. Earlier that very day, the Pirates had re-hired Danny Murtaugh as their manager—a position for which Hoak had believed himself a leading contender. General Manager Joe L. Brown would later admit Hoak had not been a finalist for the job. 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... The farm system is a slang term used in baseball to refer to the systematic control or ownership of minor league baseball clubs by major league teams, who move players from the lowest to the highest classification as they gain experience and enjoy success at each level. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), commonly known as a heart attack, is a disease state that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted. ... Daniel Edward Murtaugh ( October 8, 1917 - December 2, 1976) was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball best known for his leadership of the Pittsburgh Pirates from the 1950s to the 1970s. ... Joe L. Brown (born September 1, 1918, New York, New York) is a retired front office executive in American Major League Baseball. ...

Trivia

• When Hoak stole 9 bases in 1955, it tied him for tenth in the National League. He was in some pretty good company...Gene Baker, Ernie Banks, Chuck Harmon, and Duke Snider. It took Hoak only 94 games to get 9 stolen bases. By contrast, it took the other four players an average of 138 games to steal the same number of bases.

On May 2, 1956, Hoak set a National League record by striking out six times in the Cubs' 17-inning, 6-5 loss to the New York Giants at Wrigley Field. Several other records were also set in this game: The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League, is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada and the worlds oldest extant professional team sports league. ... Gene Baker (born June 15, 1925 in Davenport, Iowa; died December 1, 1999 in Davenport, Iowa) was a Major League Baseball player. ... Ernest Ernie Banks (born January 31, 1931 in Dallas, Texas) is an American former Major League baseball player who played his entire career with the Chicago Cubs (1953-1971). ... Topps baseball card - 1955 Series, #082 Charles Byron (Chuck) Harmon (born April 23, 1924 in Washington, Indiana) is a former utility player in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Redlegs (1954-1956[start]), St. ... Edwin Donald Duke Snider (born September 19, 1926 in Los Angeles, California), nicknamed The Silver Fox, is a former Major League baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers (1947-62), New York Mets (1963) and San Francisco Giants (1964). ... The all-time stolen base leader, Rickey Henderson, swipes third in 1985 In baseball statistics, stolen bases (denoted by SB) is a count of the number of bases successfully stolen by a player. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League, is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada and the worlds oldest extant professional team sports league. ... Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. ...

• 48 players were used, 25 by the Giants and 23 by the Cubs.
• The two teams combined to intentionally walk 11 batters. Willie Mays, Wes Westrum and Ernie Banks were intentionally walked twice each.
• The game lasted 5:13—six minutes shy of the record for the longest game, between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves in 1940. That game went 20 innings.

In a game against the Milwaukee Braves on April 21, 1957, Hoak was on second base and teammate Gus Bell on first when Wally Post hit a ground ball to short. Hoak broke up a potential double play by fielding the ball himself and flipping it to Milwaukee shortstop Johnny Logan. Hoak was called out for interference, but Post was given a single on the play. The day before, Johnny Temple let Bell’s ground ball hit him with the same result, Temple being called out for interference and Bell being awarded a single. The two incidents prompted league presidents Warren Giles and Will Harridge to jointly announce a rule change that declared both the runner and batter out if the runner intentionally interfered with a batted ball, with no runners allowed to advance. In baseball statistics, an intentional base on balls (denoted by IBB), often called an intentional walk, is used in baseball to count the number of times a walk was issued with no intent of ever allowing a hit. ... Template:Infobox baseball player/alive and well Willie Howard Mays Jr. ... Wesley Noreen Westrum (November 28, 1922, Clearbrook, Minnesota – May 28, 2002, Clearbrook, Minnesota) was an American catcher, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball. ... Ernest Ernie Banks (born January 31, 1931 in Dallas, Texas) is an American former Major League baseball player who played his entire career with the Chicago Cubs (1953-1971). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Atlanta Braves are a Major League Baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gus Bell, born David Russell Bell, Jr. ... Wally Post was a major league outfielder for about a dozen years in the nineteen fifties and early sixties. ... After stepping on second base, the fielder throws to first to complete a double play In baseball, a double play (denoted on statistics sheets by DP) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. ... John Johnny Logan Jr. ... John Ellis Temple (August 8, 1927 - January 9, 1994) was a Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Cincinnati teams Redlegs (1952-59) and Reds (1964); Cleveland Indians (1960-61), Baltimore Orioles (1962) and Houston Colt . ... Warren Crandall Giles (28 May 1896 - 7 February 1979) was an American executive in Major League Baseball. ... William Harridge (October 16, 1883 - April 9, 1971) was an American executive in Major League Baseball whose most significant role was as president of the American League from 1931 to 1958. ...

On May 26, 1959, in a game against the Milwaukee Braves, Harvey Haddix had pitched a perfect game for 12 innings. In the 13th, Hoak's throwing error on a ground ball by lead-off hitter Félix Mantilla ruined the perfect game bid. Mantilla was sacrificed to second by Eddie Matthews, followed by an intentional walk to Hank Aaron. The following batter, Joe Adcock, hit one over the right-center field wall for an apparent 3-0 victory. Mantilla scored the winning run, but Aaron, thinking the ball was still in play and that the game ended when Mantilla scored the winning run, rounded second and then headed for the dugout. Adcock, running out his home run, passed Aaron on the bases; as a result, the ruling from National League president Warren Giles was that only Mantilla's run counted and that the final score was 1-0. Officially there was 1 LOB for the Braves as a result and Adcock's home run was scored a double. May 26 is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Atlanta Braves are a Major League Baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. ... Pitcher Harvey Haddix on a 1963 Topps Baseball Card Harvey Haddix, Jr. ... Pitcher David Cone (left) of the New York Yankees reacting to the completion of his perfect game with catcher Joe Girardi on July 18, 1999. ... Felix Mantilla (born Felix Mantilla Lamela on July 29, 1934 in Isabela, Puerto Rico) is a former Major League Baseball player. ... In baseball, a sacrifice hit is the act of deliberately striking the ball in a manner that allows a runner on base to advance to another base, while the batter is himself put out. ... Edwin Lee Mathews (October 13, 1931–February 18, 2001) was a Major League Baseball star player born in Texarkana, Texas. ... In baseball statistics, an intentional base on balls (denoted by IBB), often called an intentional walk, is used in baseball to count the number of times a walk was issued with no intent of ever allowing a hit. ... Henry Louis Hank Aaron (born February 5, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama) is a retired American baseball player and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. ... Joseph Wilbur Adcock (October 30, 1927 - May 3, 1999) was a Major League Baseball first baseman/outfielder and right-handed batter who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1950-52), Boston & Milwaukee Braves (1953-62), Cleveland Indians (1963), and Los Angeles & California Angels (1964-66). ... The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League, is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada and the worlds oldest extant professional team sports league. ... Warren Crandall Giles (28 May 1896 - 7 February 1979) was an American executive in Major League Baseball. ...

Hoak was married to singer/actress Jill Corey. Jill Corey (born Norma Jean Speranza September 30, 1935) was a traditional pop music singer. ...

Hoak was mentioned in the 1991 film City Slickers. Bonnie Rayburn (Helen Slater) says she can't understand why men pay so much attention to baseball. "I've been to games," she says, "but I don't memorize who played..." pausing to think of an example, "...third base for... Pittsburgh in... 1960!" Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) says, "Don Hoak!" a fraction of a second before his friends Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby) and Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) can get the same answer out, and Mitch says to them, "Beat you." (Her question unwittingly played to their strength; being New Yorkers, the characters would likely have had strong memories of the 1960 World Series.) 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... City Slickers is a 1991 movie comedy starring Billy Crystal, Bruno Kirby, Daniel Stern, Helen Slater, and Jack Palance. ... Helen Rachel Slater (née Schlachter, born December 15, 1963) is an American film actress and singer-songwriter. ... Billy Crystal (born Israel William Krisstalsterne on March 14, 1947 in Long Beach, New York) is a Jewish American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. ... Bruno Kirby, born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu, Jr. ... Daniel Stern is: The pen name of Marie dAgoult Daniel Stern (actor) - an actor, who appeared in Home Alone and City Slickers Daniel Stern (psychologist) a psychologist who specializes in infant development A writer, who has written numerous novels and short story collections and is Cullen Distinguished Professor of...