Rollie Hemsley

Biography

Rollie Hemsley was a professional baseball player who played as a catcher for various teams in the Major League Baseball (MLB) during his career. He was born on October 24, 1907, in Syracuse, New York, and started his baseball career in the minor leagues in 1928.

Hemsley made his MLB debut in 1928 with the St. Louis Browns and played for them until 1931. He then played for the Cleveland Indians from 1932 to 1933, the Boston Red Sox in 1934, and the Philadelphia Athletics from 1935 to 1936. Hemsley returned to the St. Louis Browns in 1937 and played for them until 1941. He then played for the New York Yankees in 1942, the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943, and the Chicago Cubs from 1944 to 1945. Hemsley's final season in the MLB was in 1947, where he played for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Throughout his career, Hemsley was known for his defensive skills as a catcher. He had a strong throwing arm and was able to throw out many baserunners attempting to steal a base. Hemsley was also known for his ability to handle pitchers and call a good game.

Offensively, Hemsley was not a power hitter but was able to hit for a decent average. He had a career batting average of .261 and hit a total of 35 home runs. Hemsley's best offensive season was in 1932 when he hit .317 with 7 home runs and 60 runs batted in (RBIs) for the Cleveland Indians.

Hemsley played in two World Series during his career. In 1935, he played for the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series against the Chicago Cubs. The Athletics won the series in six games, and Hemsley had a batting average of .333 with 2 RBIs. In 1942, Hemsley played for the New York Yankees in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the series in five games, and Hemsley had a batting average of .250 with 1 RBI.

After his playing career, Hemsley became a coach and manager in the minor leagues. He managed the Syracuse Chiefs, a minor league team in his hometown, from 1951 to 1952. Hemsley also worked as a scout for the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Athletics.

Rollie Hemsley passed away on July 31, 1972, at the age of 64. He was inducted into the Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. Hemsley's career in the MLB spanned over 20 years, and he was known for his defensive skills as a catcher and his ability to handle pitchers.

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1935 MLB All-Star Game - Radio Broadcast

3 hours Jul 8, 1935Jul 8, 1935

The third annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played in July 1935 at Cleveland...

1935 MLB All-Star Game - Radio Broadcast / The third annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played in July 1935 at Cleveland Stadium. Nearly 70,000 fans filled the enormous ballpark, which had just opened a few years earlier. The game was a showcase for the new stadium, which was nearly 4 times the capacity of Cleveland's previous League Park. Babe Ruth didn't play in this game, having retired mid season just a month earlier. But, hall of famer Lefty Gomez made his third consecutive all-star game start as pitcher for the American League. He was joined by other stars such as Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Charlie Genhringer, Al Simmons, and Mel Ott.