Bunny Hearn (hearnbu01)
From BR Bullpen
Charles Bunn Hearn ("Bunny")
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 5' 11", Weight 190 lb.
- School Elon University, Mississippi State University
- Debut September 17, 1910
- Final Game July 2, 1920
- Born May 21, 1891 in Chapel Hill, NC USA
- Died October 10, 1959 in Wilson, NC USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Bunny Hearn attended Elon University 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 1930's, 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 University of 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.
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 Elon Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.
[edit] Year-by-Year Managerial Record
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Wilson Bugs | Virginia League | 85-69 | 2nd | none | |
| 1927 | Wilson Bugs | Virginia League | 65-67 | 4th | none | |
| 1928 | Winston-Salem Twins | Piedmont League | 82-51 | 1st | League Champs | |
| 1929 | Henderson Bunnies | Piedmont League | -- | -- | replaced by Lew Murphy | |
| 1931 | Winston-Salem Twins | Piedmont League | -- | -- | replaced by Clarence "Stuffy" McCrone |
[edit] Sources
- NC Sports Hall bio
- New London team
- Gaunt, Robert, We Would Have Played Forever: The Story of the Coastal Plain Baseball League (Baseball America, Inc. - 1997) ISBN 0-945-16402-5
