Dick Gernert
From BR Bullpen
Richard Edward Gernert
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 210 lb.
- School Temple University
- Debut April 16, 1952
- Final Game May 9, 1962
- Born September 28, 1928 in Reading, PA USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Before the 1950 season Dick Gernert a 21 year old first baseman was signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Red Sox. The 6'3" 210 pounder spent his first season in pro ball with three different clubs, the Louisville Colonels, the San Jose Red Sox and the Scranton Red Sox and had a combined year appearing in 116 games, hitting 8 home runs and had a .289 batting average. Dick would be with the class A Scranton Miners in 1951, where he had nine round-trippers and hit for a .306 average.
A native of Reading, PA, Dick attended Temple University on a basketball scholarship where he played one year of freshman ball and another year of varsity. His Boston Red Sox career (1952-59) pales in comparison to those of other first sackers like Jimmie Foxx and even Mo Vaughn, but he did have his moments.
The big guy hit 19 home runs his rookie year and followed that with 21 four-baggers in '53. He spent most of the next two seasons in the minors (1954-55) with the Louisville Colonels and the Buffalo Bisons before he established himself with the Red Sox for four more years. The nephew of former Red Sox and Chicago Cubs outfielder Dom Dallessandro, Gernert was not a fan of the inviting Green Monster in Fenway.
"I was not a pull hitter," explained Gernert. "I hit a lot of balls into the gaps and into right field. I think they wanted me to pull the ball. I tried to pull and my hitting didn't improve because of that. I think if I stayed the way I was when I came to the big leagues, I might have been a much better hitter."
Gernert, who was part of the Red Sox Opening Day Lineup in 1953, '54 and '57, batting cleanup behind Ted Williams, enjoyed his best overall season in '56 when he hit .291 with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs, appearing in 106 games, playing first base and the outfield.
Traded to the Cubs after the 1959 season, he returned to the American League with the Tigers the next year. He was then acquired by the Cincinnati Reds and played a key role in the Reds winning the 1961 National League Pennant with his clutch pinch-hitting. Down the stretch he hit .302 with seven home runs in only 63 at-bats.
Dick concluded his big league days with the Houston Colt 45s in 1962 and took with him a lifetime .254 batting average with 103 home runs and 402 RBIs. Gernert finished out 1962 with the minor league Tacoma Giants, with 20 homers and a .289 batting average. 1963 and '64 would find him with the Reading Red Sox where he would conclude his pro basball career with 24 home runs and a combined .277 batting average.
Gernert played 15 active seasons in pro baseball (1950-64) and along with his major league numbers he appeared in 765 minor league contests, went to bat 2,518 times, picked up 719 base hits (including 102 home runs) for a career 2.85 batting average and a .455 slug.
After baseball Gernert taught school for over 11 years. He then scouted for the Texas Rangers and managed in their minor league system in 1969-70. In 1975-76 he worked as the team's first base coach under manager Frank Lucchesi. He then went to the New York Mets as their farm director for three years and then became a special assignment scout for the organization.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 2 (1953 & 1958)
[edit] Sources
Baseball-Reference.com
Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Third Edition
Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page
