Fred Hahn

From BR Bullpen

Frederick Aloys Hahn

Bats Right, Throws Left
Height 6' 3", Weight 174 lb.
Debut April 19, 1952
Final Game April 19, 1952
Born February 16, 1929 in Nyack, NY USA
Died August 16, 1984 in Valhalla, NY USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Left-hander Fred Hahn was signed by the Philadelphia Athletics as an amateur free agent before the 1947 season. The eighteen year old wouldn't have to travel far to pitch as he was assigned to his hometown team the Nyack Rocklands of the class D North Atlantic League. Fred wound up with a 4-6 record that first season appearing in 27 games. The nineteen year old would stay at home again in 1948, this time going 9-13 while pitching 190 innings.

Fred would get away from home in the 1949 season hooking up with the St. Louis Cardinals in an unknown transaction and would set personal career highs in two stats by winning 14 games and also pitching 224 innings. Fred was also chosen for the California League All-Star Team while appearing in 33 games for the Fresno Cardinals.

Fred would have his best record in the minors the following season, going 12-8 with a 1.65 ERA, while pitching for the Lynchburg Cardinals of the class B Piedmont League. Hahn capped off a five year minor league run going 7-8 with the 1951 AAA Rochester Red Wings and showed enough that got him invited to Sportsman's Park with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1952.

Twenty different pitchers took the mound for the Cardinals in 1952 including a left-hander named Stan Musial who pitched to just one batter. Another southpaw who saw a little more activity on the mound than "Stan the Man" that summer for St. Louis was a 23 year old rookie named Hahn. In two innings out of the bullpen on April 19, Fred allowed a couple of hits and walked a man but allowed no runs in both his major league debut and exit.

Hahn would spend the rest of his pro baseball career in the high minors, eight years to be exact (1952-1959). Having four winning years and four losing. This would give the left-hander a career of 13 seasons down under with a 98-100 record and a 3.77 ERA while appearing in 367 games. After retiring in 1959 Hahn was employed by the New York State Highway Division in the Public Works Department until his death on August 16, 1984, at age 55 in Valhalla, NY.

Hahn and Henry Blauvelt are the only two major leaguers born in Nyack, NY (through 2009).