Fred Haney
From BR Bullpen
Fred Girard Haney (Pudge)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 6", Weight 170 lb.
- Debut April 18, 1922
- Final Game May 7, 1929
- Born April 25, 1896 in Albuquerque, NM
- Died November 9, 1977 in Beverly Hills, CA USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
After his playing career ended, Fred Haney was manager of the Toledo Mud Hens from 1935 to 1938, then the St. Louis Browns from 1939 to 1941. Haney returned to Toledo in 1941-1942. He broadcast Hollywood Stars games on radio from 1943 to 1948, then was skipper of the Stars from 1949 to 1952, and the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1953 to 1955. The next season, he joined the Milwaukee Braves coaching staff and replaced Charlie Grimm as manager in midseason. He led the team to a World Series title in 1957 and a National League pennant in 1958. He remained at the helm of the club through 1959. Haney was the original General Manager of the expansion Los Angeles Angels in 1961 and served as the club's GM until 1968. He retired after the 1968 season, but stayed with the Angels as a consultant through 1977.
In his guide to baseball managers, author Bill James makes a detailed case for considering Haney's 1959 season at the helm of the Braves as the worst-ever performance by a Major League manager. As he puts it: "Without exaggeration, the 1959 Dodgers shouldn't have been within 20 games of the Braves". In reality, the two teams ended up playing a two-game playoff, which the Dodgers swept. Among Haney's mistakes that season: riding his two top pitchers, Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette into the ground while ignoring a number of talented youngsters who were available to pitch; platooning Joe Adcock with the awful Frank Torre long after Torre had demonstrated he was in a year-long slump; failing to settle on a solution when 2B Red Schoendienst was lost for the season; and loading his bench with a group of grumpy and over-the-hill veterans from which he failed to get any production.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- NL Pennants: 2 (1957 & 1958)
- Managed on World Series Champion with the Milwaukee Braves in 1957
| Preceded by Gabby Street | St. Louis Browns Manager 1939-1941 | Succeeded by Luke Sewell |
| Preceded by Billy Meyer | Pittsburgh Pirates Manager 1953-1955 | Succeeded by Bobby Bragan |
| Preceded by Charlie Grimm | Milwaukee Braves Manager 1956-1959 | Succeeded by Chuck Dressen |
| Preceded by N/A | Los Angeles/California Angels General Manager 1961-1968 | Succeeded by Dick Walsh |
[edit] Further Reading
- Bill James: "Fred Haney", in The Bill James Guide to Baseball Managers, Scribner, New York, NY, 1997, pp. 202-205.
