Jerry Coleman
From BR Bullpen
Gerald Francis Coleman
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 170 lb.
- Debut April 20, 1949
- Final Game September 29, 1957
- Born September 14, 1924 in San Jose, CA USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Jerry Coleman was a war hero in World War II. More recently, he has been a longtime broadcaster for the San Diego Padres and the team's manager for one season. He was the recipient of the 2005 Ford Frick Award. As a broadcaster, he is known for a series of unintentional malapropisms that put him in a class with his former teammate Yogi Berra.
Coleman was a fighter pilot in the military, attaining the rank of 1st Lieutenant in World War II and of Captain in the Korean War. He missed the 1943-1945 seasons and most of the 1952-1953 seasons due to his service. He earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses and 20 Air Medals. He flew 57 missions in WWII, flying SBD Dauntless dive bombers with the Marines and 63 in Korea where he piloted F4U Corsairs, also with the US Marine Corps.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- AL All-Star (1950)
- Won four World Series with the New York Yankees (1949, 1950, 1951 & 1956)
| Preceded by Roger Craig | San Diego Padres Manager 1980 | Succeeded by Frank Howard |
[edit] Further Reading
- Jerry Coleman and Richard Goldstein: An American Journey: My Life On the Field, In the Air and On the Air, Triumph Books, Chicago, IL, 2008.
