Herb Souell

Herbert Souell
(Baldy)
also played as Herb Cyrus

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 150 lb.

• Debut 1940
• Final Game 1948
• Born February 5, 1913 in West Monroe, LA USA
• Died July 12, 1978 in Los Angeles, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Herb Souell was a three-time All-Star in the Negro Leagues

Souell debuted with the Kansas City Monarchs at age 27 in 1940. He hit .327 as his club's starting third sacker, finishing third in the Negro American League behind Bill Williams and Buck O'Neil. In 1941, Herb (playing under the name Herb Cyrus his first three seasons) was 1 for 3 in an exhibition against Bob Feller and Ken Heintzelman. He hit .286 for the Monarchs in 1942. In the 1942 Colored World Series, he was 1 for 5 with a run and a RBI as the backup 3B behind Newt Allen. In exhibitions that off-season, he went 1 for 4 against Dizzy Dean, Johnny Grodzicki and Al Piechota.

In 1943, the Louisianan fell to .229, then rebounded to .244 in 1944 and .277 in 1945. In '45, his 14 steals placed him fourth in the NAL behind Sam Jethroe, Art Pennington and Parnell Woods.

Souell spent part of 1946 with the San Luis Potosi Cactus Pear Growers (9 for 47, 2B, BB) and batted .316 in 1946 (4th in the NAL) and stole 14 bases (second to Jethroe). In the 1946 Negro World Series, he hit .344 in a losing cause. In exhibitions that off-season, he was 1 for 4 facing a team of major league stars Johnny Sain, Bob Lemon, Bob Feller, Spud Chandler and Dutch Leonard.

In the first 1947 East-West Game, Souell started at third for the West and batted second. He went 0 for 4 in a 3-0 win. In the second East-West Game that year, he was 0 for 3 in a similar role before leaving for pinch-runner Spoon Carter in a 6-1 loss. Souell hit .302 for the 1948 Monarchs. The veteran hit second and played third for the West in the first 1948 East-West Game and went 1 for 5 with a triple off Max Manning, scoring a run in a 5-2 win. In game two, he was 0 for 1 with a sacrifice hit before León Kellman pinch-hit.

Baldy batted .269 in 1949 and .301 in 1950. In the 1950 East-West Game, he was 0 for 1 with a run and an error at third for the West before Kellman replaced him; he had gone just 1-for-14 in East-West Game competition.

Souell played one season in the minor leagues. At age 39, he split 1952 between the Chihuahua Dorados, Tucson Cowboys and Spokane Indians. With Chihuahua and Tucson, he fielded .909 at third base and hit .297/~.361/.392; despite his age, he had 8 triples and 18 steals in 91 games. With Spokane, he hit .264/~.354/.306.

Notable Achievements

• 2-time NAL All-Star (1947 & 1948)
• 5-time NAL At-Bats Leader (1943, 1944 & 1946-1948)
• 2-time NAL Runs Scored Leader (1944 & 1947)
• NAL Hits Leader (1947)
• 3-time NAL Singles Leader (1946-1948)
• NAL Home Runs Leader (1944)
• NAL RBIs Leader (1945)
• NAL Stolen Bases Leader (1947)
• Won one Negro World Series with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1942

Sources

• 1953 Baseball Guide
• The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics by Pedro Treto Cisneros
• Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester
• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway

Related Sites

• Herb Souell at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Minors page