Bennie Warren

Bennie Louis Warren

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 184 lb.
• Debut September 13, 1939
• Final Game September 28, 1947
• Born March 2, 1912 in Elk City, OK USA
• Died May 11, 1994 in Oklahoma City, OK USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Oklahoma native Bennie Warren spent nineteen active seasons in professional baseball from 1931 to 1954. He also served in the United States Navy during World War II, from January 1943 to October 1945.

Warren spent seven years in pro ball before reaching the major leagues. The husky catcher battled through the lower minors and had his first good year in 1934 with 13 home runs and a .293 batting average. He came right back in 1935 as player-manager for the Beatrice Blues of the class D Nebraska State League with 12 homers and a .347 average. In 1936, he hit .311 with 12 four-baggers and, in 1938 with the Gadsden Pilots of the class B Southeastern League, he hit .277 and busted 20 homers.

It was 1939 and the Baltimore Orioles of the International League brought Bennie up a few notches and he responded with a .281 average and 19 round-trippers in 137 games. The Philadelphia Phillies purchased him from the Baltimore club and he made his big league debut on September 13, 1939, appearing in 18 games with a .317 OBP. Warren spent the next three seasons (1940-1942) with the Phillies, hitting for a combined three-year batting average of .223 and a total of 28 home runs while appearing in 317 games.

Warren entered the U.S. Navy in January 1943. On his return from military duty, Warren was selected off waivers by the New York Giants from the Chicago Cubs on April 4, 1946. He was with the Giants during the 1946 season and hit just .159 with 4 homers in 39 appearances. Bennie was used by the 1947 Giants very sparingly and played his last game in the big leagues on September 28, 1947. In his six years in and out of the big leagues, Bennie appeared in 377 games, hitting at a .219 clip and for the circuit 33 times. This was the sum-total of his major league time.

1948 and 1949 were not good years for the Oklahoma catcher, playing with the Minneapolis Millers, Buffalo Bisons and finally with the Memphis Chickasaws. He had a two-year total of 18 home runs but hit at a composite .234 average. He spent the next five seasons as a player-manager in the class D Sooner State League. His final minor league totals show that Warren hit at a .297 batting average with 166 home runs in 1,203 games.

After baseball, Warren was a deputy policeman in Oklahoma City, OK, for 21 years until his retirement. Bennie Louis Warren died at his home in Oklahoma City, OK on May 11, 1994 at the age of 82.

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs
1935	Beatrice Blues	Nebraska State League		4th	none		replaced Charley Stis
1950	Ardmore Indians	Sooner State League	75-65	4th	none	Lost League Finals
1951	Ardmore Indians	Sooner State League	99-40	1st	none	Lost League Finals
1952	Sherman Twins	Sooner State League	72-68	5th	none
1953	Ardmore Cardinals	Sooner State League	91-46	1st	St. Louis Cardinals	Lost in 1st round
1954	Ardmore Cardinals	Sooner State League		--	St. Louis Cardinals	--	replaced by Frank Mancuso June 16
	Pauls Valley Raiders	Sooner State League		8th	none		replaced Lloyd Pearson June 28