Hank Aguirre

Henry John Aguirre
(Mex)

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 6' 4", Weight 205 lb.
• High School Mark Keppel High School
• Debut September 10, 1955
• Final Game June 24, 1970
• Born January 31, 1931 in Azusa, CA USA
• Died September 5, 1994 in Bloomfield Hills, MI USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Hank Aguirre played 16 years in the major leagues, splitting time between relieving and starting. Originally reaching the big dance with the Cleveland Indians, he came of age with the Detroit Tigers, working primarily in relief. After an All-Star Game nod as a reliever (4-4, 3.25 in 45 games), he saw his greatest success in his first season as a starter, winning the American League ERA crown in 1962 with a 16-8, 2.21 record, the lowest ERA by a Tiger since Hal Newhouser. Hank kicked around until 1970, earning 75 lifetime victories, 33 saves and finishing 124 games. Aguirre was also considered one of baseball's worst hitters (he hit .085 and slugged .108, while striking out 236 times in 388 at bats). He primarily wore number 37 during his career.

The similarity scores method shows the most similar player as contemporary starter-reliever Pete Richert. Though he had more lifetime wins and saves than Aguirre, Richert never reached the same level of peak performance. After retiring as a player, he was a coach for the Chicago Cubs from 1972 to 1974, then worked to create jobs for Hispanic workers in the Detroit auto industry. He died of prostate cancer at age 63.

Notable Achievements

• AL All-Star (1962)
• AL ERA Leader (1962)
• 15 Wins Seasons: 1 (1962)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 3 (1962, 1963 & 1965)

Related Sites

• Find-A-Grave Memorial for Hank Aguirre