Herman Wedemeyer
Herman John Wedemeyer
(Squirmin' Herman)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 10", Weight 178 lb.
- School Saint Mary's College of California
- High School Saint Louis High School
- Born May 20, 1924 in Hilo, HI USA
- Died January 25, 1999 in Honolulu, HI USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Herman Wedemeyer only spent part of a year in pro baseball but made an impact in the worlds of football, politics and television.
Wedemeyer was an All-American at St. Mary's College. He threw a 80-yard touchdown pass in the 1946 Sugar Bowl. He was a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Dons of the All America Football Conference in 1947 and led the league in punt return yardage as a rookie. In 1949, he led the Baltimore Colts in rushing and was first All-AAFC, but his career was cut short by injuries.
When fellow Hawaiian football star Wally Yonamine tried out with the San Francisco Seals in 1950, Wedemeyer also offered his services. The Seals agreed to let him appear in camp as a walk-on and he was signed to a deal on March 25th. Originally assigned to the Yakima Bears, he struggled with the curveball and was demoted to the Salt Lake City Bees. While Yonamine starred for Salt Lake City, Wedemeyer hit .250/~.379/.292 in 15 games with 9 runs and 8 RBI; he played error-free ball in the outfield and turned two double plays there. He was having difficulty dealing with the low pay and poor conditions of minor league baseball after his days as a pro football player, which led to frustration. When team owner Bert Dunne instructed Wedemeyer on hitting during a game, Herman became angrier and yelled that Dunne was driving the players nuts and that even Yonamine did not like his involvement. Wedemeyer was quickly released, ending his career in sports.
Returning to Hawaii, Wedemeyer became a businessman. He was elected to the Honololu City Council as a Republican in 1968. In 1970, he was elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives as a Democrat and was re-elected in 1972.
In 1972, Wedemeyer appeared on "Hawaii Five-O" as Seargant Edward "Duke" Lukela. He held that role through 1980, appearing in over 300 episodes.
Sources[edit]
- 1951 Baseball Guide
- Wally Yonamine: The Man Who Changed Japanese Baseball by Robert Fitts
- Obituary for Wedemeyer
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.