Solly Hemus

Solomon Joseph Hemus

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 175 lb.
• High School St. Augustine High School (San Diego)
• Debut April 27, 1949
• Final Game June 14, 1959
• Born April 17, 1923 in Phoenix, AZ USA
• Died October 2, 2017 in Houston, TX USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Despite not becoming a regular player until age 28, infielder Solly Hemus logged eleven seasons in the majors, hitting a career .273, with moderate power, a good eye at the plate and ability to get on base. He led the league once in runs scored and three times in hit-by-pitch. He finished his major league career with a stunning 39 percent on-base-percentage.

He was player-manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959 - the last player-manager in team history - and led the club for a season and a half after that year. He was a New York Mets coach in 1962 and 1963 and a member of the Cleveland Indians staff in 1964 and 1965.

When he died in 2017 at the age of 94, he was the last man alive to have managed in the 1950s.

Notable Achievements

• NL Runs Scored Leader (1952)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1952 & 1953)

Preceded by Stan Hack

St. Louis Cardinals Manager 1959-1961

Succeeded by Johnny Keane

Year-By-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1959	St. Louis Cardinals	National League	71-83	7th	St. Louis Cardinals
1960	St. Louis Cardinals	National League	86-68	3rd	St. Louis Cardinals
1961	St. Louis Cardinals	National League	33-41	5th	St. Louis Cardinals		replaced by Johnny Keane on July 6
1966	Jacksonville Suns	International League	78-79	7th	New York Mets

Also managed New York in 1962 Florida Instructional League

Related Sites

• Solly Hemus at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Manager page