Happy Baseball Birthday. ..Don Hoak

Today's Happy Baseball Birthday is former big league third baseman Don Hoak.

Don Albert Hoak was born on February 5, 1938, in Roullette, Pennsylvania.



Don played baseball at Roullette High School and signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers as a amateur free agent in 1938, and served in the Marines during World War II.




Don made his big league debut for the Dodgers on April 18, 1954, at the age of 26.




Don played third base for 11 big league seasons,  smacking 1,144 base hits, 214 doubles,  44 triples,  89 home runs, 498 RBI, scoring 598 runs in 1,263 games, batting .265, in 4,322 at bats.



Don was a terrific 3rd sacker,  who led the Senior Circuit in fielding percentage in 1957 (.971), with the Reds, and in 1962 (.969), with the Pirates.




Don was a National League All-Star in 1957 as a member of the Cincinnati Reds,  and was a member of two World Series Championship teams, the 1955 Dodgers, and the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates.




1960?

Pittsburgh?

3rd Base?


Billy Crystal made me remember Don in City Slickers...

Don Hoak played his final big league game with the Philadelphia Phillies on May 12, 1964, at the age of 36.



Don Hoak passed away due to a hear attack on October 9, 1969, at the age of 41.


Happy Baseball Birthdayon Don Hoak!


PLAY BALL!