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Heinie Manush Photo Gallery
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We’re Contacted by Family Relations of Hall-of-Famer Heinie Manush!
“He always went to Cooperstown every year and to old-timers’ games. He went to everything he was invited to. He loved it because baseball was his life. –Daughter Sue Hanush McCaw, speaking of her father, Heinie Manush
We always enjoy it when we’re contacted by family members of a former major leaguer. It doesn’t matter to us if the player was a star or a sub. Anyone who makes it to the majors is special in our eyes. When the player is a Hall-of-Famer, that makes it even more special.
I was recently contacted by Norma and Frank Manush, residents of Tuscumbia, Alabama, who are the niece and nephew of Heinie Manush. They are both understandably proud of their famous relation—the only Tuscumbia, Alabama native elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame— and were happy to share with me recollections about his life. Frank mentioned he has in his possession artifacts and souvenirs from his uncle Heinie’s career, including many of the bats and balls used in his games. In addition, they provided information about the recent Heinie Manush Day festivities held on April 18 in Tuscumbia, Heinie’s hometown.
First a little background information about Heinie Manush:
Heinie was the son of German immigrants, George and Kate Manush. He was the youngest of eight siblings: seven boys and a girl. His brother Ernest was Norma
and Frank’s father. Heine came from a baseball family, with six of the brothers becoming professional ballplayers. Only Heinie and a brother Frank, who played one year with the Phillies, made it to the Big Show. Another brother Harry was gassed in World War I and was unable to pursue a career in professional baseball.
An outfielder, Heinie broke into the majors in 1923 with the Tigers, joining a team with two of the greatest hitters in baseball history already in the outfield: Ty Cobb and Harry Heilmann. Heinie had to settle that year for platooning with Bobby Veach, also a .300 hitter. Over his 17-year career in the majors (1923-1938), Heinie played for the Tigers, Browns, Senators, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Pirates. He compiled a .330 lifetime batting average, with 2524 hits, 1288 runs, 110 home runs, 1183 RBIs, and a .377 on-base percentage. He struck out only 345 times in 7,654 at-bats. He was also a solid defensive outfielder, often among league leaders in many defensive categories.
Heinie won the American League batting crown in 1926 with a .378 average. In addition, he led the league in hits twice (1926, 1933), doubles twice (1928, 1929), and triples once (1933). He finished one point short of a
second batting championship in 1928, losing out to his good friend and teammate Goose Goslin, and finished among the top four batters in the American League six times.
He’s probably best remembered for his years with the Tigers, where he eventually replaced fellow Southerner Cobb in centerfield in 1926. Winning the batting title that year, he secured the title by pounding out six hits in a season-ending doubleheader. In doing so, he denied Babe Ruth the Triple Crown, which Heinie never failed to mention as one of the highlights of his career.
Over the next eleven seasons (1926-1934), Manush developed into one of the best hitters in all of baseball, posting a .343 average over that span. He made his only All-Star appearance in 1934, memorable for a first-inning walk he drew off Carl Hubbell. Following the walk, Hubbell then proceeded to strike out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin in succession, one of the great moments in All-Star game history. Heine had one post-season appearance with the Senators in 1933 and hit just .111 over five games.
Heinie was known for his temper on the ball field, but Norma and Frank fondly described Uncle Heinie as being mild-mannered, humble, and unpretentious, never seeking publicity or fanfare. He was a devoted husband and father, always there to take care of his children and grandchildren. As they recalled, “Uncle Heinie was just a normal guy, and really had no negatives.”
They related to me the story of when Heinie was ejected during the 1933 World Series. It followed after a dispute with umpire Charlie Moran, who called Manush out on a close play at first base. A heated exchange ensued, and Heinie had to be restrained by manager Joe Cronin and eventually physically removed from the field. During the argument, Heinie had pulled the elastic-banned bowtie Moran was wearing away from his neck, and then let it snap forcibly back into his neck. Needless to say, the old “heave-ho” soon followed. In an interesting follow-up to the story, Norma related that when Heinie and Moran met years later, Heinie was still insisting that he was safe, while Moran held to the accuracy of his original call.
One interesting item Norma shared with me is that she and Frank are still living in the home built by their grandfather (Heinie’s father) in 1885. It’s the same home in which Heinie was born and raised. They also provided some personal information about their famous relation. Heinie and his wife Betty had three daughters, Shirley, Lillis, and Susie, all of whom have passed away. Wife Betty died of cancer in 1949 at the age of 44.
Another family story they had heard over the years, probably from the 1930s, was when the Manush family of Tuscumbia was challenged to a baseball game by a team of locals. The athletic Manush family prevailed in the game, even though their lineup included a grandfather as a catcher and a mother at first base.
After his playing days ended, Heinie remained in the game as a minor league player and manager. He later became a scout and major league coach. In his retirement years, Heinie’s new love became golf and, according to Norma and Frank, it was another sport in which he excelled, often playing with friend and fellow Hall-of-Famer, Paul Waner. They told me he won many Sarasota city golf championships, his home in the later years of his life.
They recalled that in his final years, he contracted throat cancer, and, following an operation, was unable to speak. He communicated from that point by writing notes. They also remember how thrilled he was to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of fame in 1964, and remember him saying at the time of his selection, “It’s quite a shock to me to be picked. I feel wonderful. I had no idea this would ever happen to me.”
Heinie Manush passed away on May 12, 1971, while residing in Sarasota, Florida, just three days before his good friend and former teammate, Hall-of-Famer Goose Goslin. One disappointment in his life was that he did not live to see his induction to the Alabama Hall of Fame, which occurred in 1972, six years after his death.
Tuscumbia, Alabama Honors Favorite Son, Heinie Manush
To honor the memory of the Tuscumbia’s favorite son,
local resident Annie Perry organized Heinie Manush Day. The latest celebration was held just two weeks ago. As chairwoman of the event, Annie heads a committee of local residents that includes cousin George Manush and other members of the Manush family.
The festivities this year were a huge success, the highlight being a vintage baseball game played at Tuscumbia’s Heinie Manush Field between the Stone River Scouts and the Cumberland Club from Nashville, Tennessee. There is also a Heinie Manush memorial dinner, and a tour of the historic Manush house. To add authenticity to the vintage game, an organ grinder was on hand to provide entertainment. With perfect weather this year, over 100 people attended the celebration, which Annie Perry hopes will become an annual event.
Thanks again to Norma and Frank Manush for sharing some interesting information about their uncle Heinie Manush, a Hall-of-Famer who has often been shadowed by the likes of contemporary players named Ruth, Gehrig, and Cobb. Hopefully, the annual Heinie Manush Day festivities will continue to call attention to this fine ballplayer.
In addition, special thanks to Annie Perry for sharing information about Heinie Manush Day, and to Mary Carton of The Colbert County Reporter who provided photos of the Heinie Manush Day festivities.
Gary Livacari
