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John Leonard Hopp (July 18, 1916 – June 1, 2003) was an American professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
player and
coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...
. Born in
Hastings, Nebraska Hastings is a List of cities in Nebraska, city in and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, Adams County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 25,152 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Neb ...
, he was an
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
and
first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
who appeared in 1,393
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
games A game is a Structure, structured type of play (activity), play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an Educational game, educational tool. Many games are also considered to be Work (human activity), work (such as p ...
over 14 seasons (1939–52) for the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
,
Boston Braves The Boston Braves were a Major League Baseball club that originated in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, and played from 1871 to 1952. Afterwards they moved to History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee, Milwaukee (and became the Milwaukee Braves). ...
,
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
,
Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
,
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
and
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
. He threw and batted
left-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply l ...
, and was listed as tall and . He was nicknamed "Cotney" as a youth because of his blond ("cotton-top") hair. As a Cardinal and Yankee, Hopp appeared in five
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
between and and was a member of the winning team in four of them.


Playing and coaching career

Hopp graduated from Hastings High School, and attended
Hastings College Hastings College is a private Presbyterian college in Hastings, Nebraska. History The college was founded in 1882 by a group of men and women seeking to establish a Presbyterian college. Academics The college offers more than 40 underg ...
. Signed by the Cardinals in 1936, he apprenticed in their extensive
farm system In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful pl ...
for four seasons, hitting over .300 three times.


Cardinals

Hopp made his Cardinal debut on September 18, 1939, and entered the big leagues for good the following season. During his first season as a regular, , Hopp started 75 games in the outfield and another 33 as backup first baseman to slugger
Johnny Mize John Robert Mize (January 7, 1913 – June 2, 1993), nicknamed "Big Jawn" and "the Big Cat", was an American professional baseball player, Coach (baseball), coach and Scout (sport), scout. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (ML ...
. He batted .303 with 135
hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...
, including 25 doubles and 11
triples TripleS (; ; stylized as tripleS) is a South Korean 24-member multinational girl group formed by Modhaus. They aim to be the world's first decentralized idol group, where the members will rotate between the full group, sub-units, and solo activi ...
, third in the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
. He also stole 15 bases, fifth-most in the league. Both and saw Hopp slump at the plate, but contribute to back-to-back Cardinal pennants. In the
1942 World Series The 1942 World Series featured the defending champion 1942 New York Yankees season, New York Yankees against the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals season, St. Louis Cardinals, with the Cardinals winning in five games for their first championship since a ...
, Hopp started all five games at first base, and although he collected only three
singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
in 17
at bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...
to the cause, St. Louis won the world championship over the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
, four games to one. Then, in , he had his best overall season. Playing as the Cardinals' everyday
center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
(in the absence of Terry Moore, who was performing
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
military service), Hopp reached career highs in hits (177),
runs scored In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted bal ...
(106), doubles (35),
home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run ...
(11) and
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
(72); his batting average (.336) was his second-best. The Redbirds won their third consecutive National League championship. In the all-St. Louis 1944 World Series, he again started every game and played errorless ball as the Cardinals won their second world title in three seasons, overcoming the Browns, four victories to two. Hopp had a relatively quiet Series at the plate, collecting five singles in 17 at bats.


Braves

The last wartime season, , saw Hopp become the Cardinals' regular
right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
, and his batting average fell to .289 as St. Louis finished second, three games behind the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
. That off-season, Cardinal
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
Billy Southworth William Harold Southworth (March 9, 1893 – November 15, 1969) was an American outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player in and and from to for five big-league teams, Southworth took part in almost 1,200 games, fell ...
moved to the Boston Braves, and with the surplus of major-league talent coming back from wartime service, Boston began purchasing players who had contributed to Southworth's successful Cardinal teams of 1940–45. They obtained Hopp for
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...
Eddie Joost Edwin David Joost (June 5, 1916April 12, 2011) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for all or portions of 17 seasons between 1936 and 1955. In , Joost became the third and ...
and cash on February 5, 1946. The trade led to Hopp's second-most-productive campaign. Splitting time between first base and center field, he collected 148 hits and batted .333, and stole a career-high 21 bases. Selected to the 1946 National League All-Star team, Hopp started in center field at
Fenway Park Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...
on July 9 and singled against
Bob Feller Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "the Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Clevel ...
in two at bats. It would be his only career All-Star appearance.


Pirates

Hopp returned to the Braves in , but was platooned in center field with
right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more Fine motor skill, dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dext ...
-hitting Mike McCormick and his average fell to .288. That November, he was swapped to the Pirates for their center fielder, Jim Russell, in a five-player deal. Hopp would be the Pirates' regular center fielder in and , with the exception of a three-week period in the latter season. On May 18, 1949, he was traded to the
Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. Founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, the ...
for outfielder Marv Rackley. He appeared in eight games for Brooklyn, including two starting assignments, but went 0-for-14 at the plate, dropping his average to .174 on the season. Then, on June 7, the trade was canceled and Rackley and Hopp returned to their original clubs. Hopp responded by batting .335 with 106 hits through the rest of the season for the Pirates (raising his final average to .306). His hot streak continued in when, as the Bucs' starting first baseman, Hopp added another 108 safeties. He was hitting .340 on September 5 when last-place Pittsburgh sent him to the Yankees in a waiver deal.


Yankees

The Yankees were then embroiled in a pennant scramble with the Detroit Tigers, and Hopp's game-winning
pinch hit In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, Am ...
grand slam Grand Slam or Grand slam may refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category terminology originating in contract bridge and other whist card games Athletics * Grand Slam Track, professional track and field league Auto racing * ...
against the Browns on September 17 contributed to the Yankees' surge to the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
championship. He went 9-for-27 (.333) as a Yankee during that stretch drive. Allowed to participate in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
despite his post-August-31 acquisition, Hopp got into three games and was hitless in two at bats. He hung on in the American League as a part-time player for the next two seasons. In , Hopp was a pinch hitter and the Yankees' third-string first baseman (behind
Joe Collins Joseph Edward Collins (born Joseph Edward Kollonige; December 3, 1922 – August 30, 1989) was an American Major League Baseball player born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. On September 25, he began his major league career playing for the New York ...
and Mize) and made his final
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
appearance, drawing a
walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...
in his only
plate appearance In baseball, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner. This ha ...
in Game 3. The Yankees released Hopp in late May 1952 and he caught on days later with the Tigers, who had fallen all the way from pennant contention in 1950 to last place in . Appearing mostly as a pinch hitter, Hopp batted only .217 for the Tigers and retired as an active player.


Career summary

In his 14 MLB seasons, Hopp collected 1,262 hits, with 216 doubles, 74 triples, 46 home runs and 458 runs batted in. He hit .296 lifetime and stole 128 bases. Defensively, Hopp posted a .986
fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...
playing first base and all three outfield positions. Although on the winning side in four of the five World Series he played in, Hopp batted .160 (with eight hits, all singles) with no runs batted in 50 Fall Classic at bats. His last big-league manager,
Fred Hutchinson Frederick Charles Hutchinson (August 12, 1919 – November 12, 1964) was an American professional baseball pitcher and manager. He played for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1939 and 1940, then took a five-season hiatus to ...
, appointed Hopp to his coaching staff with the 1954 Tigers and 1956 Cardinals.


After baseball

Hopp then left pro baseball and returned to Hastings, where he worked for Kansas-Nebraska Energy, conducted baseball schools and was a motivational speaker. He was elected to the ''Lincoln Journals Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame (1985) and the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame (1997). He died, aged 86, in
Scottsbluff, Nebraska Scottsbluff is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States, in the Great Plains region. The population was 14,436 at the 2020 census. Scottsbluff is the largest city in the Nebraska Panhandle, and the 13th-most-populous city in N ...
, and was interred in Hastings' Parkview Cemetery.


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders In baseball, a Hit (baseball), hit is credited to a Batting (baseball), batter when he reaches first base – or Extra-base hit, any subsequent base – Safe (baseball), safely after hitting a fair ball, without the benefit of an Error (baseball) ...
* List of St. Louis Cardinals coaches


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hopp, Johnny 1916 births 2003 deaths Baseball players from Nebraska Boston Braves players Brooklyn Dodgers players Detroit Tigers coaches Detroit Tigers players Grand Forks Chiefs players Hastings College alumni Hastings Senior High School (Nebraska) alumni Houston Buffaloes players Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball third base coaches Minor league baseball managers National League All-Stars New York Yankees players Norfolk Elks players Sportspeople from Hastings, Nebraska Sportspeople from Scottsbluff, Nebraska Pittsburgh Pirates players Rochester Red Wings players St. Louis Cardinals coaches St. Louis Cardinals players 20th-century American sportsmen