Mike Hegan
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James Michael Hegan (July 21, 1942 – December 25, 2013) was an American professional baseball player, who later worked as a
sports commentator In Broadcasting of sports events, sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as a sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real time (media), real-time live commentary of a game or event, traditionally delivered in the present t ...
. In
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 ...
(MLB) he was a
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 ...
and
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 played for three different
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 ...
(AL) franchises between 1964 and 1977. He was the son of longtime
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...
Jim Hegan.


Early years

A graduate of Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Hegan attended
College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is a private Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by educators Benedict Joseph Fenwick and Thomas F. Mulledy in 1843 under the auspices of the Society of Jesus. ...
in
Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...
, on a football and baseball scholarship. In August 1961, he signed with 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 ...
after being offered contracts by 15 major league teams. Hegan later continued his college education at
John Carroll University John Carroll University (JCU) is a Private university, private Jesuit university in University Heights, Ohio, United States. Located in a suburb of Cleveland, it is primarily an undergraduate, liberal arts college, liberal arts institution compo ...
in Cleveland. Hegan played for multiple
minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...
teams within the Yankees organization, both before and after his major league debut. He spent the 1962 season with the Class-D Fort Lauderdale Yankees, 1963 with the Single-A Idaho Falls Yankees, parts of 1964 and 1965 with the Double-A Columbus Confederate Yankees, parts of 1965 and 1966 with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, and 1968 with the Triple-A
Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...
.


Major league career


New York Yankees

Hegan began his major league career with the New York Yankees in 1964, appearing in five games late in the regular season; he was hitless in five
at bat 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, ...
s. He was added to the Yankees' roster for the 1964 World Series, replacing the injured
Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher Kubek (born October 12, 1935) is an American former professional baseball player and television sportscaster, broadcaster. During his nine-year playing career with the New York Yankees, Kubek played in six World Series in the ...
. In the series, which the Yankees lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals, Hegan appeared as a substitute in three games; he was hitless in one at bat, with one
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 ...
and one run scored. Hegan played 13 games with the Yankees in 1966, batting .205, and 68 games in 1967, batting .136. In June 1968, the Yankees sold his contract to the
Seattle Pilots The Seattle Pilots were an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington, during the 1969 Major League Baseball season. During their single-season existence, the Pilots played their home games at Sick's Stadium and were a me ...
, an expansion team being added to MLB for the 1969 season.


Seattle Pilots

Hegan played 95 games for the Pilots in 1969, batting .292 with eight home runs and 37 RBI. Hegan hit the first home run in franchise history, in his first at-bat with the team, on April 8. He was selected for the 1969 All-Star Game, but due to an injury was replaced by teammate Don Mincher on the AL roster, thus making them the only Seattle Pilot All-Stars.


Milwaukee Brewers

After the 1969 season, the Pilots franchise was sold and the team became the Milwaukee Brewers. Hegan played in 148 games for the Brewers during the 1970 season, batting .244 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI. During the 1970 season, Hegan started an
error An error (from the Latin , meaning 'to wander'Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “error (n.), Etymology,” September 2023, .) is an inaccurate or incorrect action, thought, or judgement. In statistics, "error" refers to the difference between t ...
-less streak as a first baseman, which would last for 178 games – it stood as an American League record until it was broken by Kevin Youkilis on September 7, 2007. Midway through the 1971 season, Hegan was batting .221 with four home runs and 11 RBI in 46 games when his contract was sold to the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
.


Oakland Athletics

During the second half of the 1971 season, Hegan appeared in 65 games for Oakland, mostly as a
pinch hitter 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, A ...
or defensive replacement; he batted .236 (13-for-55) with 3 RBI. In 1972, Hegan appeared in 98 regular season games, batting .329 (26-for-79) with a home run and 5 RBI. In the 1972 World Series, the Athletics defeated the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
in seven games; Hegan appeared in six games, but was hitless in five at bats. Hegan's diving stop of a hot smash grounder off the bat of Cesar Geronimo in the ninth inning helped seal the win for the A's in game 2. In 1973, Hegan was with Oakland until mid-August, batting just .183 (13-for-71) with a home run and 5 RBI in 75 games played. On August 18, Oakland sent him to the Yankees for future considerations.


New York Yankees (second stint)

Hegan was the Yankees' regular first baseman for the remainder of the 1973 season; he appeared in 37 games and hit .275 (36-for-131) with six home runs and 14 RBI. His father, Jim Hegan, was the Yankees' bullpen coach for manager
Ralph Houk Ralph George Houk (; August 9, 1919 – July 21, 2010), nicknamed "the Major", was an American catcher, coach (baseball), coach, manager (baseball), manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the successor o ...
at the time. On September 30, 1973, Hegan was the last batter in the original
Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
before its mid-70s renovation. Hegan was with the Yankees in 1974 through mid-May, appearing in 18 games and batting .226 (12-for-53) with two home runs and 9 RBI. On May 13, the Yankees sold his contract to the Brewers.


Milwaukee Brewers (second stint)

During his second stint with the Brewers (May 1974–July 1977), Hegan appeared in a total of 297 games, batting .239 with 19 home runs and 88 RBI. On September 3, 1976, he became the first Brewer to
hit for the cycle Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust or HIT, a fictional organization ...
, in an 11–2 win over the
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 ...
. Hegan's major league career ended when he was released by the Brewers on July 15, 1977. In a total of 12 major league seasons, Hegan played in 966 games, batting .242 with 53 home runs and 229 RBI. Defensively, he recorded a .995
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 ...
at first base and an overall .993 fielding percentage.


Broadcasting

After his retirement from baseball as a player, Hegan spent the next twelve seasons as a television
color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...
for the Brewers. In 1989, he was hired by the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
, and served as a commentator for the team on both radio and television for the next 23 seasons. He retired after the 2011 season, although on May 23, 2012, he filled in as commentator for a game against the
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 ...
.


Personal life

Hegan was inducted to the St. Ignatius High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989, and was a 2011 inductee of the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. After his retirement as a broadcaster, Hegan took a role with the Indians as an alumni ambassador. He died on December 25, 2013, in his home in
Hilton Head, South Carolina Hilton Head Island, often referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia (as the crow flies), and southwest of Charles ...
, due to heart failure at the age of 71.


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle In baseball, completing hitting for the cycle, the cycle is the accomplishment of hit (baseball), hitting a single (baseball), single, a double (baseball), double, a triple (baseball), triple, and a home run in the same game. In terms of freque ...
* List of second-generation Major League Baseball players * List of Cleveland Indians broadcasters


References


Further reading

* * * *


External links

* , o
Baseball Almanac
o

* : {{DEFAULTSORT:Hegan, Mike 1942 births 2013 deaths American League All-Stars Baseball players from Cleveland Cleveland Indians announcers Holy Cross Crusaders baseball players Major League Baseball broadcasters Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball right fielders Milwaukee Brewers announcers Milwaukee Brewers players New York Yankees players Oakland Athletics players Sportspeople from Hilton Head, South Carolina Saint Ignatius High School (Cleveland) alumni Seattle Pilots players Columbus Confederate Yankees players Florida Instructional League Yankees players Fort Lauderdale Yankees players Idaho Falls Yankees players Syracuse Chiefs players Toledo Mud Hens players College of the Holy Cross alumni