august american baseball catcher cincinnati_reds major_league_baseball mlb career games recorded batting average accumulated triples runs major league player date commit suicide season born raised california attended baseball standout signed new_york_yankees minor league system years traded season cincinnati_reds found place major league roster backup seasons played relief stepping needed day injured slump late july early august committed suicide august hotel room reds retired jersey number went win world series honor early life born california family moved california father got job working city oil fields lived father mother sister attended distinguished baseball football teams playing alongside future president richard_nixon baseball team won championship named school time baseball team father depressed financial problems november fatally shot shotgun family home bathroom discovered body graduated high school high school called boy golden toe status football team greatest little catcher uniform scouts new_york_yankees pittsburgh pirates came watch play respectively took ended signing instead signed contract play yankees organization minor league career professional debut arizona playing batting average spent season minor league teams played hit games following year promoted new_york season batting average named star team helped win title promoted batting average doubles games promoted newark bears international_league batting average following year split time bears point season batting noted player shot major leagues end season average went games season started poorly remained newark bears yankees released contract partly success catcher yankees longer interest spent season bears splitting time catcher team ended record international_league title bears called greatest minor league team history hit doubles average games hit junior series result yankees owner noted spend offseason working players major league december traded cincinnati_reds shortstop ending tenure yankees organization cincinnati reds reds manager noted playing spring training possibility beating starting catcher job roster served backup season played games batting average earned nickname little pinch hitting contrast nickname big gained extra playing time injury june stretch hits runs batted games season hit games played games world series yankees series hit bats reds lost games hit world series brought tying run game yankees fought win game series spent cincinnati reds season backup case previous seasons hitting relief batting average end end june july suffered injured finger playing time increased month result ankle july putting starting role indefinitely time batting average game new_york_giants polo grounds july reds blew late game lead lost game days later reds lost games respectively failed hit games average result death blamed losses giants bees telling baseman catching wouldn lost ball games point second game bees failed field game alluded father suicide private saying father killed gon hour considerably believed fine following afternoon reds publicist traveling secretary called room plaza hotel missed batting practice said wasn going play afternoon wasn feeling worried wanted street clothes agreed missed game bees friend head hotel check found door locked asked employee open door inside found body throat second game coach bring players locker room stating want tell destroyed giving team news reds winning world series number retired season team tribute publicly revealed said meeting day anybody team told reporters told confidence utter cincinnati_reds defeat american_league champion detroit_tigers seven games win world series reds players decided share portion championship money totaling mother buried california
Willard Hershberger