Lou Haneles

Who was Lou Haneles?

Louis Aaron Haneles was a minor league baseball player, manager, general manager and owner.

Haneles began his professional career in 1936, at the age of 19. He played from 1936 to 1938, in 1940, 1946 and 1949. In total, he appeared in 322 games, hitting .256 with 230 hits in 900 at-bats. He mostly played as a left-handed catcher and always promoted the better suitability of left-handers for the catcher position.

He took his first managing job in 1940, heading the Shelby Colonels before being replaced by Art Patchin. He was a co-owner and the general manager of the Bloomingdale Troopers at the beginning of 1946, and by the end of the season he was a player, manager and owner of the Walden Hummingbirds.

In June, 1948, he sued the Brooklyn Dodgers and Branch Rickey for $100,000, claiming the Dodgers took the Walden franchise, transferred it to Kingston, New York and sold it.

In June 1948, Haneles and Eddie Ainsmith organized the National Girls' Baseball League, which was to operate in the following year.

Haneles was the general manager of the Leesburg Dodgers in 1949. He began the year as their manager as well, however he gave up duties and was replaced by Julian Acosta.