Tommy Heath

Who is Tommy Heath?

Thomas George Heath was an American catcher and scout in Major League Baseball and a manager in minor league baseball. He played in parts of three seasons in the Majors between 1935 and 1938, all for the St. Louis Browns. Heath stood 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 185 pounds during his playing days.

Heath's Major League career was spent with the Browns, where he played 134 total games, compiling a batting average of .230 in 330 at bats with three home runs and 34 runs batted in. He was somewhat better known for his 18-year career as a minor league manager, where he worked in the New York Giants and Los Angeles Angels farm systems, and in between piloted four Pacific Coast League clubs between 1952 and 1961. As manager of the Giants' Minneapolis Millers AAA affiliate, he sent players such as Willie Mays and Hoyt Wilhelm — both members of the Baseball Hall of Fame — to the major leagues. In 1948, he managed the Trenton Giants to the Interstate League championship, the only title he won during his managerial career.

Heath served as a scout for the Angels after his managing career ended. He died at age 53 in Los Gatos, California.