Willard Hershberger

Catcher, Baseball Player

1910 – 1940

 Credit ยป
87

Who was Willard Hershberger?

Willard McKee Hershberger was an American baseball catcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1940. In 160 career games, Hershberger recorded a batting average of .316 and accumulated 5 triples and 41 runs. He has the distinction of being the only major league player to date to commit suicide during the season.

Born and raised in California, Hershburger attended Fullerton Union High School where he was a baseball standout. He was signed by the New York Yankees and was part of their minor league system for eight years. He was traded after the 1937 season to the Cincinnati Reds, where he found a place on the major league roster as a backup behind Ernie Lombardi. For three seasons, Hershberger played in relief of Lombardi, stepping in if he needed a day off or was injured. After a slump in late July and early August, Hershberger committed suicide on August 3, 1940 in his hotel room; the Reds retired his jersey number and went on to win the 1940 World Series in his honor.

We need you!

Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!

Born
May 28, 1910
Lemon Cove
Profession
Education
  • Fullerton Union High School
Lived in
  • Lemon Cove
Died
Aug 3, 1940
Boston

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Willard Hershberger." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/willard_hershberger>.

Discuss this Willard Hershberger biography with the community:

0 Comments

    Browse Biographies.net