An Interesting Comparison Of Two “Hermans”: Babe and Billy!

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  “The Two Hermans” Photo Gallery

Mark Kolier returns today with an interesting essay comparing the careers of two fine ball players, both with the last name of “Herman.” One is in the Hall of Fame (Billy), and the other isn’t (Babe). Mark asks the question “why is this so?” I think you’ll enjoy Mark’s attempt to find an answer.  -GL

An Interesting Comparison Of Two “Hermans”: Babe and Billy!

There are so many baseball names that sometimes it can be easy to get confused. Ok I can be easily confused. They shared a last name and played a long time ago, and I was never able to distinguish between Babe Herman and Billy Herman. I knew that both played for the Dodgers at some point or another, but I am not sure how I came to know that. That’s about all I knew. I thought they might be brothers but never bothered to check. I decided to satisfy my curiosity about the non-brother Hermans because, well, that’s what I do and hopefully why readers keep reading!

Babe Herman joined the Brooklyn Dodgers as a 23-year-old rookie in 1926. He was born Floyd Caves Herman and garnered the name Babe while he was in the minor leagues when he was put in to pinch hit, his manager reputedly said, “You’re my babe” alluding to Babe Ruth.” That story was told by his father so take it with a grain of salt.

Babe Herman spent seven years wearing Dodger blue before moving to the Cincinnati Reds for one season, then playing two years for the Cubs, 26 games for the Pirates, another two years back with the Reds in 1936-37. The 17 games in Detroit in 1937 seemed to be the end of Babe Herman’s MLB career at age 34, but going around full circle, eight years later in 1945 he played 37 games for the Dodgers at age 42.

WWII created a need for capable MLB players with so many actively serving their country. Babe Herman was a very capable player and finished his career with a 39.6 bWAR, a 141 OPS+, 181 home runs and 1,818 base hits. After his career was over, Babe Herman served as a baseball scout for various teams for 22 years. Never surpassing 5.7%. of the vote, Cooperstown was uninterested.

A story about Babe Herman’s ‘zany’ base running became baseball lore and the subject of a running joke as in 1926 against the Boston Braves, he, Chick Fewster, and Dazzy Vance all ended up on third base. I doubt Babe Herman was laughing. Ironically lost in the long-ago accounts of that play is that Herman’s double was the game-winning hit!

From Babe Herman’s SABR bio by Greg Erion

When interviewed about his Hall of Fame prospects, Herman ranged from indifference to belief that he should be chosen. Often these interviews conveyed his impression that he was left out because of negative press. “I guess there are two legends that have kept me out of the Hall,” he said in an interview with Maury Allen in 1983

Billy Herman was a fan favorite

Billy Herman, (William Jennings Bryan Herman), arrived in MLB as a 22-year-old fresh-faced Cubs rookie in 1931 and went on to play 11 mostly excellent seasons in the Friendly Confines. Appearing in the 1932, 1935, and 1938 World Series as a Cub, he was moved to the Dodgers in 1941 spending four seasons in Brooklyn which was interrupted by a two-year stint for military service in 1944-45.

Billy Herman moved from the Dodgers to the Boston Braves in 1946 before ending his career playing 15 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1947. Billy Herman totaled 57.7 career bWAR, a 112 OPS+, hit 47 home runs, and had 2,345 base hits. He played in 10 consecutive All-Star games. He later managed the Red Sox for three seasons beginning in 1964 after being a coach for many years.

Billy Herman is a member of the Hall-of-Fame. My question: Why one Herman and why not the other?

A comparison of the two Hermans

The black and white photos in the comparison seem to tell a story. The one Herman that got in looks happier than the one that didn’t.

Remember bWAR is a cumulative statistic

– Billy played in about 24% more games and was a far superior fielder by way of Baseball-Reference.com dWAR.

– Babe Herman’s 141 career OPS+ put him in elite company.

Of the 82 players in MLB history with an OPS+ at 141 or greater, there are seven active players (Ronald Acuna, Jr., Kyle Tucker, Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Mike Trout).

Of the eligible 70+ remaining, the only modern era ballplayers not in the HOF are Joe Jackson, Mark McGwire, Manny Ramirez, Charlie ‘King Kong’ Keller, Gavy Cravath, Benny Kauff, Albert Pujols, Albert Belle, Lance Berkman, ‘Turkey’ Mike Donlin, Joey Votto, Lefty O’Doul, Jack Fournier, Frank Howard, Kevin Mitchell and …Babe Herman. (BTW I have a strange fascination with Gavy Cravath and it’s probably his name, and I am thinking about writing a longer piece.)

Jackson, McGwire, Ramirez, and Kauff would be in if not for other considerations which I won’t get into here but have discussed in prior posts. This leaves Keller, Cravath, Pujols (who will get in), Votto (who also will get in), O’Doul, Fournier, Howard, Mitchell, and Herman excluded.

The seven players (not including Pujols and Votto), all shared deficiencies on defense. O’Doul who was a great pitcher before he became a great hitter and is a glaring omission as I have written.

Billy Herman was elected to the Hall-of-Fame in 1975 by the special veteran’s committee and thankfully was around to see it as he passed away in 1992.

Babe Herman’s baggage unfairly impacted his HOF candidacy.

Is being elected to the HOF partly a popularity contest? Or maybe there’s only room in Cooperstown for one Babe?

Mark Kolier

About the Author: Mark Kolier along with his son Gordon co-hosts a baseball podcast called ‘Almost Cooperstown’. He also has written baseball-related articles that can be accessed on Medium.com and now Substack.com.

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