Billy Hunter, 1928-2025

The St. Louis Browns were a failed franchise. They played in the American League for 52 seasons, from 1902 to 1953. They finished in 2nd place, 5 games out of 1st place, behind the Philadelphia Athletics, in 1902. They finished 2nd, 1 game behind the Yankees, in 1922. They won the Pennant in 1944, with most of the game's top stars off serving in World War II. They finished 3rd the next season, 6 games behind the Detroit Tigers.

And that was it. Other than those 4 seasons, they finished an average of 34 games out of 1st place.

They had their moments. And there were 15 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame who played for them, including Rogers Hornsby, Dizzy Dean and Satchel Paige. But only 3 of those played at least 4 full seasons for them: Bobby Wallace, George Sisler and Rick Ferrell -- and, if they ever had to start dropping guys from the Hall, Ferrell and possibly Wallace would be among them.

Now, the book can be closed on the Browns, because their last living former player has died.

Gordon William Hunter was born on June 4, 1928 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the town famous for introducing the tradition of Groundhog Day, about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. He grew up in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and played shortstop and quarterback at Penn State.

In 1952, playing for the Fort Worth Cats, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Texas League. But the Cats were a farm team of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the Dodgers' shortstop was Pee Wee Reese. Here's a list of shortstops who got stuck behind Pee Wee who later became major league managers: Bobby Bragan, Gene Mauch, Dick Williams, Don Zimmer, Billy Hunter.

So the Dodgers traded him to the St. Louis Browns. He made his major league debut for them on April 14, 1953, and became their one and only representative to the All-Star Game. On September 27 of that year, was again their starting shortstop in the last game they ever played, a 2-1 11-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox. When they re-debuted on April 13, 1954 as the Baltimore Orioles, in a 3-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers, he was, again, their starting shortstop. In both cities, he wore uniform Number 6.

On November 17, 1954, he became part of the biggest trade, by number of players, in baseball history: 17. Among the other players the Yankees got were pitchers Don Larsen and Bob Turley. Among the players the Orioles got was Gene Woodling, who had played left field on the Yankees' 5 straight World Champions of 1949 to 1953.

Wearing Number 20, Hunter wasn't considered good enough to replace even an aging Phil Rizzuto. After Rizzuto was released in 1956, it was Tony Kubek who succeeded the Scooter, not Hunter. He was a member of the Yankees' World Series-winning team, but was not on the Series roster.

That should have been a sign that he was going to be part of "the Kansas City Shuttle," a pattern in which the Yankees and the Kansas City Athletics sent players back and forth. Oddly enough, in that February 19, 1957 trade, the Yankees traded, among others, the man who became the last living St. Louis Brown, Billy Hunter, for, among others, the man who became the last living Philadelphia Athletic, Bobby Shantz. The following year, Hunter made his last major league appearance, with the Cleveland Indians. In 630 major league games, he batted .219.

He spent the 1959 season with the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League, then was hired as a scout by the Indians, then was welcomed back into the Oriole organization. He managed the West Virginia-based Bluefield Orioles to the Appalachian League Pennant in 1962 and 1963. He was then made the major-league Orioles' 3rd base coach, and remained so until 1977, including on 8 1st-place teams, winning 6 Pennants and the 1966 and 1970 World Series. Hunter, wearing Number 55 and waving runners home, became a familiar sight to baseball TV viewers.

In Game 4 of the 1969 World Series, manager Earl Weaver was thrown out of the game, and Hunter served as acting manager. He was offered the manager's job for the California Angels for the 1972 season, but turned it down. On June 27, 1977, he finally said yes to a managing job, with the Texas Rangers. He got them to 2nd place in the American League Western Division, and also finished 2nd in the voting for AL Manager of the Year -- behind his recent boss, Weaver, who nearly won the AL East.

Ranger 1st baseman Mike Hargrove, who later became a Pennant-winning manager with the Cleveland Indians, called Hunter "a perfect blend of knowing how to handle people, plus knowing the game." He guided the Rangers to another 2nd-place finish in 1978. In spite of that, he lost the locker room, feuding with some players, and later admitted that he was sorry he took the job.

His record over was 146–108, for a .575 winning percentage, but he never wore a major league uniform in an official capacity again. He returned to the Baltimore area, and served as head coach at Towson State University from 1979 to 1988, and as the school's athletic director from 1984 to 1995. The school and the Orioles each elected him to their Hall of Fame.

Billy Hunter died on July 3, 2025, at the age of 97, in Lutherville, Baltimore County, Maryland. He was the last living former St. Louis Brown, and the last living original Baltimore Oriole. He was also the earliest living former Yankee. That title is now held by Bobby Richardson. The oldest living former Yankee was already Bobby Shantz, who is also the last surviving player for the Philadelphia Athletics.