Highlighted Year: Mike Hegan, 1969

Outfielder/First Baseman, Seattle Pilots

Age:  27 (July 21)  

1^st season with Pilots

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 188 

Prior to 1969:

The son of major league catcher Jim Hegan, Hegan was a native of Cleveland, Ohio, where his father played most of his career for the Indians. Hegan played football and basketball, as well as baseball, at St. Ignatius High School. Following his high school graduation, Hegan accepted a football and baseball scholarship to the College of the Holy Cross. Following an outstanding freshman season, Hegan was heavily pursued by major league teams and signed with the New York Yankees, where his father had become a coach, in August of 1961, under the stipulation from his parents that he would continue his college education, which he did at John Carroll University. With Fort Lauderdale of the Class D Florida State League in 1962, the young first baseman batted .306 with 11 doubles, 3 home runs, 43 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, and a .438 on-base percentage thanks to drawing 99 walks. In 1963 he was assigned to Idaho Falls of the Class A Pioneer League where he led the league with 123 runs scored while hitting .323 with 24 doubles, 9 triples, 28 home runs, 98 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, and a .457 OBP thanks to drawing 112 walks. In 1964 he was promoted to Columbus of the Class AA Southern League where he batted .233 with 17 doubles, 4 triples, 10 home runs, 62 RBIs, and a .333 OBP. Called up to the Yankees in September, Hegan went hitless in five at bats. Added to the World Series roster as a replacement for injured shortstop Tony Kubek, Hegan scored a run when inserted into Game 1 as a pinch-runner, which pretty much represented the extent of his offensive production. Returning to Columbus in 1965, he was promoted to the Toledo Mud Hens of the Class AAA International League where, in 128 games ended up with combined totals of .210 with 7 home runs, 42 RBIs, and a .335 OBP. Still with Toledo in 1966, Hegan batted .265 with 27 doubles, a league-leading 11 triples, 11 home runs, 44 RBIs, and a .393 OBP boosted by his league-leading 98 walks drawn. Once more a late-season call-up to the Yankees, he appeared in 13 games and hit .205. Offseason service in the Army National Guard caused Hegan to join the Yankees late in 1967. Having proven to be a good fielder, he backed up the aging and injury-plagued Mickey Mantle at first base and hit .136 with 6 extra-base hits (including a home run) and a .266 OBP. Sent down to the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League in 1968, Hegan batted .304 with 15 doubles, 10 triples, 11 home runs, 39 RBIs, a .413 OBP, and a .465 slugging percentage. He was sold to the expansion Pilots. A strong spring performance had him starting in right field for the club’s first game in 1969.

1969 Season Summary

Appeared in 95 games

RF – 61, 1B – 19, PH – 11, PR – 10, LF – 2, CF – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 334

At Bats – 267

Runs – 54

Hits – 78

Doubles – 9

Triples – 6 [4, tied with four others]

Home Runs – 8

RBI – 37

Bases on Balls – 62

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 61

Stolen Bases – 6

Caught Stealing – 5

Average - .292 [Non-qualifying]

OBP - .427 [Non-qualifying]

Slugging Pct. - .461 [Non-qualifying]

Total Bases – 123

GDP – 1

Hit by Pitches – 1

Sac Hits – 3

Sac Flies – 0 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 8, 3B – 5, HR – 7, RBI – 30, AVG – .293, OBP – .426

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Most hits, game – 3 (in 5 AB) at Oakland 5/4, (in 4 AB) vs. Washington 5/10, (in 3 AB) vs. Cleveland 6/2, (in 5 AB) at Detroit 6/11 – 10 innings

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

HR at home – 4

HR on road – 4

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 3 AB) vs. Cleveland 6/2

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Washington 5/10, at NY Yankees 9/1 – 13 innings

Pinch-hitting/running – 2 for 8 (.250) with 7 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI & 3 BB

Fielding (OF)

Chances – 112

Put Outs – 100

Assists – 7

Errors – 5

DP – 1

Pct. - .955

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

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In their inaugural season, the Pilots went 64-98 to finish sixth (last) in the AL Western Division, 33 games behind the division-winning Minnesota Twins while leading the league in stolen bases (167) and batting strikeouts (1015). Underfinanced and playing in decrepit Sicks Stadium, where they still managed to draw 677,944 fans, the Pilots were surprisingly competitive until a 10-game August losing streak dropped the injury-riddled club into the AL West cellar. In the offseason they were bought by a Milwaukee group and relocated. While Hegan was an All-Star selection he was forced to miss the game due to an injured hamstring.

Aftermath of 1969:

With the move of the Pilots to Milwaukee in 1970 and the departure of first baseman Don Mincher, Hegan became the regular at the position and batted .244 with 21 doubles, 11 home runs, 52 RBIs, and a .336 OBP. He started the 1971 season with the Brewers but was purchased by the Oakland Athletics in June. Backing up at first base and used as a late-innings defensive replacement for Mike Epstein, Hegan hit .236 for the division-winning A’s with a .300 OBP. Utilized in similar fashion in 1972, he appeared in 98 games and batted .329 with a .375 OBP and was typically sure-handed in the field. Hegan started the 1973 season backing up Gene Tenace at first base but his consecutive game errorless streak ended at 178 games, at the time an AL record. He was dealt back to the Yankees in August and went on to bat a combined .243 with 7 home runs, 19 RBIs, and a .284 OBP. The acquisition of Chris Chambliss in May of 1974 placed Hegan back in a strictly reserve role at first base and he was sold to the Brewers soon after. Backing up George Scott at first and also seeing significant time as a DH and pinch-hitter, he batted a combined .235 with 9 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a .340 OBP. Hegan played three more years with the Brewers with declining offensive production and retired during the 1977 season. A fine defensive player with limited hitting ability, for his major league career he batted .242 with 504 hits that included 73 doubles, 18 triples, and 53 home runs. He scored 281 runs and accounted for 229 RBIs, 28 stolen bases, and a .341 OBP. With the Pilots/Brewers his batting production was .249 with 380 hits, 221 runs scored, 56 doubles, 13 triples, 42 home runs, 188 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, and a .355 OBP. Appearing in 13 postseason games he hit .125. His record errorless streak at first base remained as the AL mark until 2010. Following his playing career he went into broadcasting and also owned a company which provided indoor baseball and softball batting cages as well as instruction in batting, pitching and fielding. Inducted into the St. Ignatius High School Athletic Hall of Fame, he died in 2013 at age 71.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20), pitching wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10), or have been participants in the annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category will also include Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.