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Billy Hoeft
William Frederick Hoeft (May 17, 1932 – March 16, 2010) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) whose career spanned 15 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Braves, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. Born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Hoeft threw and batted left-handed, stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg).
Hoeft was born on May 17, 1932, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He played baseball at Oshkosh High School and for American Legion teams. In a 1949 American Legion game he struck out all 27 batters that he faced. One of his high school teammates was Dutch Rennert, a future major league baseball umpire. Area press observed he put Oshkosh baseball "on the map", and when major league scouts came to see Hoeft, they would also sign other local players. As a high school pitcher, his team won a state championship and he won over thirty games in a row, with three no-hitters.
Hoeft was signed by the Detroit Tigers out of high school as an amateur free agent in 1950. MLB had adopted rules in the 1940s and 1950s, in effect at the time Hoeft signed, that limited a team's ability to place players receiving a signing bonus in its minor league system. This prevented wealthier teams from hoarding the most talented players or losing the rights to the player; but it also could affect the player's ability to develop their skills in the minor leagues if they were not ready to play in the major leagues. Hoeft intentionally decided not to sign for a bonus, believing the bonus rules would inhibit his development, and found the most suitable non-bonus offer and circumstances with the Tigers.
In 1950, he was assigned to the Class-D Richmond Tigers, where he had a 10–1 win-loss record, and 1.71 earned run average (ERA). In 1951, he was promoted to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, where he went 9–14, with a 5.43 ERA. This did not stop him from being called up to the Tigers in 1952.
He made his major league debut on April 18, 1952, for the Tigers, pitching two innings as a relief pitcher. Hoeft went on to pitch seven full seasons in Detroit.
On September 7, 1953, Hoeft became the eighth pitcher in major-league history to pitch an immaculate inning, striking out all three batters on nine total pitches in the seventh inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox; it was the first time the feat had been accomplished since 1928. On June 24, 1955, Hoeft surrendered the first home run in the career of Harmon Killebrew, who would eventually hit 573 home runs in his career.
In 1955, Hoeft had a 16–7 record and a 2.99 ERA. He led all MLB pitchers in shutouts with seven. He was third in the AL in winning percentage (.696) and WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched), sixth in WAR (wins above replacement), ERA and wins, and fifth in strikeouts per nine innings while sixth in fewest walks per nine innings. Hoeft was selected to the American League squad in the 1955 MLB All-Star Game, although he was not called upon to pitch in the game.
His best season came in 1956 (the same year he met his wife) when he won 20 games and pitched 18 complete games. Toward the end of the season, Hoeft had a 19–10 record, but lost four close games as a starter, keeping him from a 20th win. His manager, Bucky Harris, engineered a relief pitching appearance for Hoeft in the fifth inning of the season's penultimate game, that allowed Hoeft to achieve 20 victories.
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Billy Hoeft
William Frederick Hoeft (May 17, 1932 – March 16, 2010) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) whose career spanned 15 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Braves, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. Born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Hoeft threw and batted left-handed, stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg).
Hoeft was born on May 17, 1932, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He played baseball at Oshkosh High School and for American Legion teams. In a 1949 American Legion game he struck out all 27 batters that he faced. One of his high school teammates was Dutch Rennert, a future major league baseball umpire. Area press observed he put Oshkosh baseball "on the map", and when major league scouts came to see Hoeft, they would also sign other local players. As a high school pitcher, his team won a state championship and he won over thirty games in a row, with three no-hitters.
Hoeft was signed by the Detroit Tigers out of high school as an amateur free agent in 1950. MLB had adopted rules in the 1940s and 1950s, in effect at the time Hoeft signed, that limited a team's ability to place players receiving a signing bonus in its minor league system. This prevented wealthier teams from hoarding the most talented players or losing the rights to the player; but it also could affect the player's ability to develop their skills in the minor leagues if they were not ready to play in the major leagues. Hoeft intentionally decided not to sign for a bonus, believing the bonus rules would inhibit his development, and found the most suitable non-bonus offer and circumstances with the Tigers.
In 1950, he was assigned to the Class-D Richmond Tigers, where he had a 10–1 win-loss record, and 1.71 earned run average (ERA). In 1951, he was promoted to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, where he went 9–14, with a 5.43 ERA. This did not stop him from being called up to the Tigers in 1952.
He made his major league debut on April 18, 1952, for the Tigers, pitching two innings as a relief pitcher. Hoeft went on to pitch seven full seasons in Detroit.
On September 7, 1953, Hoeft became the eighth pitcher in major-league history to pitch an immaculate inning, striking out all three batters on nine total pitches in the seventh inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox; it was the first time the feat had been accomplished since 1928. On June 24, 1955, Hoeft surrendered the first home run in the career of Harmon Killebrew, who would eventually hit 573 home runs in his career.
In 1955, Hoeft had a 16–7 record and a 2.99 ERA. He led all MLB pitchers in shutouts with seven. He was third in the AL in winning percentage (.696) and WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched), sixth in WAR (wins above replacement), ERA and wins, and fifth in strikeouts per nine innings while sixth in fewest walks per nine innings. Hoeft was selected to the American League squad in the 1955 MLB All-Star Game, although he was not called upon to pitch in the game.
His best season came in 1956 (the same year he met his wife) when he won 20 games and pitched 18 complete games. Toward the end of the season, Hoeft had a 19–10 record, but lost four close games as a starter, keeping him from a 20th win. His manager, Bucky Harris, engineered a relief pitching appearance for Hoeft in the fifth inning of the season's penultimate game, that allowed Hoeft to achieve 20 victories.
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