Herbert was part of a generation of Detroiters who flocked to diamonds at the city’s historic Northwestern Field, a sandy outpost that turned out to players like Willie Horton, Bill Freehan and Frank Tanana. It was famed Tigers scout “Wish” Egan who spotted Herbert and his older brother, Donald, on the field so packed with talent that sponsors, journalists, and scouts alike were in attendance.
His brother, Richard Herbert, said Herbert died on December 20 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Born December 15, 1929.
Detroit Catholic Central Hall of Fame Herbert’s high school teams won two league championships in 1947 and ’48, with Donald catching a home run in ’47.
Floors program Herbert considered “One of Catholic Central’s greatest ever pitchers” when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.
Herbert and his brother had aspirations of being major league batters before Donald got into the Korean War. Donald Herbert Sr. passed away in 2016 at the age of 87.
At the age of 19, Herbert struggled early in his professional career but had “a sinking fastball that major league franchises dream of,” the late John Gabchik wrote in the Society for American Baseball Research. Personal Biography.
Since renamed to Right, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Northwestern Field has got raw-arm talent and his ability to contribute to the plate, his brother Richard said of Northwestern Field, packing enough power to “blow it to the Grand River.”
“He had seven home runs in the major leagues, but he said they finally figured out he couldn’t hit a major league curveball,” said his younger brother, who took care of him with Herbert’s daughter in his later years.
Herbert threw a complete game in his major league debut for the Tigers in 1950, losing to the Philadelphia Athletics 4-3 on a late homer. He was able to hit his record three days later in relief against the Washington Senators, but his career was full of highs and lows for the better part of a decade before a revival with the White Sox.
In 1962, Herbert went 20-9 with a 3.27 ERA and scored a win in his only win All-Star Game appearance. Pitching in the second of two All-Star Games held that season, he retired Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, Frank Robinson, and Orlando Cepeda on three innings stops at Wrigley Field.
He retired in 1966 after four years with Detroit, five years with the Kansas City Athletics, four with Chicago and two with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was 104-107 with a 4.01 ERA.
He then delivered hitting coaching for the Tigers for three decades.
Despite being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Herbert never forgot the sandbox tales of his youth at Northwestern. He is also remembered very fondly Cross out Mickey Mantle In 1954 and hit home At Fenway Park in 1962.
He and his siblings were able to induct into the Catholic Central Sports Hall of Fame together in 2015.
Herbert married Patricia Bronikowski in 1978 and they raised her daughter, Roxanne. Patricia passed away in 2017.
Herbert is survived by his brother, Richard. his stepdaughter, Roxanne Ives; his sons Roxanne, Melanie, Mark, and Matthew; And many nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Associated Press sportswriter Ryan Kreska is Ray Herbert’s nephew. His younger cousin once asked him to take her to a souvenir store to try to find Herbert’s baseball card. And together they find a chest with hundreds of old timers. The first card Olivia Herbert picked was her great uncle Ray’s.
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