Jerry Coleman Stats

Jerry Coleman was born on Sunday, September 14, 1924, in San Jose, California. Coleman was 24 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 20, 1949, with the New York Yankees. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Jerry Coleman baseball stats page.

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"As we look for role models for our nation's youth, we need to look no further than to Jerry Coleman and Ted Williams—heroes of the baseball diamond and the battlefields of the skies. Each was asked to interrupt his or her private life to serve in harms way." - Commissioner Bud Selig (MLB Press Release, June 14, 2003) [Jerry Coleman Quotes]

Jerry Coleman

Jerry Coleman Autograph on a 1991 Swell Baseball Greats Baseball Card (#19 | <a href='../baseball_cards/baseball_cards_oneset.php?s=1991swe01' title='1991 Swell Baseball Greats Baseball Card Checklist'>Checklist</a>)

Jerry Coleman Autograph on a 1991 Swell Baseball Greats Baseball Card (#19 | Checklist)

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Birth Name:   Gerald Francis Coleman
Nickname:   Jerry or Master of the Malaprop
Born On:   09-14-1924  (Virgo)
Place of Birth Data Born In:   San Jose, California
Year of Death Data Died On:   01-05-2014 (1,000 Oldest Living)
Place of Death Data Died In:   La Jolla, California
Cemetery:   Miramar National Cemetery, San Diego, California
High School:   Lowell High School (San Francisco, CA)
College:   None Attended
Batting Stances Chart Bats:   Right   Throwing Arms Chart Throws:   Right
Player Height Chart Height:   6-00   Player Weight Chart Weight:   170
First Game:   04-20-1949 (Age 24)
Last Game:   09-29-1957
Draft:   Not Applicable

Jerry Coleman

Jerry Coleman Pitching Stats

- - Did Not Pitch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jerry Coleman

Jerry Coleman Hitting Stats

1949 25 Yankees 128 447 54 123 21 5 2 0 42 63 0 44 11 - 2 12 .275 .367 .358
1950 26 Yankees 153 522 69 150 19 6 6 0 69 67 5 38 10 - 3 10 .287 .372 .381
1951 27 Yankees 121 362 48 90 11 2 3 0 43 31 3 36 8 - 4 11 .249 .315 .315
1952 28 Yankees 11 42 6 17 2 1 0 0 4 5 0 4 0 - 0 0 .405 .468 .500
1953 29 Yankees 8 10 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 .200 .200 .200
1954 30 Yankees 107 300 39 65 7 1 3 0 21 26 3 29 5 1 0 8 .217 .278 .277
1955 31 Yankees 43 96 12 22 5 0 0 0 8 11 0 11 3 0 2 3 .229 .321 .281
1956 32 Yankees 80 183 15 47 5 1 0 0 18 12 2 33 6 1 1 5 .257 .305 .295
1957 33 Yankees 72 157 23 42 7 2 2 0 12 20 0 21 2 0 1 7 .268 .354 .376
9 Years 723 2,119 267 558 77 18 16 0 217 235 13 218 46 2 13 56 .263 .340 .339

Jerry Coleman

Jerry Coleman Fielding Stats

1949 Yankees 2B 122 122 2,711 625 5.1 613 298 315 12 102 n/a n/a n/a .981 6.11
1949 Yankees SS 4 3 84 23 5.8 22 6 16 1 4 n/a n/a n/a .957 7.07
1950 Yankees 2B 152 152 3,874 786 5.2 768 384 384 18 137 n/a n/a n/a .977 5.35
1950 Yankees SS 6 0 63 11 1.8 10 4 6 1 1 n/a n/a n/a .909 4.29
1951 Yankees 2B 102 97 2,498 530 5.2 513 245 268 17 84 n/a n/a n/a .968 5.54
1951 Yankees SS 18 6 251 55 3.1 54 27 27 1 8 n/a n/a n/a .982 5.81
1952 Yankees 2B 11 11 296 69 6.3 67 33 34 2 17 n/a n/a n/a .971 6.11
1953 Yankees 2B 7 3 87 19 2.7 19 11 8 0 4 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 5.90
1953 Yankees SS 1 0 15 2 2.0 1 0 1 1 0 n/a n/a n/a .500 1.80
1954 Yankees 2B 79 70 1,861 390 4.9 381 183 198 9 62 n/a n/a n/a .977 5.53
1954 Yankees 3B 1 0 12 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a .000 0.00
1954 Yankees SS 30 16 446 85 2.8 80 26 54 5 9 n/a n/a n/a .941 4.84
1955 Yankees 2B 13 12 306 55 4.2 55 32 23 0 7 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 4.85
1955 Yankees 3B 1 0 3 2 2.0 1 1 0 1 0 n/a n/a n/a .500 9.00
1955 Yankees SS 29 16 474 87 3.0 84 33 51 3 17 n/a n/a n/a .966 4.78
1956 Yankees 2B 41 27 793 187 4.6 183 89 94 4 32 n/a n/a n/a .979 6.23
1956 Yankees 3B 18 6 229 21 1.2 19 9 10 2 0 n/a n/a n/a .905 2.24
1956 Yankees SS 24 18 478 91 3.8 88 40 48 3 14 n/a n/a n/a .967 4.97
1957 Yankees 2B 45 28 860 163 3.6 158 74 84 5 32 n/a n/a n/a .969 4.96
1957 Yankees 3B 21 12 388 48 2.3 46 15 31 2 1 n/a n/a n/a .958 3.20
1957 Yankees SS 4 2 51 8 2.0 6 1 5 2 1 n/a n/a n/a .750 3.18
2B Totals 572 522 13,286 2,824 4.9 2,757 1,349 1,408 67 477 n/a n/a n/a .976 5.60
SS Totals 116 61 1,862 362 3.1 345 137 208 17 54 n/a n/a n/a .953 5.00
3B Totals 41 18 632 71 1.7 66 25 41 5 1 n/a n/a n/a .930 2.82
9 Years 729 601 15,780 3,257 4.5 3,168 1,511 1,657 89 532 n/a n/a n/a .973 5.42

Jerry Coleman

Jerry Coleman Miscellaneous Stats

1949 Yankees 8 6 .571 1 1 n/a 223.5 10.2 10.6 - - -
1950 Yankees 3 2 .600 1 0 n/a 87.0 13.7 7.6 - - -
1951 Yankees 6 1 .857 3 2 n/a 120.7 10.1 8.4 - - -
1952 Yankees 0 1 .000 0 0 n/a 0.0 10.5 10.5 - - -
1953 Yankees 0 0 .000 0 0 n/a 0.0 5.0 0.0 - - -
1954 Yankees 3 0 1.000 1 2 n/a 100.0 10.3 14.3 - - -
1955 Yankees 0 2 .000 1 0 n/a 0.0 8.7 12.0 - - -
1956 Yankees 1 2 .333 2 0 n/a 0.0 5.5 10.2 - - -
1957 Yankees 1 1 .500 4 2 n/a 78.5 7.5 13.1 - - -
9 Years 22 15 .595 13 7 n/a 132.4 9.7 9.8 - - -

Jerry Coleman

Jerry Coleman Miscellaneous Items of Interest

1949 New York Yankees 42 Undetermined - Stats
1950 New York Yankees 42 Undetermined Stats Stats
1951 New York Yankees 42 Undetermined - Stats
1952 New York Yankees 42 $12,000.00 - -
1953 New York Yankees 42 Undetermined - -
1954 New York Yankees 42 Undetermined - -
1955 New York Yankees 42 Undetermined - Stats
1956 New York Yankees 42 Undetermined - Stats
1957 New York Yankees 42 Undetermined - Stats

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Did you know that Jerry Coleman is the only Major League ballplayer to see combat in both World War II and the Korean War? The Colonel, a nickname given after Coleman was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, is a member of the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame, the National Radio Hall of Fame, and in 2005, he was given the Ford Frick Award by the National Baseball Hall of Fame for broadcasting excellence. Coleman flew more than 120 combat missions and received the following medals:

Jerry Coleman Fighter Pilot | Baseball Almanac

Jerry Coleman (Banshee Fighter Jet) | Associated Press Wire Photo | 1952
Baseball Almanac Research Library

Air Medal (13x)
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross (2x)
Korean Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Philippine Liberation Medal
United Nations Service Medal
World War Two Victory Medal

Jerry Coleman was a Major League broadcaster from 1960 through 2014 and when he won the Ford Frick Award in 2005, he became only the third former player (1. Joe Garagiola, 1991, 2. Bob Uecker, 2003) turned broadcaster to be honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Being inducted into the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame had to be another amazing honor, which happened that same year, and his induction there (link) reads:

Gerald "Jerry" Francis Coleman was born in San Jose, CA on September 14, 1924. After high school, Coleman signed with the New York Yankee's minor league system at the age of 17. Once Coleman turned 18, he postponed his baseball career and joined the Marine Corps as a Naval Aviation Cadet in the V-5 program in San Francisco, CA. In April 1944, Coleman was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and awarded the Gold Wings of a Naval Aviator at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, TX. Coleman departed to Guadalcanal and was assigned to the 341 Marine Scout Bombing Squadron (The Torrid Turtles). Coleman flew 57 combat missions in the SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber throughout campaigns involving Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands, and the Philippines. During this time, Coleman would earn two Distinguished Flying Crosses and seven Air Medals.

In January 1946, Coleman was moved to the inactive list under the 12th Marine Corps Reserve District and resumed his baseball career fighting his way through the New York Yankee farm system. In 1949, the New York Yankees picked up Coleman from the minors and the graceful fielding second baseman became the starter for the Yankees in 1949. Coleman began a run that may not be matched by anyone today. In his nine years as the Yankees second baseman, Coleman played in 6 World Series and won 8 Division Titles. Coleman earned Rookie of the Year honors in 1949, played in the 1950 All-Star game, and was named the 1950 World Series MVP.

In May 1952, Coleman was recalled to active duty for combat service in the Korean War. After transition training, Coleman was transferred to Korea for service with the 323 Marine Attack Squadron. During this time, Coleman flew 63 close air support and interdiction strike missions earning six more Air Medals (13 Total), the Korean Service Medal with two stars, and the United Nations Service Medal. In August 1953, he was transferred back to the United States and was put on reserve status where he would once again suit up with the Yankees as the their starting second baseman until his retirement in 1957. Coleman would remain in the Marine Corps Reserves until he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1964.

After leaving the playing field in 1957, Coleman joined the broadcasting booth with stops in New York and California, as well as 22 seasons calling the CBS Radio Network's Game of the Week. In 1980, Coleman left the broadcasting booth to manage the San Diego Padres for one season. The Padres finished 6th with a record of 73 wins and 89 losses. After the season, Coleman returned to his chair as the announcer for the San Diego Padres. In 2005, Coleman will celebrate his 33rd season as the voice of the San Diego Padres and has also been selected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the Ford C. Frick Award recipient as an announcer.

Jerry Coleman | Baseball Almanac

Jerry Coleman | The Kingston Daily Freeman | October 3, 1957
Baseball Almanac Research Library

Often remembered as a broadcaster, Jerry Coleman did play nine years with the New York Yankees, won four (1949, 1950, 1951, 1956) World Series rings with the Bronx Bombers, led all second baseman in fielding percentage in 1949, appeared in the 1950 All-Star Game, and won the 1950 Babe Ruth Award (an early version of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award).