Jerry Coleman

Jerry Coleman
Jerry Coleman
	Jerry Coleman, August 2005
	Second baseman / Manager
	Born: September 14, 1924; San Jose, California, U.S.
	Died: January 5, 2014 (aged 89); San Diego, California, U.S.
	Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
	April 20, 1949, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
	September 29, 1957, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Batting average	.263
Home runs	16
Runs batted in	217
Managerial record	73–89
Winning %	.451
Teams
	As player New York Yankees (1949–1957); As manager San Diego Padres (1980);
Career highlights and awards
	All-Star (1950); 4× World Series champion (1949–1951, 1956); Ford C. Frick Award (2005); San Diego Padres Hall of Fame;
Nickname(s)
Military career
	Coleman receiving the Lone Sailor Award in 2011
Nickname(s)	The Colonel
Buried	Miramar National Cemetery, San Diego, California
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps; *Marine Forces Reserve
Years of service	1942–1964
Rank	Lieutenant colonel
Unit	VMSB-341; VMA-323
Battles/wars	World War II Solomon Islands campaign; Philippines Campaign (1944–45); Korean War
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross (2); Air Medal (13)
Other work	New York Yankee Second Baseman; San Diego Padres Radio Announcer

Gerald Francis Coleman (September 14, 1924 – January 5, 2014) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman for the New York Yankees and manager of the San Diego Padres for one year. Coleman was named the rookie of the year in 1949 by Associated Press, and was an All-Star in 1950 and later that year was named the World Series Most Valuable Player. Yankees teams on which he was a player appeared in six World Series during his career, winning four times. Coleman served as a Marine Corps pilot in World War II and the Korean War, flying combat missions with the VMSB-341 Torrid Turtles (WWII) and VMA-323 Death Rattlers (Korea) in both wars.^[2] He later became a broadcaster, and he was honored in 2005 by the National Baseball Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick Award for his broadcasting contributions.^[3]

^ "Jerry Coleman". Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame. Marine Corps Community Services. March 13, 2007. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
^ High Iron Illustrations, "Lt. Col. Jerry Coleman - Pilot". Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
^ Schudel, Matt (January 7, 2014) "Baseball legend was also a military hero" The Washington Post, page B5. Digital version retrieved January 19, 2013 [1]