Andy Seminick
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Andrew Wasil "Andy" Seminick (September 12, 1920 - February 22, 2004) was an American Major League Baseball catcher and right-handed batter. He played for the Philadelphia Blue Jays and Phillies between 1943 and 1951, Cincinnati Reds and Redlegs from 1952 through part of 1955, when he rejoined the Phillies for the rest of the year until his release at the end of the 1957 season.
Seminick was born in Pierce, West Virginia. He was a member of the 1949 National League All-Star team and helped the 1950 Whiz Kids Phillies win their first penant since 1915. On June 2, 1949, he hit three home runs in a game with two of them in the same inning.
In 15 seasons, Seminick batted .243 with 164 home runs and 556 RBI in 1304 games. He enjoyed his best season in 1950, when he hit .288, 24, 68.
After retiring, Seminick worked for the Philadelphia organization for the rest of his life. First, as a coach with the Phillies (1957-58), then managed 11 Phillies' minor-league teams (1959-66, 1970-73), and returned as a coach for the Phillies (1967-69). After that, he scouted and served as a roving minor-league instructor for the Phillies (1974 to mid-1980s). Notably that ninety of his players he managed or coached eventually played in the major leagues, including Mike Schmidt, Ferguson Jenkins, Greg Luzinski and Bob Boone. Seminick helped to convert Boone from a third baseman to one of the best defensive catchers in baseball.
In the 1990s, Seminick served as a catching instructor for Philadelphia in spring training and in the Florida Instructional League.
Andy Seminick died in Melbourne, Florida, at 83 years of age. He was the last living everyday player from the Whiz Kids.
External links
- Career statistics at Baseball Reference (http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/seminan01.shtml)
- Article at Baseball Library (http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/S/Seminick_Andy.stm)
- 1950: when Philadelphia's Whiz Kids won the N.L. pennant (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_11_61/ai_92521923/pg_1)