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Fred James Hatfield
Detroit Tigers
Second Base
Born: March 18, 1925, Lanett, AL
Signed: Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent before 1942 season
Major League Teams: Boston Red Sox 1950-52; Detroit Tigers 1952-56; Chicago White Sox 1956-57; Cleveland Indians 1958; Cincinnati Redlegs 1958
Died: May 22, 1998, Tallahassee, FL (age 73)
Signed when he was 17 by the Boston Red Sox in 1942, Fred Hatfield missed three years of playing time while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He'd return to baseball in 1946, and after 4 1/2 more years in the minors Hatfield finally earned a promotion to the Red Sox. He'd play sparingly in Boston before a blockbuster nine-player deal sent him to Detroit in June 1952. Hatfield would enjoy his best seasons with the Tigers in the mid-1950s. As a frequently used infielder, Hatfield played in at least 100 games in four seasons between 1952 and 1956. He led all American League third baseman in assists (276) and fielding percentage (.971) in 1952, and offensively his best season came in 1954 when he batted .294 for the Tigers. In 722 major league games over nine seasons, he batted .242 with 493 hits, 25 home runs and 165 RBIs.
After retiring as a player, Hatfield was a collegiate and minor league manager between 1960 and 1986, and was the Tigers' third base coach for two seasons in 1977 and 1978. He was the head coach for the Florida State Seminoles between 1964 and 1968, guiding the club to a 161-57 record. Hatfield was posthumously inducted into the Florida State University Hall of Fame in 1999.
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| Winter 1994 - Dad inspecting the new construction |
December 25, 1994 from San Diego, CA - Card #140
The Roy Campanella (#101) card was my "big" present from Santa for Christmas 1994. With my Dad's help, Santa secured the Campanella card from Kit Young Cards in San Diego for what my notes say was $75. That price seems steep, but there were six other cards from the 1956 Topps set under the Christmas tree that year from Kit Young Cards, including this Hatfield card, with the other six cards costing a combined $20. In December 1994, I would have been home from college for the winter break of my junior year.
This was the last Christmas my family and I spent in the house on 12th Street in my hometown where I grew up. My parents were in the process of building a new house and we'd visit the construction site throughout that winter break. I had a tough time leaving my childhood home behind and the 1994-95 timeframe brought about quite a few major changes in my life.
The Card / Tigers Team Set
Hatfield was exclusive to Bowman in 1954 and 1955, and this card marks his return to Topps sets. He wore #1 with the Tigers, so that's likely him hopping (in the grass?) in the action photo. The cartoons on the back highlight his graduation from Alabama State Teachers College in 1950, his breaking up Early Wynn's (#187) no-hitter in 1955 and his "Scrap Iron" nickname. His hit to break up Wynn's no-hitter wasn't as dramatic as depicted in the cartoon, and I don't think Wynn was nearly that wide. Hatfield singled with one out in the bottom of the fourth for the Tigers' only hit against Wynn on May 22, 1955.
1956 Season
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First Mainstream Card: 1952 Bowman #153
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5): 1952-53, 1956-58
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1991 Topps Archives 1953 #163
18 - Hatfield non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/4/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
The Trading Card Database
Previous Card / Next Card
Set Order: #317 Al Aber - Detroit Tigers / #319 Jack Crimian - Kansas City Athletics
Order Collected: #290 Curt Simmons - Philadelphia Phillies / #338 Jim Delsing - Detroit Tigers
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