George Richard Scherger (November 10, 1920October 13, 2011) was an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

player Player may refer to: Role or adjective * Player (game), a participant in a game or sport ** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games ** Athlete, a player in sports ** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who is ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

, and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

. He played as an

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

for 19 seasons in the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

organization, serving as a

player-manager A player-coach (also playing coach, captain-coach, or player-manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the sq ...

for the last ten. He then spent 19 years in the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

system. He managed Reds' farm clubs for six seasons and served on the major league coaching staff for 13 seasons.

Early life

Scherger was born on November 10, 1920, in

Dickinson, North Dakota Dickinson is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 25,679 at the 2020 census. Dickinson is home to the Ukrainian Cultural Institute, which has a museum and holds events year round for the ...

. His family later moved to

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

. There, he played football, basketball, and baseball at

St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, founded in 1861, is an independent Roman Catholic college preparatory school for young men run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Tonawanda, New York. Established by the De L ...

from which he graduated in 1940.

Playing career

After high school, Scherger signed with the

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...

. He made his professional debut in 1940 as a second baseman with the

Superior Blues The Superior Blues were a minor league baseball team based in Superior, Wisconsin, USA. From 1933 to 1943 and from 1946 to 1955, the Blues played in the Northern League. In 1937, they were affiliated with the St. Louis Browns. From 1938 to 1940 ...

of the Class D Northern League. He also played that season for the Class D

Newport Dodgers The Newport Dodgers were a Northeast Arkansas League baseball team based in Newport, Arkansas, USA that played from 1936 to 1941. They were affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1936 to 1937, the Detroit Tigers in 1939 and the Brooklyn Dodge ...

. His 1941 and 1942 seasons were spent with the Class D

Olean Oilers The Olean Oilers were a minor league baseball team located in Olean, New York which played primarily in the New York–Pennsylvania League from 1939 to 1966, with a hiatus in 1960. Starting in 1959, the team shared nicknames with its major league a ...

and

Kingsport Dodgers Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,442. Lying along the Holston River, Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire, w ...

, respectively. Scherger enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, which placed him in charge of the gymnasium at

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cum ...

. Scherger returned to play in 1946 for the Class B

Danville Dodgers Danville or Dansville may refer to: ;Canada *Danville, Quebec ;United States *Danville, Alabama *Danville, Arkansas *Danville, California *Danville, Georgia *Danville, Illinois *Danville, Indiana *Danville, Iowa * Danville, Kansas *Danville, Kentu ...

of the

Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was a Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 seasons, with teams based in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The league began pla ...

. Through four years of competition, he held a .258

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

with 285

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

, 42 doubles, 17

triples TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...

, and 5

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s. In 1947, the Dodgers made Scherger

of the

Kingston Dodgers Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames ...

, a Class D team competing in the

North Atlantic League The North Atlantic League was the name of two minor baseball leagues. The first was a Class D affiliated system that operated from 1946 until 1950, and the second was an independent minor league that played from 1995 until 1996. Three of that le ...

. The team would win the league pennant, but Scherger was transferred to the Thomasville Dodgers (Class D,

North Carolina State League The North Carolina State League was a "Class D" league in Minor League Baseball. The original version of the league existed from 1913–1917 as the successor to the Carolina Association. The second version of the league was established in 1937 i ...

) midseason. His 1948 campaign with the Olean Oilers (Class D, Pennsylvania–Ontario–New York League) was, offensively, Scherger's best of his career. He hit .324 with 161 hits, 49 doubles, 6 triples, and 3 home runs. He then spent two years (1949–50) with the

Trois-Rivières Royals The baseball team in Trois-Rivières, Quebec has gone through many incarnations. They began as the Trois-Rivières Renards and played in the Quebec Provincial League and the original Canadian–American League from 1940–1942 when they were shu ...

(Class C,

Canadian–American League The Canadian–American League, nicknamed the Can-Am League, was a class C level minor league baseball circuit which ran from 1936 through 1951, with a three-year break during World War II. Teams *Amsterdam Rugmakers, 1938–1942, 1946–19 ...

). He led his 1951 Ponca City Dodgers (Class D) to win the

Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League The Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League (or KOM League) was a name of an American minor league baseball league which was established in 1946 and played through 1952. As the name indicates, the Class D level league had franchises based in Kansas ...

pennant. After two years with the

Santa Barbara Dodgers The Santa Barbara Dodgers was the main nickname of minor league baseball teams in the Class A California League based in the Pacific Ocean coastal resort city of Santa Barbara, California. History The Santa Barbara Dodgers were an affiliate of th ...

(Class C,

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leag ...

), Scherger managed the

Newport News Dodgers The Newport News Dodgers were a minor league baseball affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers between 1944 and 1955. They played in the Piedmont League and were based in Newport News, Virginia. The teams played at Peninsula War Memorial Stadium on Pem ...

(Class B,

Piedmont League The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States. Teams The following teams were members of the Piedmon ...

) to win the 1954 playoff championship and the 1955 regular season pennant. He played his final season in 1956 with the Cedar Rapids Raiders of the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League. Scherger left baseball after 1956, choosing to settle with his family in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, where he worked in a supermarket.

Managerial career

In 1961, Scherger returned to the Dodgers organization as

of their Class D

Panama City Fliers The Panama City Fliers were a minor league baseball team based in Panama City, Florida, that operated in the Alabama–Florida League. They were founded in 1951 as an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. In 1958, they were affiliated with the San Franc ...

in the

Alabama–Florida League The Alabama–Florida League was a low-level circuit in American minor league baseball that existed from 1936 through 1939 and 1951 through 1962. In 1940–1941 and from 1946–1950. The absence of clubs based in Florida caused the league to chan ...

. He managed the Ozark/Andalusia Dodgers of the same circuit in 1962. He was skipper of the

Salisbury Dodgers Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

(Class A,

Western Carolinas League file:John Henry Moss.png, Portion of plaque displaying likeness of John Henry Moss at Municipal Stadium, Hagerstown, Maryland The Western Carolinas League was a Class D (1948–52; 1960–62) and a low Class A (1963–79) full-season league in Am ...

) in 1963 and 1964, where he was awarded back-to-back Manager of the Year Awards and won the league championship in 1964. After the 1965 campaign with the

St. Petersburg Saints The St. Petersburg Saints were a minor league baseball team that operated out of St. Petersburg, Florida. The team began as a semi-pro team and as early as October 1908, the semi-pro Saints played the Cincinnati Reds in a post-season exhibition g ...

(Class A,

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

), Scherger left baseball again, sitting out the 1966 season. After 19 years with the Dodgers, Scherger joined the

organization in 1967. He managed the Florida State League's

Tampa Tarpons The Tampa Tarpons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Tampa, Florida. The Tarpons play their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is ...

and the Reds'

Florida Instructional League The Florida Instructional League (FIL), sometimes known informally as "instructs", is an American professional baseball league. The league was founded in 1958. Young major league prospects hone their skills in the FIL, while experienced players may ...

team in both 1967 and 1968. Cincinnati farm director

Sheldon "Chief" Bender Sheldon "Chief" Bender (November 25, 1919 – February 27, 2008) was an American player and manager in minor league baseball and a scout, scouting director and farm system director in Major League Baseball who spent 64 years in the game. Bender i ...

placed Scherger in charge of their minor league spring training camp in 1969. During the season, he led their rookie-level

Gulf Coast League Reds GU, Gu, or gu may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Gu (instrument), Chinese drums ** Bangu (drum) () or Gu (), a Chinese "flowerpot" drum * ''Global Underground'', an electronic dance music compilation series Other media * GU Comics, an ...

and continued to lead the winter league team as well. When

Sparky Anderson George Lee "Sparky" Anderson (February 22, 1934 – November 4, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player, coach, and manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third t ...

was named manager of the Reds for the season, Scherger was hired as

bench coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...

. As the playing skipper of the Class C

in 1953, Scherger was Anderson's first manager in pro baseball. He continued on Anderson's Cincinnati staff for nine years, later serving as

first base coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...

and at

third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...

. During that time, the Reds won five

National League West Division The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...

titles, four

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

pennants, and two

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

. Reds general manager

Dick Wagner Richard Allen Wagner (December 14, 1942 – July 30, 2014) was an American rock guitarist, songwriter and author best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, and Kiss. He also fronted his own Michigan-based bands, the Frost and the Bos ...

dismissed the entire coaching staff after the 1978 season. Scherger was then assigned to the Double-A

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...

of the Southern League. He led the team to win the league championship and was selected to coach the 1979 Southern League All-Star team. He returned to Class A Tampa in 1980, and led the Double-A Waterbury Reds of the Eastern League in 1981. In 1982, he managed the Triple-A

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...

of the

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

. The Indians won the

championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...

, and Scherger won the ''Sporting News'' Minor League Manager of the Year Award. Scherger joined the Reds' major league staff after the 1982 season. He continued as bench coach for manager

Russ Nixon Russell Eugene Nixon (February 19, 1935 – November 8, 2016) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1957 to 1969. A veteran of 55 years in professional basebal ...

for four years until retiring after the 1986 season. He was described by former Reds' star and manager

Pete Rose Peter Edward Rose Sr. (born April 14, 1941), also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, most prominently as a membe ...

as the "smartest baseball mind in the world". He briefly returned to manage Nashville, now at Triple-A in the American Association, in 1988, but retired for good after only one game.

References

External links

Obituary in ''The Charlotte Observer''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scherger, George 1920 births 2011 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II Baseball players from North Dakota Cedar Rapids Raiders players Cincinnati Reds coaches Danville Dodgers players Indianapolis Indians managers Kingsport Dodgers players Kingston Dodgers players Major League Baseball first base coaches Major League Baseball third base coaches Nashville Sounds managers Newport Dodgers players Newport News Dodgers players Olean Oilers players People from Dickinson, North Dakota Ponca City Dodgers players Santa Barbara Dodgers players St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute alumni Superior Blues players Thomasville Dodgers players Trois-Rivières Royals players