Loren Rolland Babe (January 11, 1928 – February 14, 1984), nicknamed "Bee Bee", 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 leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

infielder,

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 ...

, scout and

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 ...

. The native of

Pisgah, Iowa Pisgah is a city in Harrison County, Iowa, United States, along the Soldier River. The community is located in the midst of the Loess Hills. The population was 249 at the time of the 2020 census. History Pisgah was laid out in 1899. The town's n ...

, was signed by the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

in 1945 and was a longtime player and manager in the Bombers' minor league organization. During his two seasons in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

, he played for the Yankees and the Philadelphia Athletics. He was traded back to the Yankees after the 1953 season but did not play another major league game. He registered 85 hits in 382

at bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

, yielding a .223

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 ...

. He batted left-handed, threw right-handed, stood tall and weighed . After his playing days were over, Babe worked as a minor league manager and Major League Baseball coach. During the mid-1960s, he managed the

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...

, who were at the time the Yankees' AAA affiliate. He was the Yankees' first base coach in

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

, on the staff of skipper

Ralph Houk Ralph George Houk (; August 9, 1919 – July 21, 2010), nicknamed The Major, was an American catcher, coach, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the successor of Casey Stengel as manager of the New Y ...

. In , while scouting for the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

, Babe was diagnosed with colon cancer. At the time, he needed 57 days of Major League service to become a vested member of the players' pension plan, which also provides health benefits. The ChiSox named Babe to their coaching staff to enable him to qualify. At the same time the White Sox had another coach, batting instructor

Charley Lau Charles Richard Lau (April 12, 1933 – March 18, 1984) was an American professional baseball player and a highly influential hitting coach. During his playing career in Major League Baseball, Lau appeared in 527 games as a catcher and pinch hitt ...

, who was battling colon cancer. Babe and Lau both survived the 1983 season while undergoing cancer treatments. Babe died on February 14, 1984, at his home in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

.Chisox Loren Babe dies
/ref> He was 56. Lau, 50, succumbed slightly over a month later, on March 18.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Babe, Loren 1928 births 1984 deaths Auburn Yankees players Baseball players from Iowa Beaumont Exporters players Beaumont Roughnecks players Binghamton Triplets players Deaths from cancer in Nebraska Chicago White Sox coaches Chicago White Sox scouts Deaths from colorectal cancer Denver Bears players Kansas City Blues (baseball) players Major League Baseball first base coaches Major League Baseball third basemen Muskegon Clippers players New York Yankees coaches New York Yankees players New York Yankees scouts Norfolk Tars players People from Harrison County, Iowa Philadelphia Athletics players Rochester Red Wings players Seattle Rainiers players Sportspeople from Omaha, Nebraska Syracuse Chiefs managers Syracuse Chiefs players Toledo Mud Hens managers Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players