This week’s Terrible Card comes from the 1966 reprint set. It’s Johnny Herrnstein who I mentioned in an article last year when I began my ‘66 NL replay.
Herrnstein batted 48 times and managed 8 singles for a .178 batting average with three walks. He drove home two runs and scored five times. He also struck out 22 times.
| Split | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 Totals | 30 | 5 | 48 | 45 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 22 | .178 | .229 | .178 |
For his .178 average, Herrnstein received hit numbers 7-7-8-8-8-9-9 giving him a 25-40 and a 51-13.
Ugly numbers: 66-7, 25-40, 51-13
The interesting thing about Herrnstein is that the Phillies started him out in the fifth spot in the lineup. Being 28 years old and showing a little promise two years prior, the Phils thought he might be a prospect in the making. It take long before the Phils traded him to the Cubs so they could learn this lesson for themselves.
Herrnstein ended up playing most of the rest of his games as pinch hitter that year. He was even traded to the Braves before the year was up. After 1966, he no longer played the game of baseball.
A side note: Herrnstein had a Big Ten connection. His father and grandfather played for the University of Michigan football team. Herrnstein was a star fullback and linebacker from 1956-58 and eventually became captain of the team. Johnny also played baseball for the Wolverines.
Finally, his son also played football… for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Family get-togethers must have been fun.
