All-Time Indians: Jim Hegan
| Name: | James Edward Hegan | Position: | Catcher | ||||||||||||||||
| Number: | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tribe Time: | 1941-1957 | DOB: | 08/03/1920 | ||||||||||||||||
| Accolades: | 5 Time All-Star (1947,1949-52), Top 25 MVP (1948,1954) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stats | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | TB | BB | SO | SB | CS | SB% | OBP | SLG | AVG | OPS | ISOP |
| Best Season (1948) | 144 | 472 | 60 | 117 | 21 | 6 | 14 | 61 | 192 | 48 | 74 | 6 | 3 | 67% | .317 | .407 | .248 | .724 | .159 |
| Career | 1526 | 4459 | 526 | 1026 | 171 | 45 | 90 | 499 | 1557 | 437 | 664 | 15 | 22 | 41% | .295 | .349 | .230 | .644 | .119 |
| Post Season Career | 10 | 32 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 100% | .235 | .313 | .188 | .548 | .125 |
Jim Hegan was the longest tenured position player in Indians history, catching games for the Tribe from 1941 until 1957. In 1946 he became the starting catcher, putting an end to the revolving wheel of catchers that occurred after Frankie Pytlak left the team. He remained the starting catcher until 1957 when he returned to his reserve role right before leaving the team. In 1958 Hegan became part of Frank Lane's fire sale when he was traded to the Tigers along with Hank Aguirre for Jay Porter and Hal Woodeschick.
Along with his 5 All-Star appearances and lengthy career, Hegan has one other interesting note. He was one of only two starting position players to play in both the 1948 and 1954 World Series. While his postseason numbers are far below his regular season averages, he did manage to hit a home run and knock in five runs during the Indians last championship season. Hegan caught every game of that series and his five RBI were more than any other player on the team that year.
Jim Hegan managed to hang around so long, that even while playing catcher (his career high in games played in a season was in 1949 with 152) he currently ranks fourth all time in career games played as an Indian. All three players ahead of him were top of the lineup, middle infielders, making his durability even more impressive. Jim died at the age of 63 and has since been memorialized in the Indians Hall of Fame. His son, Mike Hegan, was a Major League first baseman and is a current member of the Cleveland Indians radio broadcast team.
