Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum

Fred Hutchinson

Class of 1965

Fred Hutchinson was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1919, and he took over as manager of the Reds midway through the 1959 season. Prior to the Reds, he had managed the Tigers and the Cardinals with minimal success. In his first full season with the Reds, the team finished sixth in the National League, but the Reds were primed for success with the likes of Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson, Gordy Coleman, Jim Maloney, and Jim O'Toole on the roster. In 1961, Hutchinson helped lead the Reds to the NL pennant, before falling to the juggernaut that was the 1961 Yankees.

Hutchinson's Reds actually won more games in 1962 than in 1961, but they finished third in the NL. Prior to the 1964 season, it was announced that Hutchinson had cancer, but he was in the dugout until mid-August. The Reds made a late season surge, but finished a single game behind the Cardinals in the National League. Hutchinson died in November of 1964, and the Reds retired his uniform No. 1 the following year.

In 1965, Major League Baseball created the Hutch Award, named in Fred's honor, and it is given to the player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire to win. Also named in his honor, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Institute was established in 1975 in Seattle, and it is one of the world's leading cancer-research institutes. Hutchinson ranks fourth in all-time Reds history with 446 managerial wins, and he was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1965.

Frederick Charles Hutchinson

Bats:

Left

Throws:

Right

Height:

6' 2"

Weight:

190

Born:

August 12, 1919, Seattle, WA

High School:

Franklin (Seattle, WA)

How Acquired:

Hired as manager on July 8, 1959

Debut:

July 9, 1959 vs. San Francisco Giants

Final Game:

August 12, 1964 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Inducted

into the Reds Hall of Fame 1965

Jersey Number Retired

(1) by the Cincinnati Reds in 1965