Johnny Neun
John Henry "Flip" Neun (born October 28, 1900 in Baltimore, Maryland; died March 28, 1990 in Baltimore) was an infielder and switch hitter for the Birmingham Barons and later for the Major Leagues' Detroit Tigers and Boston Braves. He remained in baseball as a manager, coach and scout until the late 1980s.
Nuen was the son of John and Emelie Wenn Nuen. His father was a blacksmith of German heritage and he grew up in an East Baltimore rowhouse. He attended PS 83 and was known for his ambition and imagination. He co-founded the first Baltimore Soccer Club and captained its championship teams of 1918–1920,. and also won the 1920 Baltimore City tennis doubles championship with Elmer Fody. He attended Baltimore City College and worked as a soccer official, which made him ineligible for the college's athletic teams.
Neun began his professional career with the Martinsburg (West Virginia) Mountaineers of the Blue Ridge League in 1920, earning $175 a month. He came to Birmingham in 1922 and was a full-time starter. In 152 appearances with the 1922 Birmingham Barons he hit for a .329 average with 185 hits, including 25 doubles, 16 triplels and 6 home runs. With the 1923 team he hit .320 with 163 hits (22 doubles, 8 triples and 5 home runs) in 145 games, and stole 58 bases.
Neun's contract was purchased from Birmingham by the Detroit Tigers on September 23, 1922 but he remained on the Barons roster for the 1923 season. He was promoted to the St Paul Saints in 1924, and then caught the eye of Ty Cobb and at his insistence was brought up to Detroit in 1925 as a back-up to injured first-baseman Lu Blue. He debuted on the field on April 14 of that year.
Neun spent four season with the Tigers, peaking in 1927 with a .324 batting average for Cobb's successor George Moriarity. He stole 22 bases in 79 appearances, including 5 in once game against the New York Yankees on July 9. He followed up by stealing home twice, once in each game of a double-header against the Washington Senators. Earlier that season, on May 31 he had recorded an unassisted game-ending triple-play from first base to beat the Cleveland Indians 1-0. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Neun caught a line drive from Homer Summa, tagged Charley Jamison before he could get back to 1st, and continued sprinting to 2nd, reaching it before Glenn Myatt could get back to the bag. Neun's ball and glove from that play were bronzed and enshrined at the Baseball Hall of Fame museum.
Neun was hampered by appendicitis in 1928 and was placed on waivers. The Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association bought his contract on December 11, 1928, but dropped him. A year later he was drafted from the Baltimore Orioles of the International League to play for the Boston Braves, earning $6,250 as back-up to George Sisler. He hit .326 in his first season, but only .221 in 1931. The New York Yankees took over his contract on December 1 and assigned him to the International League's Newark Bears, and added coaching to his duties there. He finished his professional playing career as a player/manager for the Akron Yankees in 1935 and the Norfolk Tars in 1936–1937.
In the off-seasons he covered soccer and contributed columns to the Baltimore Evening Sun. He married Harminia Grae Warehime, who worked in the paper's advertising department, in 1930.
Neun returned to Newark (now the Tides) as field manager from 1938 to 1941, and was hired in 1942 by the Kansas City Blues. He joined the Yankees staff as a coach in 1944 and replaced Bill Dickey as manager of the team late in the 1946 season. In 1947 he was hired away by the National League's Cincinnati Reds, where he spent two seasons. After that he scouted opponents for the Yankees. In 1969 he was hired to lead the Kansas City Royals's baseball academy. He also helped develop young prospects for the Milwaukee Brewers and California Angels.
Neun was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February 1990, and died in March of that year. He was buried at Immanuel German Lutheran Cemetery alongside his wife, who had died in 1974.
References
- Vitty, Cord (n.d.) "Johnny Neun at SABR.org
- Johnny Nuen at baseball-reference.com