Willard Hershberger

Hershberger’s suicide during the 1940 season ended a frustrating career. A farmhand in the player-rich Yankee system, he shared a catching future with Buddy Rosar, judged the better defensive player. Bill Dickey was the Yankee catcher, a lefthanded hitter. Both Hershberger and Rosar were righthanded, and Rosar was chosen as Dickey’s backup. Hershberger was sold to Cincinnati and had to settle in behind another future Hall of Fame catcher, Ernie Lombardi.